Malta vs Cyprus: which jurisdiction wins?

Malta vs Cyprus — both credible, very different trade-offs. Below: side-by-side on the variables that actually move the decision.

	Malta	Cyprus
Tax headline	35% headline, ~5% effective via refund system	12.5% corporate, NID brings effective lower
Formation days	7	7
First-year cost	$4,500	$3,500
Treaties	70+	65+
Substance	EU substance requirements + DAC6	Substance for treaty access
Banking	Bank of Valletta, APS, plus EU EMIs	Bank of Cyprus, Hellenic, plus EMIs

Talk to a partner before you incorporate.

Wrong jurisdiction, wrong substance, or wrong bank shortlist is a 12-month problem. A 30-minute briefing fixes 80% of it.