Foreign relations of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
Sovereign entity maintaining diplomatic relations worldwide
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The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM) is a sovereign entity maintaining diplomatic relations with 115 sovereign states (including the Holy See).[1] Additionally, it has observer status or representation at multiple intergovernmental organisations.[2] The Order has non-diplomatic official relations with seven more states: France, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Canada, United Kingdom and Taiwan.[1][3][4] The Order exchanges ambassadors with the European Union and the State of Palestine.[1][2]

Bilateral relations
Diplomatic relations
The Sovereign Military Order of Malta maintains diplomatic relations with 114 United Nations members and the Holy See. It has moreover signed Declarations of Intent with Saint Kitts and Nevis (September 2025),[5] Vanuatu (September 2025)[6] and Palau (January 2026)[7] in preparation for establishing diplomatic relations.
| # | Country | Date |
|---|---|---|
| — | February 1930[8] | |
| 1 | December 1932[9] | |
| 2 | 19 November 1938[10] | |
| 3 | 1947[11] | |
| 4 | 2 August 1948[12] | |
| 5 | 7 June 1951[13] | |
| 6 | 6 December 1951[14][15] | |
| 7 | 1951[11] | |
| 8 | 28 January 1953[16] | |
| 9 | 15 April 1953[17] | |
| 10 | 29 July 1953[20] | |
| 11 | 24 February 1956[21] | |
| 12 | 12 June 1956[24] | |
| 13 | 1956[11] | |
| 14 | 8 August 1957[25] | |
| 15 | 12 September 1957[26] | |
| 16 | 6 December 1957[27] | |
| 17 | 1957[28] | |
| 18 | 10 January 1958[29] | |
| 19 | 23 June 1959[30] | |
| 20 | 29 July 1959[31] | |
| 21 | 1959[28] | |
| 22 | 1959[28] | |
| 23 | 4 July 1961[28] | |
| 24 | 28 November 1961[28] | |
| 25 | 15 June 1962[32] | |
| 26 | 19 December 1962[33] | |
| 27 | 1963[28] | |
| 28 | 24 April 1965[34] | |
| 29 | 1 July 1965[35] | |
| 30 | 1965[28] | |
| 31 | 27 June 1966[36] | |
| 32 | 3 August 1970[37] | |
| 33 | 9 January 1971[38] | |
| 34 | February 1971[39] | |
| 35 | 1972[28] | |
| 36 | 1972[28] | |
| 37 | 5 September 1973[40] | |
| 38 | 1973[28] | |
| 39 | 3 March 1977[41] | |
| 40 | 18 July 1978[42] | |
| 41 | 1980[28] | |
| 42 | 1981[28] | |
| 43 | 1981[28] | |
| 44 | 4 September 1984[43] | |
| 45 | 1984[28] | |
| 46 | 4 March 1986[45] | |
| 47 | 24 June 1986[46] | |
| 48 | 4 December 1986[47][48] | |
| 49 | 1986[28] | |
| 50 | 1989[28] | |
| 51 | 8 June 1990[49] | |
| 52 | 15 June 1990[50] | |
| 53 | 9 July 1990[51] | |
| 54 | 1990[28] | |
| 55 | 9 July 1992[52] | |
| 56 | 15 July 1992[53] | |
| 57 | 7 August 1992[54] | |
| 58 | 22 December 1992[55] | |
| 59 | 1992[28] | |
| 60 | 1992[28] | |
| 61 | 1992[28] | |
| 62 | 1 January 1993[56] | |
| 63 | 7 June 1994[57] | |
| 64 | 14 July 1994[58] | |
| 65 | 7 November 1994[59] | |
| 66 | 11 November 1994[60] | |
| 67 | 15 August 1995[61] | |
| 68 | 30 April 1996[62] | |
| 69 | 12 July 1996[62] | |
| 70 | 16 July 1996[62] | |
| 71 | 1996[28] | |
| 72 | 31 January 1997[63] | |
| 73 | February 1997[64] | |
| 74 | 12 November 1997[65] | |
| 75 | 1997[28] | |
| 76 | 1997[28] | |
| 77 | 1997[28] | |
| 78 | 29 May 1998[66] | |
| 79 | 24 July 1998[67] | |
| 80 | 30 April 1999[68] | |
| 81 | 19 May 1999[69] | |
| 82 | 1999[28] | |
| 83 | 1999[28] | |
| 84 | 1999[28] | |
| 85 | 1999[28] | |
| 86 | 26 April 2001[70][71] | |
| 87 | 5 May 2001[72] | |
| 88 | 11 May 2001[73] | |
| 89 | 1 June 2001[74] | |
| 90 | 3 May 2002[75] | |
| 91 | 2002[28] | |
| 92 | 29 June 2003[76] | |
| 93 | 13 December 2005[77] | |
| 94 | 5 September 2006[78] | |
| 95 | 18 September 2006[79] | |
| 96 | 14 September 2007[80] | |
| 97 | 18 October 2007[81] | |
| 98 | 30 October 2007[80] | |
| 99 | 9 February 2008[80] | |
| 100 | 11 November 2008[80] | |
| 101 | 28 November 2008[80] | |
| 102 | 31 March 2009[80] | |
| 103 | 20 October 2009[80] | |
| 104 | 6 June 2012[82] | |
| 105 | 14 November 2014[83] | |
| 106 | 6 November 2015[84] | |
| 107 | 15 November 2017[85] | |
| 108 | 5 October 2018[86] | |
| 109 | 11 March 2020[87] | |
| 110 | 2 December 2021[88] | |
| 111 | 7 December 2021[89] | |
| 112 | 20 September 2023[90] | |
| 113 | 25 October 2024[91] | |
| 114 | 16 June 2025[92] | |
Other countries
| # | Name | Diplomatic relations established | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| – | 1987 | Ambassador level relations.[2] | |
| – | Ambassador level relations.[1] |
Official relations
| Name | Official relations established | Region | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Europe | ||
| 1960 | Europe | ||
| 1982 | Europe | France does not recognise the SMOM as a subject of international law.[93] | |
| 1995 | Europe | ||
| 4 June 2008 | North America | Canada established official relations in June 2008, with its Ambassador to the Holy See accredited to the Order of Malta.[94] | |
| 9 October 2024 | Europe | The Sovereign Military Order of Malta established official relations with the United Kingdom on 9 October 2024.[95] | |
| Asia | The Order of Malta has official relations with Taiwan through the Embassy of the Republic of China to the Holy See in Rome (Italy).[96] |
Unofficial relations
| # | Name | Region | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| – | Europe | Recognises it as a knightly order[97] | |
| – | Asia | Accepts its stamps[98] |
Intergovernmental organizations
The Order of Malta has observer status at the following organizations:[2]
The Order of Malta has delegations or representations to the following organizations:[2]
See also
Notes
- On 10 February 2012, President Rafael Correa issued a decree to withdraw recognition and initiate the process of cancelling relations.[18] Later on, the relations were restored by President Lenín Moreno on 24 September 2019.[19]
- 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".[22] 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.[23]
- Official relations between SMOM and San Marino were established on 23 June 1935; the treaty establishing relations described the parties as "due Stati" ("two States").[44] These ties were elevated to diplomatic relations on 4 March 1986.[45]