Public Registry Office
The responsibilities of the Public Registry originate from the Public Registry Act (Cap. 56), the Marriage Act (Cap. 255), the Civil Unions Act (Cap. 530), and the Civil Code (Cap. 16) (Articles 1 to 306).
The Public Registry was founded on 3rd August 1889, and its records date back to 1863. Records kept at the Public Registry include Acts of Birth, Marriage, Civil Union, Death and Adoption Registrations.
Annotations to the mentioned Acts and Registrations are made following a court decree or judgment. Certificates are issued on request.
Civil Status & Customer Care Section
The Civil Status & Customer Care Section
issues true copies of Acts of Birth, Marriage,
Civil Union and Death registered in Malta.
It is also responsible for the issuance of Free Status Certificates. Birth, Marriage, Civil Union, Death and Free Status certificates can be ordered online on www.certifikati.gov.mt and have them delivered to an address of your choice.
A certificate ordered online may be sent by post or picked up from the Public Registry Office. The Civil Status & Customer Care Section processes all certificates orders within six (6) working days from date of submission. Alternatively, certificates can be physically obtained from the Civil Status & Customer Care Section or by placing an order with the Public Registry Office.
Birth, marriage, civil union, free status and death certificates issued by the Civil Status Customer Care Section may be presented to other EU Member State’s authorities, since these no longer require an apostille. For ease of translation, a multi-lingual standard form can be obtained for any of the certificates. These certificates can be ordered online on www.certifikati.gov.mt or physically obtained from the Civil Status Customer Care Section.
Marriage Registry Section
Marriages and Civil Unions in Malta are regulated
by the provisions of the Marriage Act, Cap. 255
(effective as of 12th August 1975) and the Civil
Unions Act, Cap. 530 (effective as of 14th April 2014).
Both acts were amended by Act XXIII of 2017 (effective as of 1st September 2017).The Marriage Registry Section was established in August 1975, the same year in which the Marriage Act, which regulates all Marriages and Civil Unions contracted in Malta, came into act.
The Marriage Registry Section receives requests for the publication of banns for marriages and civil unions taking place in Malta.
Applications for the publication of banns are received within three (3) months, but not less than six (6) weeks, from the date of marriage or civil union. The section provides the service of a marriage room where Civil Marriages and Civil Unions may be officiated.
The Marriage Registry Section guides Maltese nationals marrying foreigner accordingly.
Marriage
The process of formalities in preparation for marriage is as follows:
i. Religious Marriages
Couples are requested to book an appointment with a Marriage Registry Officer by accessing the following link or by sending an email to [email protected] at least three (3) months before their marriage date. The email must contain a telephone number where the couple may be contacted.
The Marriage Registrar should be notified of the following:
- The church where the marriage will be held;
- The date of marriage;
- The name and surname of the priest who will celebrate the marriage ceremony;
- The surname/s of the spouses after marriage and the family name being adopted.
The couple should also provide:
- Birth certificates (if the applicants’ birth is not registered with the Malta Public Registry) apostilled or legalised as necessary (unless these are coming from the European Union);
- Identification documents and copies thereof;
- A photocopy of the identification documents of the witnesses;
- Other documents as required.
Ten (10) days before their marriage, the couple need to collect two (2) copies of the Act of Marriage and the Certificate of Banns. These should be presented to the Parish Priest of where the wedding ceremony will be held.
After the celebration of the nuptial mass, the couple, together with the witnesses and the wedding officiant who administers consent, must sign the Marriage Act. This certificate must be returned to the Public Registry Office by the Parish Priest for registration.
Maltese nationals planning on getting married to a foreigner or a person who has lived abroad for a period of time will be requested to present additional documentation in support of their application.
Those couples who are getting married in Gozo should apply for their marriage banns at the Marriage Registry in Victoria, Gozo.
Marriages can take place on board passenger ships registered in Malta. In such cases couples are advised to contact the Marriage Registry Section for guidance.
ii. Civil Marriages
The Marriage Registry Section also provides services for civil marriages. Those couples opting for a civil marriage must also contact the Marriage Registry Section at least three (3) months prior to their marriage date for the publication of banns.
Couples are requested to contact the Public Registry on (+356) 2590 4240 or [email protected] at least three (3) months before their marriage. The email must contain a telephone number where the couple may be contacted.
A civil marriage may take place in the Marriage Registry Marriage Room or at any other public place that has been approved beforehand by the Marriage Registrar.
The Marriage Registrar should be notified of the following:
- The place where the marriage is to be held;
- The date of the marriage;
- The surname/s of the spouses after marriage and the family name being adopted.
