- Abortion legal status
- Illegal
- Emergency number
- 112
Updated July 2026 · Sources cited: grumpycamel.com, hersafevoyage.com
Good to know
Good to Know
- The morning-after pill can be bought without a prescription at most Maltese pharmacies, but individual pharmacists may decline to dispense it on grounds of conscientious objection — if this happens, they are required to refer you to another pharmacy that stocks it.
- The morning-after pill is not available at Malta's public hospital (Mater Dei), so pharmacies are the only OTC route — plan ahead if you need it on a Sunday or public holiday, as many pharmacies close on those days.
- Unlike some other EU countries, the copper coil (IUD) is not offered as emergency contraception in Malta because of the country's restrictive abortion laws, even though the copper IUD is used as a regular long-term contraceptive method.
- There is no cap on how many times you can use the morning-after pill, but repeated use is a signal to consider a regular contraceptive method instead.
- Malta has no subsidy or reimbursement scheme for contraceptives — even a free GP prescription still requires you to pay full retail price for the medication or device itself.
- Malta's abortion law changed in 2023, but it remains among the strictest in the EU — legal access is essentially limited to situations where a woman's life is at immediate risk; there are no legal exceptions for rape, incest, or fetal anomaly.
- If you need abortion care beyond the narrow life-risk exception while in Malta, plan on travelling abroad (commonly the UK or Spain) — this is legal to do as a Maltese resident or visitor.
- Enforcement against individuals is essentially nonexistent in practice — no one has been jailed for having an abortion in Malta in at least 25 years — but the law itself has not changed correspondingly, so don't assume it's informally 'decriminalized.'
- For routine gynaecological care, the closest established private clinics to St. Julian's are a short ride away in neighbouring Sliema and Gżira rather than in St. Julian's itself.
- English is spoken by all doctors and hospital staff in Malta, so language is not a barrier for care.
Street, Night and Taxi Safety
Street Harassment
Cat-calling and street harassment are reported by women in St. Julian's, with several sources singling it out alongside Sliema and St. Paul's Bay as areas where this is more noticeable than elsewhere on the island. It tends to intensify in the Paceville nightlife strip within St. Julian's, where sources describe pushy men and a higher concentration of reported harassment compared to daytime areas of the town.
Walking Alone at Night
Daytime St. Julian's, including its waterfront dining area, is generally described as fine for walking alone, but multiple sources specifically advise against walking alone at night in Paceville, citing aggressive crowds, pickpocketing and poor lighting in some spots. One safety guide rates daytime safety in St. Julian's/Paceville as good but night walking safety as poor, with harassment risk rated high after dark in the party zone specifically.
Drink Spiking and Nightlife Risk
Paceville, the nightlife district within St. Julian's, is described as generating Malta's highest concentration of reported incidents, including drink spiking in some bars, aggressive interactions and petty theft, with these risks said to peak between 1am and 4am on Friday and Saturday nights. The same source notes the district is heavily covered by CCTV and has a regular police presence.
Taxis and Ride-hailing
Guides consistently recommend using ride-hailing apps such as Bolt (and Uber or eCabs) over hailing a white taxi directly from the street, since street-hailed fares can be arbitrary, whereas app fares are locked in and drivers are tracked via GPS. For late-night returns from Paceville, using one of these apps or a licensed taxi rather than walking or waiting at a bus stop is the advice given.
Practical Precautions
Recommended precautions for women in St. Julian's and Paceville include never leaving a drink unattended, not accepting drinks from strangers, staying with friends in crowded club areas, and going into a restaurant or hotel for help if feeling uncomfortable. Keeping bags zipped and worn in front is also advised on the busy Sliema–St. Julian's promenade, where pickpockets occasionally work summer crowds.
Abortion Law And OB-GYN
Abortion Law
- Status
- illegal
- Jurisdiction
- Malta (national law, applies in St. Julian's)
- Access Routes
- Legal, government-sanctioned abortion access in Malta is limited to hospital-based intervention when a woman's life is at immediate risk, certified by treating physicians. For any other circumstance, the only routes described in reputable sources are: (1) traveling to another country where abortion is legally available (commonly cited destinations for Malta residents include the UK and Spain), which is itself legal for Maltese residents to do, or (2) use of internationally-operated telemedicine abortion-pill services. Malta's Criminal Code technically criminalizes self-administered abortion, but enforcement is essentially absent in practice.
