Who pays the notary when buying property in Malta — buyer or seller?
Dr. Michael LaferlaNotary · Notary, Notarial Council of MaltaBuyingReviewed: 6 July 2026
The short answer
In Malta it's customarily the buyer who chooses and pays the notary. The notary acts as an impartial public officer for the transaction, but it's the buyer who engages them and settles their fee — along with the stamp duty, the searches and the registration of the deed.
Because the buyer engages the notary, it's worth choosing one you trust — they carry out the searches that protect you and advise you throughout.
The notary is impartial as between the parties, but the cost of their work, and of the tax and registration they handle, falls to the buyer as part of the cost of purchase.
