The Minister for Home Affairs and Security, Glenn Bedingfield, announced on Wednesday afternoon that he has signed the legal notice to grant law enforcement officers the power to enforce on-the-spot fines for non-residents in Malta who break the law.

Posting about this on his Facebook page, Minister Bedingfield said that he has signed the legal notice for the law to enforce on-the-spot fines for non-residents to be published in the Government Gazette.

"Within 24 hours of its publication, the Police and LESA officers will be able to summon and request an immediate payment from those persons who are not habitual residents of our country," the Home Affairs Minister said.

According to the legal notice (L.N. 182 of 2026), these on-the-spot fines will apply to all non-Maltese nationals "who do not hold a valid residence document or other long-term residence permit."

On-the-spot fines shall apply for minor crimes and contraventions; serious offences punishable by imprisonment are excluded from this new punitive system, as are any other explicitly stated offences listed within the legal notice itself. These are aimed to deter minor offences from taking place by the country's inbound tourists, e.g., excessive noise, littering, wearing swimwear outside of swimming areas, etc.

These fines will allow officers to collect immediate electronic payment from the individuals concerned. Cash is not an acceptable method of payment for these fines, according to the legal notice.

Any foreigners who find themselves needing to pay a fine, on the spot, will have the nature of their offence explained to them by the officer in question, the amount of the fine payable stated to them, they will be advised to pay the fine there and then, and they will also be told the consequences for non-payment.

Persons asked to pay an on-the-spot fine reserve the right to petition it before the Petitions Board. In such cases, the person will need to pay the fine on the spot before seeking reimbursement.

Any on-the-spot fines handed out to non-residents in the Maltese islands will be of no less than €25. The fine may be higher depending on the nature of the grievance caused and if the minimum punishment as established by local laws if higher than €25 in itself.

Any persons who fail or refuse to pay the fine on the spot reserve police with the right to seize their travel documents. In such a case, these travel documents may be withheld until the payment for the on-the-spot fine has been made in full, before being returned "without undue delay." Such persons also risk arrest should they not identify themselves to the enforcement officer in question.

Competent authorities also reserve the right to prohibit or restrict a person's re-entry into the Maltese islands, should they be found guilty and fail or refuse to pay the fine in full.

All on-the-spot fines will be recorded through an electronic registry.

Minister Bedingfield stated that "Malta welcomes millions of visitors every year and we must continue to ensure that everyone, both residents and those visiting our country, respect the rules. This measure is not against tourists, but in favour of justice and equality before the law. Those who choose not to respect the rules must bear responsibility for their actions, regardless of where they come from."

His predecessor, now the Minister for Education and Sport, Byron Camilleri, had stated earlier this May that on-the-spot fines will both strengthen deterrence against unlawful acts, but it will lead to greater order and enforcement across the country, as well as introduce consequences for those who refuse to pay.

By forcing non-residents to pay on the spot, this addresses a long-standing challenge where fines issued to non-residents were left unpaid.

In mid-May this year, during the heights of the general election campaign, the previous Minister for Home Affairs, Byron Camilleri, stated that police, LESA officials, and officers from the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) will be able to issue on-the-spot fines to foreign nationals who do not reside in Malta, including tourists, who break the law while in the country as of 1 June.

Fresh from the Labour Party's recent general election triumph, Minister Bedingfield's announcement means that on-the-spot fines are being introduced over a month later than promised with the peak summer season already have started.

Justice Minister Clifton Grima said that this legal notice is another step towards having a more effective and fair justice system.