Cryonics in Malta
Malta country page

Cryonics in Malta: law, standby and costs

What is established for Malta, what providers say and what remains open.

How to read this page

This page keeps three things apart: what an official text says, what a provider says and what we do not know. The information comes from sources we consulted on 29 October 2026, and each statement of fact is followed by its source. The page is not legal advice.

Which law applies

Under the Civil Code, a physician or surgeon who attended the last illness and knows of the death, from personal knowledge or from information obtained from someone else, must give written notice of it, without delay, to the officer charged with drawing up the act of death. Where neither a physician nor a surgeon attended, the duty falls on the family, the domestic servants and the person occupying or managing the place of death.

Sources: Civil Code (Chapter 16), article 296, Civil Code (Chapter 16), article 296, Civil Code (Chapter 16), article 297

Burial and cremation sit in other texts. The Code of Police Laws makes both unlawful without the permission of the Superintendent for Public Health, and the Cremation Act regulates cremation itself. As retrieved, the heading of the Cremation Act shows the date 25 October 2024 and a footnote pointing to Legal Notice 280 of 2024.

Sources: Code of Police Laws (Chapter 10), article 141, Cremation Act (Chapter 599), article 18, Cremation Act (Chapter 599), Cremation Act (Chapter 599)

We read the Civil Code, the Code of Police Laws, the Cremation Act, the Public Health Act and the Burials Ordinance on 29 October 2026. In the text extracted from their consolidated PDFs, none of the stems cryo, freez, frozen, biostasis or cryonic occurs. We therefore cannot say whether cryonics is allowed, tolerated or forbidden in Malta. We did not read subsidiary legislation, court decisions or the guidance of the health authorities, and we did not look for rules set by local councils.

Sources: Civil Code (Chapter 16), Code of Police Laws (Chapter 10), Cremation Act (Chapter 599), Public Health Act (Chapter 465), Burials Ordinance (Chapter 17)

Certifying and registering a death

The notice must name the house or other place where the person died, the cause of death and the hour of death. After ascertaining the death, the officer draws up the act of death within two days of receiving the information. The act records, among other things, where the deceased was or will be buried.

Sources: Civil Code (Chapter 16), article 296, Civil Code (Chapter 16), article 301, Civil Code (Chapter 16), article 301

The officer then has two days from drawing up the act to deliver it to the Director for registration.

Sources: Civil Code (Chapter 16), article 305

A cremation application must come with a medical certificate giving the cause of death, issued by a medical doctor, and with the permit required under article 141 of the Code of Police Laws. Where an inquest was carried out, a decree of the magistrate authorising the release of the body for cremation is needed as well. We do not know how the Maltese registry treats a death that is followed by cryopreservation.

Sources: Cremation Act (Chapter 599), article 20, Cremation Act (Chapter 599), article 20, Cremation Act (Chapter 599), article 20

Burial, cremation and waiting times

No body may be buried within 24 hours of death, or within 48 hours after a sudden death. The sanitary authority may permit an earlier burial on a medical practitioner’s certificate of signs of putrefaction, or of other circumstances that exclude all doubt about the death. Burial or cremation of any body needs the permission of the Superintendent for Public Health.

Sources: Code of Police Laws (Chapter 10), article 143, Code of Police Laws (Chapter 10), article 143, Code of Police Laws (Chapter 10), article 141

Cremation may only take place in a crematorium holding a valid licence from the Superintendent. Under the same Act, an urn of cremated remains may be kept in a private residence, buried in a grave with the necessary permit, buried at sea outside recognised bathing areas and harbours, or placed in a columbarium. The Burials Ordinance makes the cemetery at Tarxien, called the Santa Maria Addolorata Cemetery, the main burial place in Malta.

