Step 2: Taking your complaint further
If you are not satisfied with the financial provider's response (or you have not received it after allowing 15 working days, that is around three weeks), we can help you.
Who can lodge a complaint with the Office of the Arbiter for Financial Services?
If you are a customer who has acquired products or availed of services from a financial services provider licensed by the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA), the financial regulator in Malta, then you are eligible to lodge a complaint with us.
A customer has to be:
- a natural person (or its successor in title);
- a micro-enterprise. A micro-enterprise is a firm which employs fewer than 10 persons and its turnover/balance sheet totals do not exceed €2,000,000;
- a consumer association as defined in the Consumer Affairs Act (Cap. 378);
- a voluntary organisation as defined in the Voluntary Organisations Act (Cap. 492); or
- “any person” in a case of suspicious fraudulent payment transactions involving financial services providers.
Customers eligible to file a complaint are:
(a) a consumer of a financial services provider licensed by the financial regulator in Malta (see below);
(b) a consumer to whom the financial services provider has offered to provide a service; or
(c) a consumer who has sought the provision of a financial service from a provider.
In the case of suspicious fraudulent payment transactions involving financial services providers occurring on or after 1 October 2025, the victim of fraud shall be deemed to be an eligible customer if they can show immediate, genuine and legitimate interest, and therefore the Arbiter would be able to review the complaint. Certain limitations may apply for transactions that occurred before this date. Call us on +356 21249245 or send us a WhatsApp message on +356 79219961 for further information.
We are unable to accept:
(i) motor-insurance third-party complaints (i.e. a consumer complaining against the insurance company of another party); or
(ii) home damage disputes lodged against insurers of alleged tortfeasors (i.e. complaints against the insurance company of a neighbour who has caused damage to your house following water ingress).
What financial services providers can you complain about?
We can only accept complaints against providers who are licensed or authorised by the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA), the financial regulator in Malta. This includes providers whose licence has been suspended or withdrawn by the MFSA. The Arbiter has the power to investigate complaints against providers whose licence has been suspended or withdrawn by the MFSA, but which were licensed during the period in relation to the provider’s conduct being complained of.
Financial service providers include:
- Banks
- Financial Institutions (such as e-money institutions);
- Insurance companies (general and life insurance);
- Insurance intermediaries (such as agents, brokers, and tied insurance intermediaries);
- Investment services providers (such as financial advisers and stockbrokers);
- Trustees; and
- Pension providers.
Before you submit your complaint to us, please check whether the financial services provider you are complaining about is (or was) licensed by the regulator in Malta, click here to access the MFSA’s financial services register (external link).
If you are unable to locate the name of your provider on the MFSA's online register, check your product or service documentation. You might be searching for a provider who is not authorised by the Maltese financial regulator (in which case, we would not be able to accept your complaint) or you may be writing it wrongly. If in doubt, use our online form and submit your difficulty.
Once you're done with this step, you can proceed to Step 3: Complain with us.