Foreign relations of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta

Countries with which the Sovereign Military Order of Malta maintains diplomatic relations

The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM) is a sovereign entity maintaining diplomatic relations with 113 sovereign states (including the Holy See). Additionally, it has observer status or representation at multiple intergovernmental organisations. The Order has non-diplomatic official relations with five more states: France, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Canada. The Order exchanges ambassadors with the European Union and the State of Palestine.

Embassy of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in Ljubljana, Slovenia

Some states recognize SMOM as a sovereign state, rather than a sovereign subject of international law. For example, the Republic of San Marino in 1935 recognized SMOM as a sovereign state in its own right. As Italy recognizes, in addition to extraterritoriality, the exercise by SMOM of all the prerogatives of sovereignty in its headquarters, Italian sovereignty and SMOM sovereignty uniquely coexist without overlapping.

As of June 2010, nine Schengen states did not recognize the diplomatic passports of the Order: Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Greece, France, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, and Switzerland.

Bilateral relations

Diplomatic relations

# Country Date
— Holy See February 1930
1 Romania December 1932
2 Spain 19 November 1938
3 Panama 2 August 1948
4 Argentina 7 June 1951
5 Colombia 28 January 1953
6 Peru 15 April 1953
7 Italy 12 June 1956
8 Costa Rica 8 August 1957
9 Guatemala 11 December 1957
10 Cuba 29 July 1959
11 Cameroon 4 July 1961
12 Somalia 28 November 1961
13 Portugal 19 December 1962
14 Philippines 24 April 1965
15 Malta 27 June 1966
16 Gabon 25 October 1973
17 Thailand 4 September 1984
18 San Marino 4 March 1986
19 Morocco 1986
20 Czech Republic 8 June 1990
21 Hungary 15 June 1990
22 Poland 9 July 1990
23 Lithuania 9 July 1992
24 Slovenia 15 July 1992
25 Russia 7 August 1992
26 Croatia 22 December 1992
27 Slovakia 1 January 1993
28 Kazakhstan 4 February 1993
29 Seychelles June 1994
30 Albania 14 July 1994
31 Bulgaria 11 November 1994
32 Latvia 15 August 1995
33 Belarus 30 April 1996
34 North Macedonia 12 July 1996
35 Equatorial Guinea 16 July 1996
36 Bosnia and Herzegovina 31 January 1997
37 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines February 1997
38 Federated States of Micronesia 12 November 1997
39 Armenia 29 May 1998
40 Georgia 24 July 1998
41 Suriname 30 April 1999
42 Guyana 19 May 1999
43 Moldova 5 May 2001
44 Serbia 11 May 2001
45 Tajikistan 1 June 2001
46 Marshall Islands 3 May 2002
47 Jordan 29 June 2003
48 Angola 13 December 2005
49 Montenegro 5 September 2006
50 East Timor 18 September 2006
51 Kenya 14 September 2007
52 Monaco 18 October 2007
53 Turkmenistan 30 October 2007
54 Ukraine 9 February 2008
55 Bahamas 11 November 2008
56 Sierra Leone 28 November 2008
57 Namibia 31 March 2009
58 Antigua and Barbuda 20 October 2009
59 Cyprus 6 June 2012
60 South Sudan 14 November 2014
61 Grenada 6 November 2015
62 Germany 15 November 2017
63 Nauru 5 October 2018
64 Estonia 11 March 2020
65 Greece 2 December 2021
66 Lesotho 7 December 2021
67 Gambia 20 September 2023

Other countries

# Name Diplomatic relations established Notes
1 Ecuador On 10 February 2012, President Rafael Correa issued a decree to withdraw recognition and initiate the process of canceling relations, starting from May. Later on, the relations were restored by President Lenín Moreno on 24 September 2019.
– European Union 1987 Ambassador level relations.
2 Italy 12 June 1956 The Supreme Court of Cassation decreed on 6 June 1974 that, "the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta constitutes a sovereign international subject, in all terms equal, even if without territory, to a foreign state with which Italy has normal diplomatic relations, so there is no doubt, as already this Supreme Court has warned, that it has the legal treatment of foreign states". As Italy recognizes, in addition to extraterritoriality, the exercise by SMOM of all the prerogatives of sovereignty in its headquarters, Italian sovereignty and SMOM sovereignty uniquely coexist without overlapping.
– Palestinian Authority September 2011 Ambassador level relations.

Official relations

Name Official relations established Region Notes
France 1982 Europe France does not recognise the SMOM as a subject of international law.

Unofficial relations

The Order of Malta has unofficial relations with Taiwan through the Embassy of the Republic of China to the Holy See in Rome (Italy).

Countries without established relations

Countries with which the Order currently has no established relations:

Intergovernmental organizations

The Order of Malta has observer status at the following organizations:

Organization observer since Notes
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations
International Atomic Energy Agency
United Nations General Assembly
International Fund for Agricultural Development
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
United Nations Environment Programme
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
United Nations Industrial Development Organization
World Food Programme
World Health Organization

The Order of Malta has delegations or representations to the following organizations:

Organization participates since Notes
Council of Europe
International Institute for the Unification of Private Law
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization Preparatory Commission
Inter-American Development Bank
International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property
International Committee of Military Medicine
International Committee of the Red Cross
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
International Institute of Humanitarian Law
International Organization for Migration
Latin Union

See also