Malta eco contribution: rates, rules and a calculator
From 1 July 2026, guests aged 18 and over pay €1.50 per night, up to €22.50 per visit. Here’s what changed, how to work out what each booking owes, and how to collect it before the guest arrives.
Last reviewed October 2026. Not legal advice: check the official sources linked at the end.
The rules at a glance
The eco contribution is charged on overnight stays in tourist accommodation in Malta. Hosts collect it from guests and pay it over through quarterly returns.
- Who pays
- Guests aged 18 or over at the start of their visit.
- Rate
- €1.50 per person per night, from 1 July 2026.
- Cap
- €22.50 per person per visit. That is reached on the 15th night.
- Under 18s
- Exempt.
- On the receipt
- Shown separately from the accommodation rate.
- Competent authority
- The Malta Tourism Authority (MTA).
- Portal
- The Eco Contribution Portal at eco-contribution.com, operated by the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA), handles onboarding, reconciliation and returns.
- Returns
- Filed quarterly through the portal.
What changed on 1 July 2026
The nightly rate tripled and the cap rose from €5 to €22.50, so long stays now cost noticeably more.
| Item | Before 1 July 2026 | From 1 July 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Per person per night | €0.50 | €1.50 |
| Cap per person per visit | €5.00 | €22.50 |
| Nights until the cap | 10 | 15 |
| Couple staying 7 nights | €7.00 | €21.00 |
| Couple staying 21 nights | €10.00 | €45.00 |
What hosts have to do
Register on the Eco Contribution Portal
Onboard your accommodation at eco-contribution.com. The portal is where your returns and reconciliation happen.
Collect it from every guest aged 18 or over
Work out each stay: adults × nights × €1.50, with each adult capped at €22.50. Guests under 18 pay nothing.
Show it separately on the receipt
The contribution must appear on its own line, not folded into your nightly rate.
File your return every quarter
Report the stays and amounts for January to March, April to June, July to September and October to December through the portal.
How Arrivo handles it for you
Set each property to Malta or Gozo once. From then on every booking is priced, collected and counted without a spreadsheet.
- Live
Collected at online check-in
Guests pay before they get the door code, by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, into your own Stripe or Revolut Business account.
- Live
Rates with start dates
Each rate is stored with the date it takes effect, so a stay is priced at the rate that applies to it and the next change is an update, not a scramble.
- Live
A separate line on the receipt
The guest’s receipt lists the contribution on its own, apart from your accommodation rate and any processing fee you add.
- Live
Quarterly return export
Arrivo totals the stays, adults and chargeable nights for each quarter and exports the return as a CSV to upload to the portal.
- In progress
Direct submission to the portal
We will submit returns for you once the Eco Contribution Portal offers API access. Until then, you upload the CSV yourself.
Eco contribution return
July to September 2026
- Stays
- 48
- Guests aged 18+
- 97
- Chargeable nights
- 412
- Due for the quarter
- €618.00
- Collected at check-in
- €618.00
- Outstanding
- €0.00
Eco contribution questions
What is the Malta eco contribution?
A charge on overnight stays in tourist accommodation in Malta, collected by the accommodation provider from guests aged 18 and over. The Malta Tourism Authority is the competent authority.
How much is the eco contribution from 1 July 2026?
€1.50 per person per night, capped at €22.50 per person per visit. Before 1 July 2026 it was €0.50 per night, capped at €5.
Do children pay the eco contribution?
No. Guests under 18 at the start of their visit are exempt.
What happens after 15 nights?
Nothing more is due for that guest. The €22.50 cap per person per visit is reached on the 15th night.
Does the eco contribution have to be shown separately?
Yes. It must appear on the guest’s receipt separately from the accommodation rate.
How do hosts file eco contribution returns?
Through the Eco Contribution Portal at eco-contribution.com, operated by the MHRA, which handles onboarding, reconciliation and returns. Returns are filed quarterly.
Can Arrivo file my return for me?
Arrivo prepares each quarter’s return and exports it as a CSV for the portal today. Direct submission is in progress and will be switched on once the portal offers API access.
Collect the eco contribution before guests arrive
Arrivo prices every stay at the right rate, takes payment at online check-in and prepares your quarterly return. 14 days free, no card required.