Malta VAT number: format and validation

By Remco from Avatcado

Format

MT followed by 8 digits. The local term is VAT registration number (VAT No, English) or Taxxa fuq il-Valur Mizjud (TVM, Maltese).

Pattern: /^\d{8}$/

  • Maltese VAT numbers are commonly printed with a hyphen after the fourth digit (MT1282-6209), so strip the hyphen before validating
  • Only Article 10 (standard) registrants receive an MT-prefixed number valid for intra-EU trade; Article 11 and 12 registrants get numbers without the MT prefix that do not validate in VIES

Example of a registered number: MT1282-6209

Check digit

Malta VAT numbers carry a check digit (Weighted MOD 37): The sum of the 8 digits multiplied by the weights 3,4,6,7,8,9,10,1 must be divisible by 37.

Check a Malta VAT number

Checks route through VIES. Caching is enabled by default. Read the source, original result time and freshness label alongside validity; a cached or stale result does not freshly confirm current registration.

Enter a VAT number to see its registration result, source and freshness

Validate via API

The same validation as an API call, with the example number above:

curl "https://api.avatcado.com/v1/validate?vat_number=MT12826209" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer avat_live_your_api_key"
import Avatcado from "@avatcado/node";

const avatcado = new Avatcado("avat_live_your_api_key");
const { data, error } = await avatcado.vat.validate({
  vatNumber: "MT12826209",
});

if (data?.data.valid) {
  console.log(`Registered: ${data.data.company?.name}`);
}

Free tier includes 500 validations per month. Get an API key or read the API documentation.

How Avatcado validates Malta numbers

  • Primary source: VIES.
  • Company name and address: yes, observed 2026-09-04.
  • When VIES is down: the most recent cached result, then a refunded 503.

See the full coverage table.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Article 10 and Article 11 VAT registration in Malta?

Article 10 is the standard registration: you charge VAT, deduct input VAT, and get an MT-prefixed number returned by VIES. Article 11 is the exempt registration for small undertakings; these businesses charge no VAT and their number has no MT prefix, so if a Maltese supplier's number fails VIES they may be Article 11 registered.

What is Malta's VAT registration threshold?

Malta's Article 11 exemption threshold is EUR 35,000 of annual turnover, a single unified threshold in effect since 1 January 2025. Above it, businesses must register under Article 10 with the MTCA; Malta's standard rate is 18 percent.

How does Avatcado validate Malta VAT numbers when VIES is down?

For Malta VAT numbers, uncached checks use VIES, the EU's VAT Information Exchange System, which routes the query to Malta's own national database. Caching is enabled by default without a requester VAT number. Read the freshness label and original result time to distinguish a new lookup from a previous result. A valid answer includes the registered company name and address that Malta's tax administration publishes through VIES, which we last confirmed against a real registered number on 2026-09-04. No national register is published for Malta that Avatcado can consult as a substitute, unlike the ten EU countries with a national fallback on Pro and Business, so an availability fault such as MS_UNAVAILABLE or a timeout can be answered only by eligible cache. A stored result has meta.cached: true and meta.source_status: "unavailable", plus meta.stale: true when it is past the cache window. Requester checks disable stored responses by default; cache=true opts back in. If no eligible stored result can answer, the request returns a refunded 503 (upstream_member_state_unavailable). A cached or stale result is earlier registration evidence, not a fresh check.

Related guides

VAT rate in Malta

The standard VAT rate in Malta is 18%. Reduced rates: 12%, 7%, 5%, 0%. See all Malta VAT rates.

Sources