The Truth About Germans in Malta: Our Story, Our Team, and Why Clients Get Confused
Yours truly in Malta, ca. 2016
More and more German, Austrian, and Swiss entrepreneurs, investors, and pensioners are considering relocation to Malta. The island offers sunshine, EU membership, and attractive rules for tax residents. But moving countries is never just about paperwork. You need to understand residence permits, local compliance, and the cultural reality of living abroad — and ideally, you want someone who speaks your language to guide you through it.
That’s where we come in. I have been consulting on Malta relocation and residence since 2011, and my sister-in-law Sabrina Sauerborn has been living in Malta since that same year, running our operations locally. Together with our German-speaking team outside Malta, and a strong network of licensed Maltese lawyers, accountants, and CSPs, we help clients make Malta their new home — legally, tax-efficiently, and smoothly.
But if you start Googling “Sauerborn Malta,” you may stumble into a rabbit hole of blogs, names, and firms. Many clients come to me thinking they are “already working with my brother Philipp” — or they discover my YouTube channel and assume it is connected with a Maltese firm called DWP. Neither is true.
This article explains how that confusion came about, who is who, and why today our team is the go-to address for German-speaking clients relocating to Malta.
How It All Began: London, Malta, and Family Business
Back in the late 2000s, I was running my international consulting firm in London. Among my early team members was my brother Philipp Sauerborn. My sister-in-law Sabrina Sauerborn also worked with me at the time.
In 2011, a big step was taken: Philipp and Sabrina moved to Malta together, got married, and began building their life there. At the same time, another key figure entered the picture: Dr. Jörg Werner, a German lawyer who had been a client of my London firm. He also moved to Malta, and together with Philipp, he founded DWP (Dr. Werner & Partner).
From the early days, I cooperated closely with them. I would send clients to DWP when they needed local implementation in Malta. Sabrina was instrumental in running things on the ground, while I myself lived in Malta twice for about a year each time — to build relationships, deepen expertise, and see firsthand how relocation to Malta really works.
The Pandemic Shuffle: Separations and New Directions
Then came the pandemic, which upended many businesses and lives. In our family, it brought big changes:
Philipp and Sabrina, sadly, divorced.
Philipp and Dr. Werner sold the business to a Maltese buyer, who is now running it under the name DW&P (Dr. Werner & Partners)
Philipp soon left the firm entirely, left Malta, and has since moved into a completely different line of work.
Apparently, Jörg Werner also exited the firm by now.
Life happens, people move on — and that’s absolutely fine. Importantly, there is no bad blood with the new owners of DW&P. We simply went different ways.
The Confusion: Old Blogs, New Problems
Here’s where the mix-ups start:
When Philipp and Dr. Werner sold the business, the blog written under Philipp’s name appears to have been included in that deal. I have no insights into their agreement, but I assume this was part of the package.
Philipp has not written a single article about Malta relocation, tax, or residence in years.
The blog is now operated entirely by DW&P, not by Philipp.
Philipp does not provide consulting services at all anymore.
There is nothing inappropriate about this — it’s simply how the deal was structured. But in practice, it causes ongoing confusion: people read those articles, assume Philipp is still active, and then mix him up with me or with our current consulting practice. Add my YouTube reach with “Perspektive Ausland”, and the confusion doubles.
What We Actually Do (and Don’t Do)
This is where we are different — and it’s important to spell it out clearly.
We do not hold and will never hold a CSP license (Corporate Service Provider license) in Malta. Why? Because in Malta, and indeed across the EU, such licenses come with heavy restrictions and conflicts of interest. We deliberately choose not to play that role.
I was never part of DWP and never involved in their business whatsoever.
We do not provide company formation or trustee services ourselves.
Instead, when our clients move to Malta, we refer them to licensed Maltese professionals — lawyers, accountants, and CSPs — who handle those services.
Our role is to provide German-speaking consulting and coordination: explaining Malta’s residence programs, structuring international tax planning, and ensuring that our clients’ relocation is smooth, compliant, and strategically sound.
Our German-language website malta1.de outlines in detail how we work.
For our English-speaking content, visit sebsauerborn.com/malta-unlocked.
What Makes Us Unique
So why do so many German-speaking clients choose to work with us when relocating to Malta?
Deep experience: I have consulted on Malta relocation since 2011 and lived there twice myself.
Local leadership: Sabrina Sauerborn has lived in Malta since 2011 and runs our operations on the ground. She knows every detail of how the system works.
German-speaking support: We bridge the cultural and legal gap — our team speaks your language and understands the German tax and legal perspective.
Top local partners: We coordinate with excellent Maltese lawyers, accountants, and licensed professionals. You don’t have to navigate Malta alone or risk falling into the wrong hands.
Transparency: We don’t hide behind old blogs or misleading branding. You always know who you are working with.
A Bit of Humor
If this whole tale sounds like a family soap opera, well, it has its moments. At one point, Malta may well have had the highest concentration of Sauerborns per square kilometer in Europe. Add a Dr. Werner to the cast, and it reads like the script for a Netflix docuseries: “German Expats in the Sun — Love, Law, and Tax Planning.”
But today, the reality is simple: the only Sauerborn still actively advising German clients in Malta is Sabrina, with me coordinating from outside Malta.
Why This Matters for You
If you are considering:
Relocating to Malta
Becoming tax resident in Malta
Exploring Malta as part of your international strategy
…then you want to make sure you are getting advice from a team that combines local expertise with German-speaking guidance.
We will guide you through residence permits, explain Malta’s tax landscape, and connect you with the right licensed professionals to handle company set-up or administration if needed.
Final Word
To set the record straight once more:
Philipp Sauerborn: My brother. We have a good relationship, but he lives in a completely different world now. He has cut all ties to his previous Malta work, rarely if ever talks about those times, and is fully focused on his new path. He no longer writes, no longer consults, and has nothing to do with tax or relocation.
Dr. Jörg Werner: Co-founder of DWP, also no longer involved.
DWP: Still active, and using Philipp’s old blog as part of their business — understandably, since it was tied to the sale. But it is no longer Philipp’s work and has nothing to do with us. And again: no bad blood with the current owners.
Sabrina Sauerborn & myself: The team you will actually work with if you want to relocate to Malta today.
So if you come across different names, mixed signals, or outdated blog posts — now you know the truth. For real German-speaking expertise and seamless coordination with Malta’s best lawyers and accountants, visit us at malta1.de (German) or sebsauerborn.com/malta-unlocked (English).
