I love Malta. My first visit was in 1968. Since then I and my family have visited regularly. Initially to visit my mother who owned a flat and a car and lived here for most of the time. She died in the UK in December 1999. She left me her flat, her car and fond memories.

The transfer of the property to me under her will was dealt with by lawyers. The car was more difficult but, finally, it was registered in my name. It remained taxed and insured for the next 15 years. It became uneconomic to repair and was sold.

I retired last January and we are now on our third visit to Malta this year. We want to buy a car. My insurance company said they would arrange the transfer. They were told by Transport Malta it could not be done.

We have since spoken to Transport Malta and I was told I need an identity card because my UK passport is not enough to prove identity. I also need proof of ownership of our flat.

Why does Malta make life so difficult for foreigners? Do I have to pay €500,000 for a Maltese passport? Or should I admit defeat and move to somewhere more sympathetic?

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.