Sources: Cremation Act (Chapter 599), article 18, Cremation Act (Chapter 599), article 28, Cremation Act (Chapter 599), article 28, Burials Ordinance (Chapter 17), article 2, Burials Ordinance (Chapter 17), article 2

Separately, the Public Health Act says that nobody may keep the body of a person who died of a disease for more than 24 hours in a dwelling, sleeping place or workroom unless the Superintendent authorises it. We do not know whether the 24-hour and 48-hour rules apply to a transfer for cryopreservation, and we do not assume that they do.

Sources: Public Health Act (Chapter 465), article 37

Transfer to Switzerland

In the texts we read, we found no Maltese provision on moving a body out of Malta. The Cremation Act does allow a crematorium to send cremated remains, in a sealed urn, to an address outside Malta given by the applicant.

Sources: Cremation Act (Chapter 599), article 35

Tomorrow.bio says the patient is driven to storage in Switzerland. The page does not say how that works from Malta, and we do not know whether a sea or air leg would be used or what permits it would need.

Sources: Procedure and coverage, Tomorrow.bio

The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health writes that a permit called a Leichenpass is required to bring a body from abroad into or through Switzerland, and that cantonal offices are responsible. The list of agreements on that page names two multilateral texts and bilateral arrangements with Germany, Austria and Italy, but nothing with Malta. A search of the extracted page text finds no occurrence of Malta. The list gives only titles, so it does not tell us whether Malta is party to the two multilateral texts. We do not know which cantonal office would handle an arrival in Rafz or what documents it would ask for in a Maltese case.

Sources: Bewilligung für Leichentransporte, BAG, Bewilligung für Leichentransporte, BAG, Bewilligung für Leichentransporte, BAG

Standby and response

Tomorrow.bio defines standby as sending a cryopreservation team to a patient, or a potential patient, so that cooling and the first procedures can begin as soon as legally possible. It asks you to call when someone receives a terminal diagnosis, when a serious condition suddenly gets worse or when the medical staff start to sound worried, and not to wait until the patient is close to legal death.

Sources: Emergency, Tomorrow.bio, Emergency, Tomorrow.bio

The provider describes its core region as mainland Europe, the UK and Ireland, plus Florida, California and New York State. A search of the extracted visible text of the procedure and emergency pages on 29 October 2026 finds no occurrence of Malta. The coverage map on the procedure page highlights 29 countries, and Malta is not one of them.

Sources: Procedure and coverage, Tomorrow.bio, Procedure and coverage, Tomorrow.bio, Emergency, Tomorrow.bio, Procedure and coverage, Tomorrow.bio

Outside its core region, the provider says, the team may need longer to reach you, and part of the procedure may then happen after transport rather than on site, which can affect quality. We state no arrival time for a team in Malta, because no source gives one.

Sources: Procedure and coverage, Tomorrow.bio

Tomorrow.bio says that when death is close, its team and ambulance deploy near the member and wait, sometimes for several days. For a sudden death it says the team responds as fast as possible from its nearest base.

Sources: Procedure and coverage, Tomorrow.bio, Procedure and coverage, Tomorrow.bio

The provider says it protects the body from ice on site, within hours of legal death. That describes what Tomorrow.bio does, not what Maltese law prescribes. Before any standby, ask Tomorrow.bio and a licensed funeral director whether those steps are allowed at the place of death.

Sources: Procedure and coverage, Tomorrow.bio

Costs in euros

Tomorrow.bio charges membership at €50 a month, €500 a year or €15,000 once for life. At the moment of death, a whole-body cryopreservation costs €200,000 for a member and €230,000 for a non-member, according to its price page. Brain-only costs €75,000 for a member and €115,000 for a non-member.

Sources: Cryopreservation costs, Tomorrow.bio, Cryopreservation costs, Tomorrow.bio

The page says that price covers the deployment, the procedure, transport to Switzerland and storage there for as long as it takes. It adds that the sum is funded by an insurance payout, not out of savings. For the insurance, the page invites you to choose any term-life provider in your country and name Tomorrow Biostasis GmbH as beneficiary. Ask your insurer whether it accepts that designation.