- Abortion Time Limits
- There is no general abortion time limit for abortion on request because elective/on-request abortion is not permitted at any weeks of pregnancy. Within the narrow life-risk exception, the law requires that, in the reasonable opinion of the treating doctor(s), the foetus has not yet reached the stage of viability; a separate, distinct provision allows medical intervention for a stable extra-uterine (ectopic) pregnancy after 12 weeks of pregnancy. There are no exceptions for fetal anomaly, rape, or incest, regardless of pregnancy stage.
- Enforcement Reality
- In practice, prosecutions are very rare. No one has been imprisoned for having an abortion in Malta in at least the last twenty-five years, despite abortion pill telemedicine services being commonly used on the island.
- Legal Status Summary
- Abortion in Malta is illegal except in cases where the life of the pregnant woman is at risk. Until 2023, it was illegal without exception, making Malta one of the most restrictive jurisdictions in Europe. In June 2023, Article 243B was added to the Criminal Code, creating narrow exceptions permitting termination without criminal liability when carried out to save the life of a pregnant woman whose life is at immediate risk, or to address a medical complication placing her health in grave jeopardy that could lead to death. Outside these narrow exceptions, abortion remains a criminal offence under Articles 241-243 of the Criminal Code, with penalties of up to three years' imprisonment for the woman and up to four years for an assisting doctor (plus permanent loss of medical licence).
- Law Change Context
- The 2023 reform followed international attention on the case of an American tourist who was denied a life-saving abortion during a miscarriage in Malta in 2022 and had to be airlifted to Spain for treatment.
OB-GYN Options
- Note On Area Coverage
- St. Julian's itself has no large hospital; the nearest established OBGYN/gynaecology facilities with named specialists are in the immediately adjoining towns of Sliema and Gżira, both a short bus or taxi ride (roughly 10-15 minutes) from St. Julian's/Paceville.
Options
Saint James Capua Hospital – Gynaecology Department
- Type
- Private hospital, gynaecology & obstetrics department
- Details
- Part of Saint James Hospital Group, Malta's largest private hospital network. The department covers reproductive health, menstrual disorders, menopause management, pelvic pain, contraceptive counselling, smear tests/colposcopy, and fertility treatment including IVF, with both female and male doctors available.
- Location
- George Borg Olivier Street, Tas-Sliema (adjacent to St. Julian's)
- Consultation Cost Note
- General OB/GYN consultation pricing at Maltese private clinics has been advertised starting from around €50, though this varies by doctor and service — confirm current pricing directly when booking.
Veduta Clinic
- Type
- Private multi-specialist clinic
- Details
- Lists several gynaecology specialists including Dr. Mark Sant, Dr. Mark Cordina, and Dr. Olivia Anne Cassar, with clinic opening hours extending into evenings and Saturdays.
- Location
- Reggie Miller Street, Gżira (near Sliema, a few minutes from St. Julian's)
Assault Resources
- Emergency Number
- 112 (police/ambulance, nationwide)
Services
Victim Support Malta (VSM)
- Phone
- +356 2122 8333
- Type
- NGO victim support & counselling
- Hours
- Monday–Thursday 8am–8pm (some listings say 09:00–20:00), Friday 8am–4pm (09:00–16:00)
- Notes
- Victim Support Malta (VSM) is a registered Non-Governmental Organisation which provides support and assistance to victims of crime, such as theft and burglary, domestic violence, sexual assault, harassment, discrimination and cybercrime.
- Location Note
- Head office located in Msida, a short drive/bus ride from St. Julian's.
