Malta – known for its weather, landscapes & temples.
It is apparently also the first planned capital city in Europe.
Writing a list of all the cool things to do in Malta would require another blog post (or a dedicated Malta blog), so I will save you from that because you want to know what SIM card and eSIM options are available at the airport.
You can get an Epic Malta SIM card for 10 EUR, although you have to top up at least 10 EUR to make your SIM card useful.
Well, that is straightforward, right? But there are still some things to be aware of before you buy a SIM card at the airport.
Even though only one SIM card is available 👀.
Original publication: 7th of March 2023. Last updated: 15th of January 2024.
Table of Contents
Mobile Operators in Malta
Before I tell you about the SIM card and eSIM options you have at Malta International Airport, you first need to know about all the mobile operators in Malta.
Malta has three mobile operators offering prepaid services easily accessible to travelers:
- Epic Malta (formerly Vodafone)
- GO (Mobile) Malta
- Melita
Keeping things short and easy in this small country 😎.
For more information about Maltese SIM cards, check out my Malta SIM card buying guide.
Alright, back to what Malta International Airport has to offer to us.
Where to Buy a SIM Card (or eSIM) at Malta International Airport?
Only one store sells Maltese SIM cards at Malta International Airport: Epic Malta (formerly Vodafone).
Malta International Airport has only one terminal, and all arrivals (Schengen and non-Schengen) go through the same arrivals hall on level 0.
The Epic store, which you practically cannot miss, is across WHSmith, on the left of the airline counters and Dr. Juice & on the right of Samsonite.
While WHSmith sells prepaid SIM cards in some countries, it does not at Malta International Airport.
So let's see what Epic Malta has to offer to us at the airport.
What SIM Cards & Plans does Epic Malta (formerly Vodafone) Sell at Malta International Airport (+Prices)?
Epic Malta sells regular SIM cards at Malta Airport, costing 10 EUR for the SIM card and 4.99 EUR, 5.99 EUR, or 9.99 EUR for a plan.
I will list all the prices in EUR (Euro).
To convert EUR to your currency (let's say GBP – (British) Pound (Sterling)) with up-to-date exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.
Epic Malta, just Epic and formerly Vodafone Malta, is the largest mobile operator in Malta.
Monaco Telecom owns it and is also active in Cyprus as Epic Cyprus.
Epic Malta, then still called Vodafone Malta, was the first mobile operator to introduce 4.5G (LTE-A), achieving superior download speeds compared to its competitors.
Nowadays, it claims to be the cheapest mobile operator for prepaid, although the comparison figures are from March 2021 (and are still on its site in March 2023).
Either the competition is still so expensive, or Epic Malta has not bothered to change this part on its website 🤔.
Anyway, Epic Malta is the only mobile operator with a store at the airport, and you can find it in the main hall on floor 0.
When I was in Malta, crazy constructions were happening inside the terminal.
Moreover, sections were blocked off because of COVID-pass checks.
So I could not grab a good photo of the Epic store beside the one below, but you cannot miss it now that construction is over.
Anyway, the store is open from 11:00 to 19:00 daily, which are not the most generous hours for an airport store.
Especially when a quarter or 1/3 of all arrivals arrive before 11:00 and more than ten after 19:00 🤔.
Anyway, Epic Malta sells its SIM cards at the same price as you would pay in town, which is 10 EUR.
You also get 8 GB of data (without 5G NR access), 200 local/EU minutes 1 & 200 local/EU SMS 1 for 28 days.
1 for calls/SMS within and to other EU/EEA member states and back to Malta (NOT from Malta to other EU/EEA member states)
When I was in Malta in 2022, I was told that 5G NR was available in Sliema and St. Julian's and that prepaid customers could use it too.
I did not experience any 5G NR reception, but apparently Google Pixel phones were, and are, not certified for 5G NR use in Malta, surprisingly.
But it looks like 5G NR access is restricted to postpaid customers only again.
Anyway, getting 8 GB, some minutes & some SMS for just 10 EUR is a good deal.
Depending on how much data you normally use or the length of stay, you may not need to buy an additional plan.
And that is what I was going for, but Epic Malta had different plans.
In Malta, an excise tax of 4% will be charged on each top-up.
As a result, the effective credit you get upon recharging will be as follows:
| Top-Up | Credit After Tax |
|---|---|
| 5 EUR | 4.81 EUR |
| 10 EUR | 9.62 EUR |
| 20 EUR | 19.23 EUR |
| 50 EUR | 48.08 EUR |
So why does this even matter? It applies to top-ups only, right?
That is what I thought too.
But the Epic Malta salesperson told me that you only get the SIM card for 10 EUR – no data, minutes, or SMS.
I showed him the promotional banner I added above AND Epic Malta's own site… but he said he had never heard of these benefits.
So if I wanted the Value Pack, the benefits you normally get with an Epic SIM card (8 GB, 200 minutes & 200 SMS), I would need to pay 10 EUR extra.
But because 10 EUR becomes 9.62 EUR after the excise tax, I would have to top up 15 EUR to get this plan.
So yes, I spent 25 EUR for my Epic Malta SIM card and some data 🫠.
This may be cheap in some countries (like Canada), but certainly not cheap in Malta.
The fact that the salesperson did not know about this Value Bundle you get when you buy an Epic Malta SIM card was already disappointing.
But he may truly not have known about it, and it could have been an online-only deal.
Well… no. You have been able to get this Value Bundle with a new SIM card (in-person and online) since 2020 and probably even earlier (with the same benefits: 8 GB, 200 minutes & 200 SMS… for years).