Sources: Cryopreservation costs, Tomorrow.bio, Cryopreservation costs, Tomorrow.bio

The cost breakdown puts €10,000 on transport for a whole body and €5,000 for brain-only. It has no line for a Maltese funeral director, a Maltese permit or a sea or air leg, and it does not say whether such costs are included. We therefore state no total price for Malta.

Sources: Cryopreservation costs, Tomorrow.bio, Cryopreservation costs, Tomorrow.bio

For last-minute cases, Tomorrow.bio requires an administrative fee of €5,000 to proceed. The first call is free and the fee is due only if you go ahead, but it is non-refundable, and it is deducted in full from the cryopreservation cost.

Sources: Emergency, Tomorrow.bio

Organisations

Tomorrow.bio has its headquarters in Berlin. It says the funds for keeping patients are managed by a patient care trust, a non-profit private benefit organisation. Patients are kept in the underground facility of the European Biostasis Foundation, the provider says.

Sources: Meet the team, Tomorrow.bio, Long-term storage, Tomorrow.bio, Long-term storage, Tomorrow.bio

The foundation describes itself as a non-profit foundation based in Rafz, Switzerland. It places its site in the industrial area next to Rafz railway station, in the canton of Zurich and close to the German border.

Sources: European Biostasis Foundation, The facility, European Biostasis Foundation

In Maltese law, the Civil Code refers to the Director of the Public Registry, and the Code of Police Laws names the Superintendent for Public Health as the person who permits burial and cremation. We cite no Maltese cryonics organisation, for lack of a verified source.

Sources: Civil Code (Chapter 16), article 306, Code of Police Laws (Chapter 10), article 141

Research

Tomorrow.bio states that revival is not currently possible. Its current projects include CT scanning optimisation, with every patient scanned at -196°C before long-term storage, and a data logger that records temperature and key parameters throughout the procedure.

Sources: Research and development, Tomorrow.bio, Research and development, Tomorrow.bio, Research and development, Tomorrow.bio

The European Biostasis Foundation says it funds, conducts and coordinates research on the preservation of biological tissue and organs. It adds that preserving tissue structure does not establish that biological function can be restored. ITS stands for intermediate temperature storage, which the facility helps to develop; the first ITS Dewar arrived in Rafz in 2026 and is being tested.

Sources: European Biostasis Foundation, European Biostasis Foundation, The facility, European Biostasis Foundation, The facility, European Biostasis Foundation

We cite no Maltese research team on biostasis, for lack of a source.

Limits of this page

What Tomorrow.bio and the European Biostasis Foundation say are provider statements, and we have not checked them independently. This page reflects the sources consulted on 29 October 2026, and prices, statistics and legal texts may have changed since. It does not promise that anyone will ever be brought back to life.