The couple should provide:
- Birth certificates (in case of applicants whose birth is not registered at the Malta Public Registry) apostilled or legalised as necessary (unless these are coming from the European Union);
- Identification documents and copies thereof;
- A photocopy of the identification documents of the witnesses;
- Other documents as required.
The forms required are:
- Request for the publication of banns for matrimony for the purposes of Article 7(4) of the Marriage Act; &
- Declaration under Article 7(5) of the Marriage Act.
Couples getting married in Gozo should apply for their marriage banns at the Marriage Registry in Victoria, Gozo.
Marriages can take place on board passenger ships registered in Malta. In such cases couples are advised to contact the Marriage Registry Section for guidance.
Before submitting any foreign public documents for the application for the publication of Banns, it is important to review the following link for guidance.
Civil Union
Three (3) months before the civil union date, the partners should request the publication of banns at the Marriage Registry Section. Partners are requested to book an appointment with a Marriage Registry Officer by accessing the following link or by sending an email to [email protected]. The email must contain a telephone number where the couple may be contacted.
A civil union may take place in the Marriage Registry Marriage Room, or at any other public place that has been approved beforehand by the Marriage Registrar.
The Marriage Registrar should be notified of the following:
- The place where the civil union will be held;
- The date of civil union;
- The surname that the partners after the civil union and the family name they will be adopting
The partners should provide:
- Birth certificates (in case of applicants whose birth is not registered at the Malta Public Registry) apostilled or legalised as necessary (unless these are coming from the European Union);
- Identification documents and copies thereof;
- A photocopy of the identification documents of the witnesses;
- Other documents as required.
Five (5) days prior to the date, partners are to contact the Marriage Registry Section to confirm their civil union.
Those partners who are entering into a civil union in Gozo should apply for their civil union banns at the Marriage Registry in Victoria, Gozo.
The forms required are:
- Application for the purposes of Sec. 4.2 (a) of the Civil Unions Act, 2014; &
- Declaration for the purposes of Sec. 4.2 (a) of the Civil Unions Act, 2014
Further information on Marriage, Civil Union and Cohabitation can be obtained on the following link.
MARRIAGE BANNS APPLICATION DATE CALCULATOR
By clicking on this link, you can find out when to submit your application for the publication of your Marriage Banns
MARRIAGE BANNS APPOINTMENT
Couples/partners are asked to book an appointment with a Marriage Registry Officer at least three (3) months before their wedding date by accessing this link or sending an email to [email protected]. The email must include a contact number where the couple can be reached.
Article 15(1) of the Marriage Act (Cap 255 of the Laws of Malta states that; ‘15.(1) A civil marriage shall be contracted in the presence of the Registrar, or of an officer of the Marriage Registry authorised by the Registrar to officiate at marriages, and of the witnesses required by this Act.’.
Local and Foreign Notifications Section
The Local and Foreign Notifications Section is responsible for accepting notifications for the registration of all births and deaths in Malta, and notifications of civil status of Maltese citizens occurring abroad.
Local Notifications
The local notification of a birth and death occurring in Malta can be made by visiting the Public Registry offices in Mater Dei Hospital, Msida or at Onda Building, Aldo Moro Road, Marsa. Local births and deaths occurring in Gozo can be notified at the Gozo Public Registry, By the Bastion Road, Victoria, Gozo.
Local notifications can also be made online by clicking on https://pubregnotifications.gov.mt/.
Further information on birth notifications can be obtained on the following Link.
Further information on death notifications can be obtained on the following Link.
Local notifications of birth and death can also be made by post. Further information can be obtained by contacting the Public Registry on +356 2590 4200 or by sending an email on [email protected].
Foreign Notifications
The notification of foreign Acts of civil status of Maltese citizens may be notified at the Public Registry offices at Onda Building, Aldo Moro Road, Marsa, and at the Gozo Public Registry, By the Bastion Road, Victoria, Gozo or through one of the Maltese overseas missions.
It is to be noted that;
- European Union public documents do not need to be apostilled or fully legalised by virtue of EU Regulation 2016/1191 applicable from 16th February 2019.
- Non-EU public documents need to be either apostilled or fully legalised.
All documents are retained and indefinitely preserved in the Archives of the Public Registry.
In all cases, it is important to view the following link …… for guidance before submitting any foreign public documents for registration.
Registration Section
The Registration Section registers local
as well as foreign Acts of Births, Marriages,
Civil Unions and Deaths.
The registrations of foreign acts of civil status pertain to Maltese citizens who were born, married or died abroad. When necessary, supporting legal documentation relating to the status of the parents of the child or of the deceased are requested to confirm that all details are correct before the ultimate registration of the Act takes place.