Care for Victims of Sexual Assault (CVSA)
- Phone
- +356 2122 8333
- Type
- Specialist sexual-assault response team (medical + legal + psychological)
- Hours
- Operates 24/7 on-call basis (main info line accessible during office hours: Mon–Thu 09:00–20:00, Fri 09:00–16:00)
- Address
- Triq Dun Karm Psaila, Msida
- Notes
- A specialist team has been set up to work with sexual assault victims in Malta, a joint initiative between Victim Support Malta, the Ministry for Family and Social Solidarity, the Ministry for Health, and the Ministry for Home Affairs and National Security. Victims of sexual assault are entitled to free legal representation, and can access support services even if they choose not to report to police.
Malta Police Force – Victim Support & Information Unit
- Phone
- +356 2294 2160
- Type
- Government (police-run) victim support unit
- Address
- Police General Headquarters, St Calcedonius Square, Floriana
- Notes
- Support and information unit for victims of crime functioning as part of the Malta Police Force.
Supportline 179
- Phone
- 179
- Type
- National 24/7 crisis helpline (covers sexual abuse among other issues)
- Hours
- 24/7
- Notes
- Supportline 179 is the National Helpline in Malta and caters for diverse issues ranging from loneliness to crisis situations such as child abuse, domestic violence, homelessness and suicide.
Mater Dei Hospital – Care for Victims of Sexual Assault Referral Point
- Type
- Public hospital emergency medical/forensic care
- Notes
- Maltese hospitals have access to victim's assistance program information for sexual assault victims; Mater Dei (the national hospital) is the referral point for forensic exams and immediate medical care.
- Location Note
- Located in Msida, roughly a 10–15 minute drive from St. Julian's.
Contraception And Emergency Contraception Access
- Regulatory Status
- Fully legal and regulated
Methods
- Access
- Available over the counter at many pharmacies without a doctor's prescription; a private consultation with the pharmacist is standard practice.
- Brands Available
- Levonorgestrel-based (Escapelle, Levonelle) usable up to 72 hours after sex; ulipristal acetate (EllaOne / 'Treatment 1') usable up to 120 hours after sex.
- Prescription Fee
- €1.00
- Price Ellaone Type
- €30
- Prescription Alternative
- Doctors for Choice Malta runs a Morning After Pill Prescription Service offering a prescription for a token fee of EUR 1 if someone struggles to obtain it directly from a pharmacist.
- Price Levonorgestrel Type
- €20
- Price Note
- Prices vary by source and pharmacy: levonorgestrel pills reported anywhere from about €15–€25, and EllaOne from about €30–€35.
- Access
- Requires a doctor's prescription; can be obtained from a private pharmacy-based doctor (fee applies) or free from a public health centre GP, but the medication itself must still be purchased at retail price.
- Price Per Month
- €15
- Price Note
- Reported monthly cost ranges from about €10 to €20 depending on brand (e.g. Yasmin, Yasminelle, Qlaira and others are stocked in Malta).
Mirena Lasts Up to 5 Years; Jaydess Lasts Up to 3 Years.
- Access
- Requires prescription and insertion by a gynaecologist; sold at select pharmacies and inserted at a clinic.
- Price Including Procedure
- €250
- Price Note
- Reported total cost (device + insertion) ranges roughly from €183 to €335 depending on the gynaecologist's fees.
Requires prescription and insertion by a gynaecologist.
- Important Caveat
- The copper IUD, although available in Malta as regular contraception, is not used as an emergency contraceptive in Malta due to the country's strict abortion laws, unlike in some other EU countries.
- Price Including Procedure
- €250
- Price Note
- Reported total cost (device + insertion) ranges roughly from €200 to €300.
- Access
- Available by prescription through a GP or gynaecologist in Malta as with other hormonal methods, but we could not confirm specific current local pricing for this method from available sources.
- Price Note
- Not confirmed — treat as unverified; check directly with a local gynaecologist or family-planning clinic for current pricing.
General Notes
- Pharmacies are the main place to buy contraception in Malta.
- There are no subsidy or reimbursement schemes for contraceptives in Malta, so they have to be purchased at retail price.
- In Malta, people are generally deemed able to make decisions about their health when they reach the age of 16 years, and the age of sexual consent is also 16, so 16–17 year-olds should face no legal barrier to accessing EC or the pill.
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this women's health & safety research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About St. Julian's
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.