Source list

  1. Bewilligung für Leichentransporte, BAG, Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (BAG). Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: List of laws and agreements (German page). Scope: Switzerland, German-language page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  2. Bewilligung für Leichentransporte, BAG, Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (BAG). Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Introduction (German page). Scope: Switzerland, German-language page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  3. Burials Ordinance (Chapter 17), article 2, Legislation Malta (Government of Malta). Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Article 2(1). Scope: Malta, consolidated text of the Burials Ordinance (Chapter 17) as retrieved from legislation.mt on 29 October 2026.
  4. Burials Ordinance (Chapter 17), article 2, Legislation Malta (Government of Malta). Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Article 2(2). Scope: Malta, consolidated text of the Burials Ordinance (Chapter 17) as retrieved from legislation.mt on 29 October 2026.
  5. Civil Code (Chapter 16), article 296, Legislation Malta (Government of Malta). Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Article 296(1), first part. Scope: Malta, consolidated text of the Civil Code (Chapter 16) as retrieved from legislation.mt on 29 October 2026.
  6. Civil Code (Chapter 16), article 296, Legislation Malta (Government of Malta). Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Article 296(1), second part. Scope: Malta, consolidated text of the Civil Code (Chapter 16) as retrieved from legislation.mt on 29 October 2026.
  7. Civil Code (Chapter 16), article 297, Legislation Malta (Government of Malta). Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Article 297. Scope: Malta, consolidated text of the Civil Code (Chapter 16) as retrieved from legislation.mt on 29 October 2026.
  8. Civil Code (Chapter 16), article 301, Legislation Malta (Government of Malta). Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Article 301, opening. Scope: Malta, consolidated text of the Civil Code (Chapter 16) as retrieved from legislation.mt on 29 October 2026.
  9. Civil Code (Chapter 16), article 301, Legislation Malta (Government of Malta). Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Article 301, particular (e). Scope: Malta, consolidated text of the Civil Code (Chapter 16) as retrieved from legislation.mt on 29 October 2026.
  10. Civil Code (Chapter 16), article 305, Legislation Malta (Government of Malta). Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Article 305. Scope: Malta, consolidated text of the Civil Code (Chapter 16) as retrieved from legislation.mt on 29 October 2026.
  11. Civil Code (Chapter 16), article 306, Legislation Malta (Government of Malta). Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Article 306(1). Scope: Malta, consolidated text of the Civil Code (Chapter 16) as retrieved from legislation.mt on 29 October 2026.
  12. Case reports, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Heading 2024 case reports. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  13. Case reports, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Heading 2025 case reports. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  14. Case reports, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Foot of the report list. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  15. Cremation Act (Chapter 599), article 18, Legislation Malta (Government of Malta). Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Article 18. Scope: Malta, consolidated text of the Cremation Act (Chapter 599) as retrieved from legislation.mt on 29 October 2026.
  16. Cremation Act (Chapter 599), article 20, Legislation Malta (Government of Malta). Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Article 20(3), points (a) and (b). Scope: Malta, consolidated text of the Cremation Act (Chapter 599) as retrieved from legislation.mt on 29 October 2026.
  17. Cremation Act (Chapter 599), article 20, Legislation Malta (Government of Malta). Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Article 20(3), point (c). Scope: Malta, consolidated text of the Cremation Act (Chapter 599) as retrieved from legislation.mt on 29 October 2026.
  18. Cremation Act (Chapter 599), article 20, Legislation Malta (Government of Malta). Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Article 20(3), point (d). Scope: Malta, consolidated text of the Cremation Act (Chapter 599) as retrieved from legislation.mt on 29 October 2026.
  19. Cremation Act (Chapter 599), article 28, Legislation Malta (Government of Malta). Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Article 28(3), points (a) and (b). Scope: Malta, consolidated text of the Cremation Act (Chapter 599) as retrieved from legislation.mt on 29 October 2026.
  20. Cremation Act (Chapter 599), article 28, Legislation Malta (Government of Malta). Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Article 28(3), points (c) to (e). Scope: Malta, consolidated text of the Cremation Act (Chapter 599) as retrieved from legislation.mt on 29 October 2026.
  21. Cremation Act (Chapter 599), article 35, Legislation Malta (Government of Malta). Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Article 35. Scope: Malta, consolidated text of the Cremation Act (Chapter 599) as retrieved from legislation.mt on 29 October 2026.
  22. Cremation Act (Chapter 599), Legislation Malta (Government of Malta). Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Heading of the Act and its footnote. Scope: Malta, consolidated text of the Cremation Act (Chapter 599) as retrieved from legislation.mt on 29 October 2026.
  23. Cremation Act (Chapter 599), Legislation Malta (Government of Malta). Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Footnote to the heading. Scope: Malta, consolidated text of the Cremation Act (Chapter 599) as retrieved from legislation.mt on 29 October 2026.
