Pay transparency in Malta
Transposedin force since 05/06/2026
Malta transposed the Directive with the Equal Pay (Transparency and Reporting) Regulations, 2026 (Legal Notice 173 of 2026, Government Gazette No. 21,661 of 5 June 2026), in force with no general transitional period. Article 24 of the Directive (equal pay in public procurement) was not transposed; first gender pay gap reports are due by 7 June 2027.
Draft · legal review pending, not yet published.
Last checked: 10/11/2026. This overview is not legal advice. Laws change; the linked legal text is what counts.
- In force since
- 05/06/2026
- Job ads
- Pay information before the offer. Regulation 4: applicants have the right to receive the initial pay or its range (objective, gender-neutral criteria) and relevant collective-agreement provisions, provided so as to ensure informed pay negotiation 'prior to the conclusion of the recruitment process'. Stating pay in the job ad is not required; vacancy notices and job titles must be gender-neutral.
- Asking about previous pay
- Banned by law
- Workers' right to information
- Workers may request in writing their individual pay level and average pay levels by sex for comparable categories; the employer must reply within eight days, with escalation via a representative and the Equality Body. Failure to provide the information within 45 days of the request is a criminal offence.
- Pay reporting
- 250+ workers: by 7 June 2027 (covering 2026) and annually; 150–249: by 7 June 2027 (covering 2026) and every three years; 100–149: by 7 June 2031 (covering 2030) and every three years. Below 100 is voluntary.
- Penalties
- Criminal offence: fine of EUR 2,500–5,000; EUR 5,000–7,000 where the offence involves pay discrimination.
Not verified: Entry-into-force date: no commencement clause found in the text; Lewis Silkin says in force on publication (5 June 2026), other secondary sources say 7 June 2026. The 45-day criminal-offence detail is from Lewis Silkin, not re-checked in the text.
41% of job ads in Malta state pay
491 of 1,212 ads on employer career sites and applicant tracking systems in the last month; 19% for tech-related titles (16 of 86). Measured on 11/11/2026 via Active Jobs DB; includes pay read from the ad text.
Sources
- L.N. 173 of 2026 – Equal Pay (Transparency and Reporting) Regulations, 2026 · Legislation Malta · 05/06/2026
- L.N. 173 of 2026 (PDF) · Legislation Malta · 05/06/2026
- Malta surprises with last-minute transposition of the Pay Transparency Directive: what employers need to know · Lewis Silkin · 29/09/2026