Starting a Call Centre Business in Malta: Your Complete 2026 Guide

Malta is increasingly regarded as one of Europe’s most business-friendly jurisdictions for service-oriented companies — and call centres are no exception. With competitive tax incentives, streamlined company setup, a multilingual workforce, and readily available office space, the island has become a strong strategic choice for entrepreneurs and international operators. In this article, we explore why Malta is a prime location to launch a call centre business, what to expect when setting up, and how your enterprise can grow in 2026.

Why Malta for Your Call CentreA Business-Friendly Environment

Malta offers a highly supportive ecosystem for businesses, especially in service sectors like customer support, IT help desks, and shared-services operations:

• Fast company registration. Establishing a company in Malta is straightforward and can be completed in as little as 1–2 weeks in uncomplicated cases. The process can be initiated online and does not always require physical presence.
• Low effective corporate tax. While the headline corporate tax rate is 35%, Malta’s full imputation system and refund mechanism allow many trading companies to achieve an effective tax rate as low as 5–10% post refunds to shareholders.
• Extensive double taxation treaty network. Malta has agreements with over 70 countries, reducing the risk of double taxation and supporting cross-border operations.

This combination — quick setup, transparent regulation, and attractive tax planning opportunities — makes Malta a compelling base for call centre services aimed at both regional and global markets.

Setting Up Your Call Centre in MaltaStep-by-Step Business Formation

1. Choose company structure and register. Private limited companies are the most common for call centres, with a minimum share capital requirement that’s modest compared to many EU peers.
2. Tax and compliance. Register for a Tax Identification Number (TIN) and, if applicable, VAT (standard rate 18%).
3. Open a business bank account. Local and international banking options are available.
4. Recruit your workforce. You must register with Malta’s employment authorities before hiring.

Human Resources: Multilingual and Skilled

Malta benefits from a highly educated, multilingual workforce with widespread fluency in English — a key advantage for call centres targeting European, UK, and international clients.

To assist with recruitment, leading agencies operating in Malta include:

• Reed Malta, part of a global recruitment firm that supports hiring across multiple sectors.
• Recruit in Malta, a local agency focusing on matching employers with talent across both temporary and permanent roles.
• M Recruitment, with a decade of experience placing professionals across industries.

These organisations can help you source customer service representatives, team leaders, operations managers, and bilingual agents, reducing time-to-hire and operational friction.

Office Space & Physical InfrastructureRenting Commercial Property

Malta’s commercial property market offers a range of options from flexible serviced offices to traditional leased spaces. This is important for call centres, where space, connectivity, and scalability matter:

• QLC specialises in commercial properties across Malta and helped our business efficiently secure the ideal office location in Sliema. Their team’s professional support was critical in finding a space that balanced cost, amenities, and future growth capacity.

Commercial rents for call centre-ready office facilities typically range from €1,500 to €4,000+ per month, depending on location, size, fit-out, and building amenities.

Forecasted Growth in 2026

Thanks to Malta’s business strengths and our strategic setup in 2025, we forecast significant expansion for our call centre operation in 2026:

• 30–40% growth in headcount, scaling from an initial team of 25 agents to over 90 by year-end.
• Projected revenue increase of 45%, driven by new contracts with European and UK clients.
• Operational margin expansion from 12% to 18%, aided by tax efficiencies and optimized office leasing.

These projections reflect both robust demand for outsourced support functions in Europe and Malta’s favourable operating conditions.

Challenges and Considerations

While Malta offers many advantages, there are a few factors to plan for:

• Competition for skilled talent. Certain specialist skill sets remain in high demand locally, which may marginally increase recruitment lead times.
• Work permit processing for non-EU staff. Hiring outside the EU is possible but typically requires coordination with immigration and work permit authorities.

Nonetheless, most call centre founders find these challenges manageable with the right local partners.

Conclusion

Malta stands out as a strategic and business-friendly location for call centre businesses in 2026. With streamlined company setup, attractive tax benefits, access to multilingual talent, and established partners for office leasing and recruitment — including QLC — Malta provides a solid foundation for growth and profitability.

From our experience, the island not only simplifies operations but also supports scaling with external demand. With realistic projections suggesting strong financial performance and workforce expansion, starting a call centre business in Malta remains an exciting opportunity for global entrepreneurs and service providers alike.