Street Hawkers

A Street Hawker is licensed to sell by retail from any street by means of a vehicle or render a service as the Minister may specify, other than an open-air market.

A Licence issued by the Trade Licensing Unit, within the Commerce Department, shall indicate the Street Hawker as a non-food licence Hawker or as a food-related items licence Hawker.  In the case that the activity concerns the selling of food items prior approval by the Health Authorities must be obtained.

The Environmental Health Directorate can be contacted on 21337333 or by email mhi@gov.mt ​​

To obtain a Street Hawker Licence, an individual should make an application on the appropriate Form (A) to the Trade Licensing Unit. The application form can be downloaded from here: https://tradelicences.gov.mt/#/en/application/5

A Street Hawker using a motor vehicle to carry on the commercial activity shall have premises available where to garage the motor vehicle. The Registration Number of the vehicle used for hawking and the address of the premises used for the purpose of garaging the vehicle used by the Hawker must be clearly indicated on the application.  Any change in the vehicle or garage must be notified to the Trade Licensing Unit within ten (10) working days after the change occurs.  An application cannot be accepted and processed by the Trade Licensing Unit if the address of the garage or any other address for the Store where goods are stored are not given.  The Trade Licensing Unit has the right to inspect such premises and to demand any documentation that proves the ownership of the premises when the application indicates the use of such premises by more than one applicant.

A licence issued for a Street Hawker is a personal licence which is not transferable and does not permit anybody else to act instead of the Licensee.

 Conditions

A Street Hawker may carry out his commercial activity from any place, in any street, by hawking (that is, by parking his vehicle according to the traffic regulations in any street where he stops to sell till he serves his customers and then after serving his costumers moves to another place), subject to the following conditions:

 (a)         that while the Street Hawker stops to sell to his clients, no nuisance or inconvenience is caused to the inhabitants or passers-by in the street;

 (b)         that the vehicle is parked within a permitted parking space and no inconvenience is caused to the flow of traffic;

 (c)          that when a Street Hawker stops his vehicle to sell to his clients, the vehicle must not be parked within fifty (50) metres of walking distance from the next open-air market;

 (d)         that in Valletta, only street hawking of vegetables, bread, milk, flowers, kerosene and gas cylinders shall be permitted;

 (e)         that no commercial activities by street hawkers shall be carried out in Valletta in Castille Square, in St. George’s Square or in St. John’s Square and in the City Gate area of Valletta including Freedom Square the arches included, the bridge and the Bus Terminus including Saint James Ditch;

 (f)          that no commercial activity by Street Hawkers offering for sale agricultural produce shall be permitted within 500 metres of an agricultural marketing centre or a Farmers’ Market.

A Street Hawker may also carry out his commercial activity from a fixed place by parking his vehicle to sell to his customers, subject to the following conditions:

 (a)         that no nuisance or inconvenience is caused to the inhabitants or passers-by in the street, by the use of a generator or whatsoever;

 (b)         that he will park his vehicle, within a permitted parking space as permitted by traffic regulations;

 (c)          that the place where he parks his vehicle is not within: 

        (i)   50 metres of walking distance from the next open-air market; or

       (ii)  50 metres of walking distance of from the entrance of any commercial premises (provided that for such purpose, a fixed kiosk shall be deemed to be a commercial premises;

 (d)         that no objects are placed on the pavement;

 (e)         that street hawkers shall park their vehicles to sell at least 50 metres away from each other (except in respect of street hawkers selling flowers and the like in the vicinity of a cemetery);

  (f)         that selling from a fixed place in Valletta shall only be permitted for the selling of vegetables, bread, milk, flowers, kerosene and gas cylinders; and

 (g)         the use and the provision of public utilities to a street hawker selling from a fixed place, in a public place or public land, shall be prohibited.

No commercial activity from fixed places by hawking or selling from fixed places or by any other means shall be carried out:

 (a)          in the precincts of the Malta International Airport in Gudja;

 (b)         in the precincts of Sea Passenger Terminal in the Grand Harbour;

 (c)          in the precincts of a Hotel subject to a written permission being granted by the Hotel Management,

 (d)         in the vicinity of not less than 50 metres of walking distance away from any archaeological site, and

 (e)         in the precincts of any school except for the sale of ice cream or catering units. 

The licence issued to the Street Hawker shall, together with the last receipt of the paid licence, be displayed in a conspicuous place by the Licensee when conducting his or her commercial activity. 

Cessation of commercial activity

Where a Street Hawker decides to cease carrying out his commercial activity, he should immediately notify the Trade Licensing Unit on the appropriate form. 

APPEAL:

Where an applicant feels aggrieved by the decision of the Trade Licensing Unit or from any Local Council in respect of a refusal of issuing of a licence, he may file an appeal in writing to the Licensing Appeals Board within ten (10) working days from the date when the applicant or any other person has been notified by the Trade Licensing Unit, in accordance with the provisions of Part VI of Subsidiary Legislation 441.07 - Trading Licences Regulations. The appeal can be sent to tradelicenceapplications@gov.mt or to Commerce Department, Lascaris Bastions, Daħlet Ġnien is-Sultan, Valletta, VLT1933, Malta. 

LICENCE FEES:

(a)          Street Hawker using a motor vehicle or any other means of transport: €40 every three (3) years;

(b)          Street Hawker selling bread using any means of transport: €20 every three (3) years;

(c)           Street Hawker selling fruit and, or vegetables or fish using any means of transport: €30 every three (3) years;

(d)          Street Hawker selling traditional Maltese nougat (qubbajt): €40 every three (3) years;​

Link to important legislation:

Subsidiary Legislation 441.07 - Trading Licences Regulations​

Enquiries can be directed to tradelicenceapplications@gov.mt or by telephone on 25690313, 25690289, 25690310, 25690312 and 25690315​ during the normal working hours.