Any person, who may have an interest, may bring an action before the competent courts in Malta for:
- the correction of any registered Act of Civil Status,
- the legitimation of a person born out of wedlock and
- the acknowledgment of the paternity of a person born out of wedlock.
Corrections by means of the prescribed application forms, indicated in the Civil Code (Cap. 16 of the Laws of Malta), may also be made through an application submitted to the Public Registry. Adjustments may be requested through Forms V, TT, UU, WW, XX, and Y.
It must be stressed that any change made through these forms is irrevocable. It is also recommended that the Public Registry, Annotations, and Adjustments Section is contacted for further information, by sending an email to [email protected] or calling on (+356) 25904200 during office hours for further guidance on these forms.
You may wish to view further information on each form through the following link.
Furthermore, annotations deriving from legitimation per ‘subsequens matrimonium’ also fall under the competence of the Annotations & Adjustments Section.
Nullities and divorces of marriage and civil unions obtained in Malta and abroad (as long as these are issued by the competent authorities) are registered with the Public Registry Office.
These may be registered at the Public Registry Office after ascertaining that they conform to the relative requisites of the Maltese law. All changes emanating from the above instances are recorded in the Annotations column of the relative Civil Status Act.
Following a court sentence, the section annotates and corrects the Public Registry’s records accordingly. This annotation may lead to the correction of the original Act of Civil Status, including birth, marriage, civil union or death certificates.
In the case of couples who have completed their legal separation procedures, this section annotates the change to their birth surname.
The annotations process is completed within three (3) working days from the receipt of the judgement of the relevant court, or the submission made by the applicant.
The certificate can then be ordered on www.certifikati.gov.mt and is sent by post. The Public Registry Office will process the order within six (6) working days from date of submission.
Alternatively, one may collect the certificate from the Public Registry Office in Marsa or Victoria, Gozo.
The Annotations & Adjustments Section is also responsible for the issue of certificates of cohabitation under the provisions of the Cohabitation Act (Cap. 571 of the Laws of Malta). The Cohabitation Act meets the needs of cohabitants who do not wish to be bound by either marriage or civil union. This Act protects cohabitants by legally recognising their rights and duties.
In all cases, it is important to view the following link …… for guidance before submitting any decisions of a foreign Court for registration.
The Public Registry holds records that include Acts of Birth, Acts of Marriage, Acts of Civil Union, Acts of Death, Cohabitation, and Adoption Registrations. The original Acts of Birth, Death, and Marriage date back to 1863, whilst the original Acts of Civil Unions date from 2004.
The four (4) Registers contain all Acts of Birth, Marriage, Civil Union and Death which took place in Malta.
These also include any Act of Birth, Marriage, Civil Union or Death of a citizen of Malta drawn up or registered in a foreign country by a competent authority, provided that there is a request from any person interested and the authenticity of such Act.
For more information on Annotations and Adjustments regarding gender change and the recognition of the new gender please click here.
For more information on Annotations and Adjustments regarding adoptions, please click here.
The Registry For Legal Persons
All applications for the registration of foundations and associations as legal persons in terms of the Second Schedule to the Civil Code, and the information relating to the Register of Beneficial Owners (in terms of the Second Schedule of the Civil Code, (Register of Beneficial Owners – Foundations) Regulations and Civil Code (Second Schedule) (Register of Beneficial Owners – Associations) Regulations) should be submitted to the Malta Business Registry, AM Business Centre, Triq il-Labour, Żejtun, ZTN 2401.
The Malta Business Registry can be contacted on +356 2258 2300 or by email on [email protected]. Forms can be found on https://mbr.mt/foundassoc-application-forms/.
Opening Hours
Public Registry – Malta
| Monday: | 07:30am – 02:00pm |
| Tuesday: | 07:30am – 02:00pm |
| Wednesday: | 07:30am – 02:00pm 03:00pm – 06:00pm |
| Thursday: | 07:30am – 02:00pm |
| Friday: | 07:30am – 02:00pm |
| Saturday: | 07:30am – 11:00am |
Public Registry – Gozo | 16th June till 30th September
| Monday: | 07:30am – 12:00pm |
| Tuesday: | 07:30am – 12:00pm |
| Wednesday: | 07:30am – 12:00pm |
| Thursday: | 07:30am – 12:00pm |
| Friday: | 07:30am – 12:00pm |
Public Registry – Gozo | 1st October till 15th June
| Monday: | 08:00am – 13:00pm |
| Tuesday: | 08:00am – 13:00pm |
| Wednesday: | 08:00am – 13:00pm |
| Thursday: | 08:00am – 13:00pm |
| Friday: | 08:00am – 13:00pm |
N:B Gozo offices stay open till 2:00pm for any queries but not for cash transactions.
