EU Regulation 883/2004 states that seafarers who are either citizens or residents of the EU/EEA or Switzerland and, who are employed on board a vessel flying the Malta flag, must be insured under Malta’s Social Security system.
For non-EU citizens/residents, there is the possibility to opt for the social security system of their non-EU/EEA country of residence and as a result, they fall outside the scope of Malta Social Security.
Responsibility ultimately falls to the crew themselves to ensure they are making appropriate contributions; therefore, they will need to ensure they have the mechanism to evidence payment of contributions when asked, especially if there is a need to access any benefits.
Sarnia Yachts has been providing crew employment and payroll for many years, including crew employed on Malta flagged yachts, and have the infrastructure and processes in place to make Malta contributions for all applicable crew. Our crew team are on hand to support individual crew members and to answer any questions regarding social security that they may have.
New Social Security rates from 1st January 2023:
| Basic Weekly Wage | Weekly Rate Payable | |||||
| Category | From | To | By Employee | By Employer | Total | Maternity |
| A | 0.10 | 192.73 | 6.62 | 6.62 | 13.24 | 0.20 |
| B | 0.10 | 192.73 | 19.27 | 19.27 | 38.54 | 0.58 |
| Persons born up to 31st December 1961 onwards | ||||||
| C.1 | 192.74 | 392.76 | 10% | 10% | N/A | 0.30% |
| D.1 | 392.77 | N/A | 39.28 | 39.28 | 78.56 | 1.18 |
| Persons born from 1st January 1962 onwards | ||||||
| C.2 | 192.74 | 515.98 | 10% | 10% | N/A | 0.30% |
| D.2 | 515.99 | N/A | 51.60 | 51.60 | 103.20 | 1.55 |
Most crew members will have Category D.2 applied to their pay but in some instances, it is possible that Category C.2 can be applied.
The calculations can be more complex than they first appear, especially when considering joiners or leavers. It is critical to calculate the correct number of weeks applicable for each crew member to determine which rates to apply.
Please speak to our Crew Team should you have any questions:
Phone: +44 (23) 8212 6400 (selecting Option 2)
Email: [email protected]