Malta Flag Vessels
2,335 vessels registered under the Malta flag
Malta Maritime Fleet Overview
Malta has 2,335 registered vessels tracked on MarineRadar. The fleet primarily consists of Cargo (318), Tanker (227), Pleasure Craft (141), Passenger (57) and Unknown (41). Track all Malta-flagged ships with live AIS positions and real-time maritime data.
About the Malta Flag
Registry Authority
Malta's flag is administered by Transport Malta's Merchant Shipping Directorate under the Merchant Shipping Act of 1973. The Maltese flag is now the largest in Europe and one of the top six globally, with over 8,000 vessels — many of them yachts — totalling around 80 million GT.
Why Ships Register in Malta
Malta is an EU member state, which gives ships access to EU short-sea cabotage rules, EU-flagged tonnage tax regimes, and EU-recognised certification. The Maltese tonnage tax is one of Europe's most competitive: shipping income is exempt from regular corporate income tax in exchange for a tonnage-based annual fee. The flag holds Paris MOU and Tokyo MOU white-list status, and registration is fast and well-priced.
Notable Operators
MSC has its largest national fleet under the Maltese flag, and Italian operators including Grimaldi Group, Costa Cruises, and Ignazio Messina flag heavily here. Many German, French, and Cypriot owners also use Malta as their EU flag of choice. The yacht segment is dominated by superyachts owned through Maltese holding companies.
Trade Routes
Maltese tonnage is concentrated on Mediterranean short-sea trades, Europe–North Africa and Europe–Middle East routes, and transatlantic and Asia–Europe deep-sea services run by MSC. The flag is also disproportionately represented on Mediterranean ro-ro and ferry routes between Italy, Spain, Greece, and Tunisia.
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