  24. The facility, European Biostasis Foundation, European Biostasis Foundation. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Section The facility today. Scope: European Biostasis Foundation, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  25. The facility, European Biostasis Foundation, European Biostasis Foundation. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Section The facility today. Scope: European Biostasis Foundation, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  26. The facility, European Biostasis Foundation, European Biostasis Foundation. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Section The facility today. Scope: European Biostasis Foundation, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  27. European Biostasis Foundation, European Biostasis Foundation. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Section What is the EBF. Scope: European Biostasis Foundation, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  28. European Biostasis Foundation, European Biostasis Foundation. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Section What is the EBF. Scope: European Biostasis Foundation, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  29. The facility, European Biostasis Foundation, European Biostasis Foundation. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Section The facility today. Scope: European Biostasis Foundation, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  30. European Biostasis Foundation, European Biostasis Foundation. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Section What is the EBF. Scope: European Biostasis Foundation, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  31. The facility, European Biostasis Foundation, European Biostasis Foundation. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Section The facility today. Scope: European Biostasis Foundation, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  32. The facility, European Biostasis Foundation, European Biostasis Foundation. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Section Why Rafz. Scope: European Biostasis Foundation, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  33. Emergency, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Box for last-minute cases only. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  34. Emergency, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Section What standby is. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  35. Emergency, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Section When to call. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  36. News search feed for the query "cryonics Malta", Google News (search feed). Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Items of the feed. Scope: Search feed for the query "cryonics Malta" on 29 October 2026; the linked articles could not be retrieved.
  37. Procedure and coverage, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Section Our standby coverage, country by country. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  38. Procedure and coverage, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Introduction. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  39. Procedure and coverage, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Script of the coverage map, list of highlighted countries. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  40. Procedure and coverage, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Question on dying outside the coverage area. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  41. Procedure and coverage, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Question on how standby is decided. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  42. Procedure and coverage, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Step Transport. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  43. Procedure and coverage, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Question on how standby is decided. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  44. Public Health Act (Chapter 465), article 37, Legislation Malta (Government of Malta). Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Article 37(1). Scope: Malta, consolidated text of the Public Health Act (Chapter 465) as retrieved from legislation.mt on 29 October 2026.
  45. Code of Police Laws (Chapter 10), article 141, Legislation Malta (Government of Malta). Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Article 141. Scope: Malta, consolidated text of the Code of Police Laws (Chapter 10) as retrieved from legislation.mt on 29 October 2026.
  46. Code of Police Laws (Chapter 10), article 143, Legislation Malta (Government of Malta). Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Article 143(1). Scope: Malta, consolidated text of the Code of Police Laws (Chapter 10) as retrieved from legislation.mt on 29 October 2026.
  47. Code of Police Laws (Chapter 10), article 143, Legislation Malta (Government of Malta). Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Article 143(2). Scope: Malta, consolidated text of the Code of Police Laws (Chapter 10) as retrieved from legislation.mt on 29 October 2026.
  48. Cryopreservation costs, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Section At the moment of death, member and non-member table. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  49. Cryopreservation costs, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Cost breakdown table, row Transport. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  50. Cryopreservation costs, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Section At the moment of death. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  51. Cryopreservation costs, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Section Term-life insurance, Use your local insurer. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  52. Cryopreservation costs, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Cost breakdown table, all rows. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  53. Cryopreservation costs, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Section While you are alive, membership. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  54. Research and development, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Current projects, project 01. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  55. Research and development, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Current projects, project 02. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  56. Research and development, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Priority 03. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  57. Stats, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Table: patients by country. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  58. Stats, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Table: top ten countries by members, dated As of August 2026. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  59. Long-term storage, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Introduction. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  60. Long-term storage, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Answer on what happens if Tomorrow.bio ceases operations. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  61. Meet the team, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Photo caption on the team page. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.
  62. Long-term storage, Tomorrow.bio, Tomorrow.bio. Retrieved on 29/10/2026. Location: Table: three organisations, row Responsibilities. Scope: Tomorrow.bio, page retrieved 29 October 2026.