Things get interesting here: Go Mobile Malta and Melita, the other two Maltese mobile operators, also give you starter perks when you buy their SIM cards.
But unlike Epic Malta, Go Mobile Malta and Melita do not require you to top up to get these benefits.
For example, with Go Mobile Malta, you also pay 10 EUR and get the Smart L Plan for free (4 GB of data (without 5G NR access), 200 local/international minutes & 200 local/international SMS for 28 days).
Melita gives you the same allowances as Epic Malta for the same price.
So it is odd that Go Mobile Malta and Melita do not require you to top up before your SIM card is useful 🤔.
Unfortunately, I did not have the time to go to an Epic store and ask if the Value Pack is included when you buy a SIM card there or if topping up is required at the airport.
But I would not be surprised if the airport store is the only place where the Value Pack is not added automatically or for free because most airport SIM cards are overpriced.
Anyway, I spent so much time on this free Value Pack thing that I did not even discuss Epic Malta's other plans!
Well, you are not missing out because it keeps things simple.
Epic Malta has the following three Value Packs:
| Price | Plan | Data | Local/EU Minutes 1 | Local/EU SMS 1 | Validity | Activation Code | Deactivation Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.99 EUR | Talk Pack | 100 MB | 100 minutes | 100 SMS | 28 days | TALK | STOP TALK |
| 5.99 EUR | Data Pack | 4 GB | N/A | N/A | 28 days | DATA | STOP DATA |
| 9.99 EUR | Value Pack | 8 EUR | 200 minutes | 200 SMS | 28 days | VALUE | STOP VALUE |
1 for calls/SMS within and to other EU/EEA member states and back to Malta (NOT from Malta to other EU/EEA member states)
If you are 25 years or younger, you can also take advantage of the Youth Plans (although the airport salespeople prefer not to sell them to tourists, you may have to insist):
| Price | Plan | Data | Local/EU Minutes | Local/EU SMS | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.99 EUR/10 EUR 1 | Youth Basic | 5 GB | 400 minutes | Unlimited | 28 days |
| 12.99 EUR/15 EUR 1 | Youth Standard | 20 GB | 400 minutes | Unlimited | 28 days |
1 if auto-renewal is disabled, you have to top-up 10 EUR or 15 EUR to activate the respective plans. If auto-renewal is enabled, you will be charged 8.99 EUR or 12.99 EUR for the Youth Basic and Youth Standard plans instead
In terms of EU/EEA data, minutes & SMS for all the plans I mentioned so far (while in other EU/EEA member states, NOT from Malta to these countries), You can use your full allowances in the following EU/EEA member states without paying roaming fees:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Monaco
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- United Kingdom
Moreover, you can get any Epic Malta plan as an eSIM, but you have to ask for it.
Because you first have to still buy an actual SIM card before it can be exchanged for an eSIM.
Note that SIM card registration is mandatory in Malta.
Registration will not take much time, luckily.
In my case, none of the Maltese mobile operators asked for my passport when I purchased their SIM cards (or ID because I am a citizen of the European Union).
And I am talking about Go Mobile Malta and Melita too.
I am not sure why, honestly.
In the case of Epic Malta, the next person the salesperson helped was a Ukrainian family who had just fled the war.
When she mentioned she wanted to buy a SIM card, the salesperson asked for her and her kids' passports (if she had them).
And he called me out because I spent 25 EUR on a SIM card and data while only staying in Malta for two days, as if it was not his doing 😒.
The same happened at the Melita store, where nobody asked for my ID for registration but did for the people next to me.
Very odd 🤔 but I suggest bringing your documents anyway because they probably will ask you 🗿.
If you do not want to deal with registration or not buy a physical SIM card before getting an eSIM (remember, eSIMs cannot be requested online yet), you can consider getting a travel SIM card for Malta.
I write about the best travel eSIMs for Malta in my Best Malta eSIM buying guide.
Should You Get a SIM Card (or eSIM) at Malta International Airport?
I do not recommend getting a SIM card at Malta International Airport because the standard free perks you get from buying an Epic Malta SIM card are not given when you buy one here, while you probably will get them if bought in Malta proper.
While it will be convenient to buy your SIM card at the airport already, you are better off waiting until you are in town to get a Maltese SIM card.
In Valletta, Epic Malta and Melita SIM cards are available (although the latter store always has queues).
If you want more choices, go to Sliema, where you can also get Go Mobile Malta SIM cards.
While the Epic store at Malta International Airport does not sell any tourist SIM cards or overcharge you like at some airports, you do not get the free Value Pack valued at 10 EUR when you buy your SIM card there.
Instead, for 10 EUR, you only get a SIM card, and you would need to top-up 15 EUR (because the government charges an excise tax on each recharge…. yeah) to be able to buy a 10 EUR plan.
Because neither Go Mobile Malta nor Melita required me to do this when I bought a SIM card from them (in Malta proper), I suspect that (1) the airport store does not give you the free Value Pack so that they can take more money from you or (2) the free Value Pack is an online-only perk, which I doubt.
Mostly because many Maltese still prefer to do their business in person.
When I was in the Go Mobile Malta and Melita stores, more than half of the customers wanted to pay their bills in person, even though they could do it online.
Plus, Epic Malta has been offering this Value Pack when it was still called Vodafone Malta, way before people were more comfortable with doing their business online.
So if you have the time and patience to wait until you are in Malta proper to get your Maltese SIM card, you could easily save 15 EUR when doing so!