Your Malta trust cost depends mainly on the structure: the parties, the assets, the drafting and the trustee's yearly work. We publish the set-up fee for a standard trust or foundation in Malta on this page; annual administration, event-based work and third-party charges are quoted after we review your case. This page shows each cost line.
The set-up fee for a Malta trust is shown under the key facts. The other groups of cost depend on the structure and are quoted after we review your case.
Set-up
Structure design and onboarding checks
Trust deed drafting by the law firm
Trustee acceptance and account opening
Ongoing
Annual trustee fee
Accounting, minutes and records
Reporting to authorities
Third party
Bank and custodian charges
Tax and legal advice in other countries
Registry or stamp duty where it applies
Key facts
Trust structure
Trust under Cap. 331; the deed names the trustee and the beneficiaries[1]
Numbers in brackets point to the Sources list at the end of this page.
Set-up fee
Standard trust
USD 9,000
Trust set-up in Malta: the fee is fixed for the standard scope listed below.
Includes
Client onboarding, KYC and due diligence
Structure design
Trust deed or foundation charter drafted through a partner law firm
Acceptance of trusteeship by a local partner trustee, coordinated by One Pacific Trust
Filing of any registration the law requires
Excludes
Government fees, initial and annual (passed through at cost)
Stamp duty
Holding or underlying companies
Bank account opening
Tax advice in other countries
Annual trustee, administration and event fees (quoted separately)
VAT or GST where applicable
Foundation minimum endowment
Standard foundation
USD 11,000
Foundation set-up in Malta: the fee is fixed for the standard scope listed below.
Includes
Client onboarding, KYC and due diligence
Structure design
Trust deed or foundation charter drafted through a partner law firm
Acceptance of trusteeship by a local partner trustee, coordinated by One Pacific Trust
Filing of any registration the law requires
Excludes
Government fees, initial and annual (passed through at cost)
Stamp duty
Holding or underlying companies
Bank account opening
Tax advice in other countries
Annual trustee, administration and event fees (quoted separately)
VAT or GST where applicable
Foundation minimum endowment
This fee includes the local partner trustee's acceptance fee as agreed with One Pacific Trust.
Set-up fees shown are One Pacific Trust fees in US dollars for the standard scope described, before government, registry, bank and other third-party charges, which are passed through at cost or billed to you directly.
Annual administration, event-based work and anything outside the standard scope are quoted after we review your case.
A published fee is not an offer and is not tax or legal advice; the terms that apply are those set out in writing when you engage us.
Set-up costs: what they cover
Illustration, not a real client.
Set-up charges cover the work done before the first asset reaches a trust under Cap. 331. Each is a one-off line, and the written terms give the date it falls due.
Acceptance and structure design. Our identity and source-of-funds review, and the design work with your lawyer so the deed fits the law.
Legal drafting. A Maltese law firm drafts the deed and letter of wishes. Each special clause or extra role adds time, because the lawyer drafts it within Cap. 331.
Trustee acceptance. The trustee reads the file against the deed, runs its own checks and then accepts office.
Holding company. A holding company under the trust is priced as its own item, formed where the assets suit.
Your lawyer and tax adviser at home bill you directly, outside any quote from us, but their fees are part of what the structure costs you overall.
Ongoing trustee and administration costs
Yearly charges pay for running the trust after signing, and over the years they can exceed the set-up. The trustee charges for holding office, accounts, records, meetings and resolutions under the deed.
Our administration covers reporting, the annual review of identity papers and the preparation of the requests you send.
Event charges apply when something changes: a distribution, a new beneficiary, a new protector, a deed amendment or a wind-up.
A quiet year costs the trustee less work than one with many distributions or bank accounts.
Early years carry extra work, because bank accounts are being opened and the assets are still moving in.
Effort picks up again at three points: a beneficiary reaches adulthood, a beneficiary relocates abroad, or the trust is wound up.
Find out how much warning the trustee must give before it raises its charges.
Ask also what a hand-over to a new trustee would cost later. Both answers go into the written terms, and we request them for you.
Comparing offers from several providers works best when you weigh the yearly lines as carefully as the set-up figure.
Third-party costs
Some charges are set by others, and each appears as its own line in the quote. The main ones are:
Government charges in Malta, which the authorities set, not us.
Corporate services fees for any holding company in the structure.
