Central Bank of Malta Considers Expanding Credit Register to Passported EU Lenders
The Central Bank of Malta is consulting on including passported credit institutions in its Central Credit Register, a move with significant implications for lending transparency and cross-border banking.
The Central Bank of Malta has opened a consultation on whether to bring credit institutions operating in Malta under passporting rights into its Central Credit Register.
The move targets firms exercising the freedom to provide services, known as CIFoS, which currently fall outside the register's reporting requirements.
Launched on 2 November 2026, the consultation runs until 2 December 2026. Interested parties are invited to submit feedback by email to the Central Bank.
The Central Credit Register collects data on credit exposures above a certain threshold, helping lenders assess borrower risk and supporting the central bank's financial stability monitoring.
Including passported institutions would close a data gap. Lenders from other EU member states that lend into Malta without a local branch currently do not report to the register.
For Malta's banking sector, the change would mean a more complete picture of household and corporate indebtedness. Local lenders would gain visibility on exposures held by foreign-based competitors.
The consultation document is available on the Central Bank of Malta's website. The central bank has not indicated whether it will proceed with legislative changes or what the timeline for implementation would be.
Market participants should note that the proposal, if adopted, would impose new reporting obligations on passported institutions that may not have previously engaged with Maltese regulatory requirements.