Do I have to disclose who owns my company on the beneficial ownership register?

Under the Companies Act, Chapter 386 of the Laws of Malta, together with the Beneficial Ownership Regulations, every company incorporated in Malta must identify and record the natural persons who ultimately own or control it, generally meaning anyone holding, directly or indirectly, more than 25 percent of the shares or voting rights, or who otherwise exercises control over the company. This information must be submitted to the Malta Business Registry (MBR) as part of the beneficial ownership register, both on incorporation and whenever ownership or control changes, along with an annual confirmation filed together with the annual return. Access to the underlying register is restricted rather than fully open to the general public, though certain authorities and persons demonstrating a legitimate interest can request access under the applicable regulations. Because the rules on who can access beneficial ownership data have been subject to change following EU-level developments, it is worth confirming the current access rules with the MBR or a company service provider before finalising your structure.