Bank and brokerage charges on accounts opened in the trustee’s name.
Accounting or audit fees for any company under the trust, where its own law requires them.
Translation and certification of documents, if your papers are not in English or Maltese.
These amounts change from time to time, and we confirm them in writing at the date of your quote. Which state charges follow from Cap. 331 for your structure is a point your lawyer confirms for your case.
What changes the total
Five points decide most of the price you are quoted.
Factor
Why it matters
Kinds of assets
Shares in private companies and property need more work than cash
Holding companies
Each company adds formation, agent and accounting charges
Number of accounts
Each bank or brokerage relationship adds checks and reporting
Roles in the deed
A protector or adviser adds drafting and notices
Activity each year
Distributions and changes bring event charges
Basis: our pricing approach, 2026-11-05. The set-up fee shown on this page is for a standard trust or foundation; a quote for other lines follows the written terms of the trustee and the law firm.
Our quote lists each line instead of giving a single sum, which lets you see exactly what drafting and record-keeping cover.
Describe your plans in everyday words and we convert them into a quote. The trustee’s and the law firm’s written terms prevail over any summary here.
The enquiry form asks what kinds of assets will move, whether a holding company is involved and how many beneficiaries there are. State whether you want a protector or investment adviser; each adds clauses.
Request a quote whenever you are ready. For small points, such as who signs or in which language, see the short answers.
A set-up quote covers client acceptance and structure design, drafting the deed, the trustee's acceptance of office and any holding company beneath the trust. Your own lawyer and tax adviser bill you themselves. Translation and certification show up as their own lines.
Are there ongoing costs for a trust in Malta?
Yes. A trustee keeps charging each year for holding office, keeping the accounts, holding meetings and passing resolutions, and each change to the trust adds an event charge. Spread over many years, the yearly lines can add up to more than the set-up.
How do I get a quote for a trust in Malta?
Write a few lines on the assets you plan to transfer, any holding company and how many beneficiaries there are. We reply with a quote that shows every line, not one total, and you see the trustee's and law firm's written terms before agreeing to anything.
Pick a question for a short answer from our FAQ. Nothing you choose here is sent anywhere. This is a scripted guide from our FAQ, not live chat and not advice.
Setting up, the law and tax
What happens, step by step, when you set up an offshore trust?
First agree the purpose and who should benefit. Your lawyer drafts the deed under the chosen law while the trustee checks identity and the source of the assets. After signing, the assets move into the trustee’s name and are recorded. The guide shows each stage in more detail.
Usually the owner transfers the shares or membership interest to the trustee under the deed, after checking the company’s own documents and any consent a lender or partner must give. The trustee then holds the interest and the company carries on. Company, tax and local law checks come first, so involve your lawyer.
Yes, in the places whose law provides for them. A trust needs a lawful purpose, a valid deed under its governing law, and taxes and reporting dealt with where the people involved live. It cannot be used to hide assets, defeat existing creditors or evade tax. A trustee will refuse a trust whose purpose or funding it cannot confirm.
It depends on where the settlor, the beneficiaries, the trustee and the assets are, and on the law that governs the trust. Many countries tax trust income or distributions in the hands of the people they treat as owners or recipients, and exchange account data under international reporting rules. We do not give tax advice, so ask your own adviser before you sign.
How long does it take to appoint a Hong Kong trustee?
Time depends mostly on how quickly documents arrive and on checks by banks and registries outside our control, so we do not promise a date. Once you apply, the client portal shows each step and what is outstanding, and a 30-minute call sets out what to prepare first.
The cost depends on the structure, the places and assets involved, how many parties the trustee must check, and how much work the trust needs each year. We publish the set-up fee for each place; annual administration and event-based work are quoted after we review your case. Banking, legal and registry charges outside our control can add to it.
A trustee can borrow only if the deed and the governing law allow it. A lender will usually ask to see the deed, the trustee’s authority and the purpose of the loan. Some deeds limit borrowing or need a protector’s consent. Ask a lawyer before approaching a lender.
What is asset management, and is it what a trustee does?
Asset management means running investments for a client, usually under a licence. A trustee does something different: it holds the assets, checks instructions against the deed, approves distributions and keeps the record. A bank or licensed manager that the deed allows for can run the investments.
Hong Kong
Singapore
BVI
Jersey
