A new corporate framework enabling entrepreneurship by minors under Maltese law
Malta’s Youth Enterprise Regulations 2026 allow 16–17‑year‑olds to set up regulated private companies, promoting early entrepreneurship with mentor oversight.
Malta has introduced a new corporate framework allowing individuals aged 16 and 17 to establish and operate youth enterprises under the Companies Act (Youth Enterprise) Regulations, 2026. Constituted as private limited liability companies, youth enterprises enable early-stage entrepreneurship while remaining subject to targeted regulatory safeguards, including mentor oversight and supervision by the Malta Business Registry.
The framework seeks to encourage innovation and economic participation at an early age, while ensuring appropriate governance and a clear pathway for conversion once founders reach adulthood.
You may explore the Regulations and the applicable requirements for youth enterprises in further detail here.
