Prices and facts on this page were checked in September 2026.
Translators and interpreters in Malta
Dapperlance lists independent translators, editors and proofreaders in Malta, including a Ħamrun translation company that works only in Maltese and English, and an editing team that handles academic proofreading, CVs and transcription. Between them they cover Maltese to English and English to Maltese translation, regulatory and medical texts, and proofreading for students and businesses. Message any of them for free from their listing.
What does translation cost in Malta?
Translation in Malta typically starts at about €0.10 per word for general text, €0.13 for technical and €0.15 for legal, with a rush surcharge of around 60 percent for 24 hour delivery. Those figures come from the one Malta agency that publishes rates, checked September 2026. Everyone else quotes per document, so treat them as a guide, not a quote.
| Service | Typical price |
|---|---|
| General translation | From about €0.10 per word |
| Technical translation | From about €0.13 per word |
| Legal or regulatory translation | From about €0.15 per word |
| 24 hour express | About 60 percent on top |
| Certified translation, proofreading per 1,000 words, interpreting per hour | Quoted per job, no Malta provider publishes these |
Three things move the price. Language pair: Maltese is a small language with few professional translators, so Maltese work costs more per word than Italian or French. Subject: legal, medical and regulatory text needs a translator with that background. Format: a scanned PDF, a website or subtitles take more handling than a Word file, and certified copies add a signing and stamping step.
How to choose a translator in Malta
There is no sworn translator register in Malta, so a certified translation is one the translator signs with a declaration of accuracy, then a notary or the apostille office authenticates it if the receiving body asks. Ask the body that wants the document (a court, Identità, a foreign university) exactly what they accept before ordering. For use abroad you may need the translation notarised and then apostilled by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
Ask for a translator who works into their native language. A Maltese speaker translating into Maltese and a native English editor for the English side is the standard professional setup, and the Ħamrun company listed here works that way. For proofreading, ask whether the price covers language only or also structure and argument, they are different services.
Common mistakes to avoid: sending a scan when you have the original file (you pay for retyping), ordering a certified translation before checking whether the receiving office needs one, and using machine translation for anything legal. It is fine for understanding an email, not for a contract.
Browse the translators listed above and message them directly, it is free. Related categories: Copywriting and Legal Services.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a certified translation in Malta?
A professional translator signs a declaration that the translation is complete and accurate. If the receiving body needs more, a notary authenticates the translator's signature, and for use abroad the Ministry for Foreign Affairs adds an apostille. Ask the receiving body what level they require before you order.
Are translations charged per word or per page?
Per word of the source text is standard for Malta agencies, with legal and technical text at a higher rate. Short documents such as certificates are usually a fixed price per document instead. Ask which basis the quote uses.
How fast can a translation be done?
A professional translator handles about 2,000 to 3,000 words a working day. Shorter documents are often back in one to two days. Same day or 24 hour delivery is possible and carries a surcharge of roughly 60 percent.
Can I use Google Translate for Maltese?
For getting the gist of an email or a form, yes. For anything that will be read by a customer, a court or an authority, no. Maltese is a small language with limited machine translation quality, and mistakes in legal or medical text carry consequences. Use a human translator and, ideally, a native proofreader.