Why the entity is required
MFHEA requires a provider licence applicant to prove it is a body corporate registered in Malta, and to name a legal representative based in Malta with authority to sign binding agreements. The requirement is waived for two of the five licence categories, Further Education Centres and Tuition Centres, but not for the categories that offer accredited, award-bearing programmes.
MFHEA also states that a new entity applying for programme accreditation must apply for provider accreditation at the same time. That is why the company comes first in the sequence rather than last.
What is involved
- Incorporation of the company and registration with the Malta Business Registry.
- A registered office in Malta and the company secretarial function.
- VAT and tax registration where the activity requires it.
- A legal representative based in Malta with authority to sign binding agreements, which MFHEA requires by name.
- Ongoing annual returns, accounting and statutory filings.
A private limited liability company is the usual vehicle. The Malta Business Registry sets a minimum authorised share capital of €1,165 and requires at least one shareholder. A proportion of that capital must be paid up on incorporation, and the corporate service provider confirms the current percentage at filing.
Who does what
We are honest about the line between regulated corporate work and what we own. We do not hold a Maltese corporate services licence, and we do not pretend to.
Delivered by licensed Maltese CSPs
Company formation, the registered office and company secretarial work are regulated activities in Malta. Licensed corporate service providers deliver them. We do not present regulated work as ours.
What Apollo owns
Structuring the entity so it satisfies MFHEA rather than merely existing, coordinating the corporate side with the accreditation side, and carrying the single point of contact so you never translate between three suppliers.
Keeping it alive
An entity that lapses on its filings is an entity whose licence is exposed at the next review. MFHEA looks at whether a provider is genuinely operating, not whether a certificate exists.
Ongoing administration is therefore part of the service rather than an afterthought: annual returns, accounting and tax filings, and keeping the registered office and company secretarial position current.
The sequence, step by step
The order matters. Because MFHEA requires a new entity to apply for provider accreditation at the same time as programme accreditation, the company is built first and built to qualify, not merely to exist.
Structure and incorporate
We settle the vehicle and shareholding, then incorporate through a licensed Maltese corporate service provider and register with the Malta Business Registry.
Office and secretary
Registered office and company secretarial function put in place, with VAT and tax registration where the activity requires it.
Legal representative
A Malta-based legal representative appointed, with authority to sign binding agreements, which MFHEA requires by name.
Provider and programme together
We apply for provider accreditation and programme accreditation at the same time, as MFHEA requires for a new entity, and manage both through to a decision.
Who handles what
Company formation is regulated work in Malta. We do not hold a corporate services licence and we do not pretend to. Here is who does each part, so nothing is presented as ours that is not.
| Task | Who | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Incorporation and Business Registry filing | Licensed Maltese corporate service provider | Regulated activity |
| Registered office and company secretarial | Licensed Maltese corporate service provider | Ongoing |
| Legal representative in Malta | A Malta-based representative | MFHEA requires one by name |
| Structuring the entity to satisfy MFHEA | Apollo Accreditation | So it qualifies, not merely exists |
| Provider and programme accreditation | Apollo Accreditation | Applied for together |
| Annual returns, accounting, tax filings | Corporate service provider, coordinated by us | Keeps the licence current |
Who this is for
UK providers going for EU recognition
Providers who need a Maltese entity to hold an MFHEA-accredited, EQF-referenced programme after Brexit, without moving their operation.
New Malta providers
Organisations building a licensed Maltese provider from scratch, who want the entity and the accreditation run as one route.
Course owners without a vehicle
Owners who have the programme but not the Maltese company the licence has to sit in.
What running a Maltese provider actually involves
MFHEA treats the company as evidence of whether you are a real provider or a shell. It does not just check that a certificate of incorporation exists, it looks at whether the entity is genuinely operating, properly governed and current on its obligations. So the parts that feel like administration are not optional extras.
Registered office and secretarial
How the company stays contactable and compliant, month after month.
Malta-based legal representative
The person MFHEA requires by name, with authority to sign binding agreements on the provider's behalf.
Returns, accounting and tax
What keeps the entity in good standing. Slip on the filings and the licence is exposed at the next review.
A structuring decision made for tax reasons can create an accreditation problem, and an accreditation requirement can change what the company must do. With two suppliers who never meet, you become the translator, and the gaps show up exactly when a regulator is looking. With one team, the company is built to satisfy MFHEA from the first decision, not merely to exist on a register.
Why a shell company is not enough
The authority is not licensing a company, it is licensing a provider, and a provider is expected to look like one. An entity that exists only on paper is a weak foundation for a licence meant to stand for years, so we structure the company for the provider it is going to be, not for the day it is incorporated.
A shell the regulator distrusts
- A registration number and little else.
- No real presence, and nobody genuinely running it.
- Built thin to save at the start, then rebuilt under time pressure later.
A provider that holds up
- A legal representative genuinely based in Malta.
- A registered office that is real, with governance operated from there.
- Structured for the accreditation it will hold and the reviews it will face.
Common questions
Do I need a Maltese company to get accredited in Malta?
In most cases yes. MFHEA requires provider licence applicants to prove they are a body corporate registered in Malta, with a legal representative based in Malta. The requirement is waived only for Further Education Centres and Tuition Centres.
What is the minimum share capital for a Maltese company?
The Malta Business Registry sets a minimum authorised share capital of €1,165 for a private limited liability company, with at least one shareholder. A proportion must be paid up on incorporation.
Do you provide the corporate services yourselves?
No. Company formation, registered office and company secretarial work are regulated activities in Malta and are delivered with licensed Maltese corporate service providers. We coordinate the work and carry the single point of contact.
Do I have to move my business to Malta?
No. You need a Maltese entity to hold the licence and the accredited programme. Your delivery, your staff and your existing operation stay where they are.
How long does it take to set up the company?
Incorporation itself is quick. The timeline that matters is the accreditation one: MFHEA states provider licensing takes roughly 6 to 12 months, and a new entity must apply for provider accreditation at the same time as programme accreditation. We give you a realistic combined timeline on the first call.
Can I use my existing UK company instead?
No. MFHEA requires a body corporate registered in Malta with a Malta-based legal representative. Your UK company can be the shareholder of the Maltese entity, but the licence and the accredited programme are held by the Maltese company.
Can you be our registered office and company secretary?
Those are regulated functions in Malta, provided by the licensed Maltese corporate service providers we work with, not by us. We coordinate them so you still deal with one team rather than several.
What ongoing costs should we budget for?
The annual returns, accounting and statutory filings that keep the entity in good standing, plus the corporate service provider's fees. We set these out in the written scope, so there is no surprise at month twelve.
Can the Maltese company hold more than one accredited programme?
Yes. Once the provider licence is in place, further programmes can be accredited through the same entity, which spreads the one-off setup cost across everything it carries.
What happens if we stop or change direction later?
The entity is yours, and so is the decision. If you pause the accreditation, the company can be kept dormant and compliant at a lower cost, or wound down properly through the corporate service provider. If you change direction, for example adding a second programme or a different route, the same entity usually carries it, which is one reason we structure it with room to grow rather than for a single submission. We set these options out in the written scope, so the first decision never locks you into one path.
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