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Malta Airport › Car hire

No credit cardNo depositDriving on the left3 min walk to Park East

Car hire at Malta Airport without a credit card

Car hire at Malta Airport without a credit card and with no deposit is offered by part of the market only: most international brands block a deposit on a credit card, while several local companies accept debit cards.

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Our partner's comparison filters such offers and shows the deposit and the insurance excess before you book. Cars are collected in the Park East car park of Malta Airport, about three minutes on foot from the terminal, and Malta drives on the left.

No credit card & no deposit

Booking car hire without a credit card at Malta Airport

A deposit blocked on a credit card in the main driver's name is the usual condition with the international brands at Malta Airport, and the amount often falls when the company's full cover is bought. Malta also has an unusually large number of local hire firms, and some of them build their offer on debit cards; one company in the airport's own list even carries the words debit card in its name. Our partner's comparison states the accepted cards and the deposit on each offer, so the terms are known before you book rather than at the desk.

Handover takes place in Park East, not in the arrivals hall. The airport operator describes Park East as a separate building three minutes on foot from the main terminal, with the vehicle rental offices on Level 1 (lower); the operator's table of walking distances gives 356 metres from the arrivals entrance. Signs, floor markings and lift labels reading RENTAL CARS show the way.

Read three points before you confirm: the insurance excess, whether tyres, glass and underbody are covered, and the fuel policy. Maltese streets are narrow, stone walls stand close to the carriageway and parking spaces are tight, so an offer with full cover and no excess spares a discussion on return. Photograph the car from all sides at collection and again when you hand the keys back.

Ask about Gozo before you book if the smaller island is part of the plan. Hire conditions differ on whether the car may travel on the ferry, and the comparison shows the conditions of each company. Where the ferry is allowed, the crossing from Ċirkewwa costs €15.70 for a car up to 5.3 metres long with its driver, plus €4.65 for every further passenger, and the fare covers the round trip.

Documents you need

  • Driving licence: a UK photocard licence can be used in Malta; holders of a paper licence may need a photocard or an International Driving Permit
  • Passport or national identity card
  • Payment card in the main driver's name: a credit card with most brands, a debit card only where the offer says so
  • Booking voucher, printed or on your phone
  • Minimum age and young-driver fee as set by each company and shown on the offer
  • Flight number, so that the company can follow a delayed arrival

Start your search

Car hire offices in the Park East car park of Malta Airport
Car hire offices in the Park East car park of Malta Airport
Season

When car hire at Malta Airport is cheapest

Demand for hire cars at Malta Airport follows the holiday calendar of the island, with the United Kingdom as the largest source of passengers in 2025. Prices are highest in July and August and around Easter, when small automatic cars sell out first, and lowest between November and March. This page quotes no daily rates, because we could not source prices that hold for a whole season.

Booking several weeks ahead pays off for travel between June and September. A small car is the practical choice in Malta at any time of year: distances on the island are short, village streets are narrow and parking in Valletta, Sliema and St Julian's is scarce. Travellers who stay in Valletta or Sliema and plan only a few excursions often do better with the bus and an occasional taxi.

Providers

Car hire companies at Malta Airport

International brands and local companies with a desk in the terminal, a meeting point outside arrivals or a shuttle to their depot.

Avis

Listed by the airport operator; office in the Park East car park

Budget

Listed by the airport operator; office in the Park East car park

Hertz

Listed by the airport operator; office in the Park East car park

Europcar

Listed by the airport operator; office in the Park East car park

Sixt

Listed by the airport operator; office in the Park East car park

Enterprise

Listed by the airport operator together with Alamo and National, which share one local contact

Goldcar

Listed by the airport operator; office in the Park East car park

Green Motion

Listed by the airport operator; office in the Park East car park

Sicily by Car

Italian brand listed by the airport operator; office in the Park East car park

OK Mobility

Spanish brand listed by the airport operator; office in the Park East car park

First Car Rental

Maltese company listed by the airport operator; office in the Park East car park

JS Car Hire

Maltese company listed by the airport operator; office in the Park East car park

Aquarius Rent a Car

Maltese company listed by the airport operator; office in the Park East car park

Debit Card Car Hire Malta

Maltese company listed by the airport operator; as the name says, built around debit-card rentals
On the road

Driving a hire car from Malta Airport

Malta drives on the left, a legacy of British rule, and road signs are in English, which makes the first kilometres from Malta Airport easier for British visitors than for most others. A UK photocard driving licence can be used in Malta, according to the UK government, and a Blue Badge is recognised as well. The RAC's guide for British drivers gives the speed limits as 50 km/h in built-up areas and 80 km/h outside them, unless signs say otherwise; Malta has no motorways.

The UK government's travel advice is blunt about the conditions: some roads are in poor condition, and local standards of driving are described as poor. Expect roundabouts in quick succession, sudden lane changes and narrow village cores where two cars barely pass. Distances are short but slow: Valletta lies about 8 km from Malta Airport, Mellieħa about 25 km and the ferry terminal at Ċirkewwa about 30 km, a drive of 45 to 60 minutes depending on traffic.

Parking decides how useful a car is in the towns. Valletta, Sliema and St Julian's are densely built and short of spaces, while Mdina, Marsaxlokk, the Blue Grotto, the temples of Ħaġar Qim and the beaches of the north-west, such as Golden Bay and Għajn Tuffieħa, are far easier to reach by car than by bus.

How to book in a few minutes

  1. Enter Malta Airport (MLA) as the pick-up point, with dates and times that match your flights.
  2. Filter by payment card and deposit, then compare the total price including full cover rather than the daily rate alone.
  3. Choose a small car for village streets and tight parking spaces; add an automatic gearbox early in high season.
  4. Check whether the conditions allow the ferry to Gozo if you plan to take the car across.
  5. After landing at Malta Airport follow the RENTAL CARS signs from the Welcomers' Hall to Level 1 (lower) of Park East.
  6. Check the car, photograph existing damage, note the fuel level and remember to keep left when you leave the car park.
Apron of Malta Airport with parked aircraft
Apron of Malta Airport with parked aircraft
FAQ

Questions about car hire at Malta Airport

Do I need a credit card to hire a car at Malta Airport?
With most international brands, yes: the deposit is normally blocked on a credit card in the main driver's name. Several local companies at Malta Airport accept debit cards, and the comparison shows the accepted cards and the deposit for each offer before you book.
Where do I collect my hire car at Malta Airport?
In the Park East car park, a separate building about three minutes on foot from the terminal of Malta Airport. The rental offices are on Level 1 (lower), and signs reading RENTAL CARS lead there from the Welcomers' Hall.
Can I drive in Malta with a UK driving licence?
Yes, a UK photocard driving licence can be used to drive in Malta, according to the UK government. Holders of a paper licence may need to change to a photocard or obtain an International Driving Permit, and hire companies often set a minimum age and a minimum period of holding the licence.
Is driving in Malta difficult for British visitors?
The side of the road is familiar, because Malta drives on the left and signs are in English. The difficulty lies elsewhere: the UK government describes some roads as being in poor condition and local driving standards as poor, and streets in the old towns are narrow.
Can I take a hire car from Malta Airport to Gozo?
That depends on the hire company, so check the conditions shown on the offer before booking. Where the ferry is allowed, Gozo Channel charges €15.70 for a car with driver and €4.65 per further passenger for the round trip from Ċirkewwa.
What happens if my flight to Malta Airport is delayed?
The company keeps the car for the actual landing time if you gave your flight number when booking. For a long delay or a late-night arrival, phone the number on your voucher, because not every office in Park East is staffed around the clock.

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