Administrative Formalities and Visa for Malta

Travelers and students holding an ID card or passport from one of the 29 Schengen Area countries or the European Union benefit from free movement and do not need a visa to visit Malta, regardless of the duration of their stay.

Travelers and students holding a residence card from one of the Schengen Area countries are also exempt from visa requirements under the free movement rule within the Schengen Area. For example, a person with a passport from an African country, Russia, or an Asian country and a French residence card can visit Malta without a visa or additional procedures. However, the residence card must be valid for the duration of the stay in Malta.

However, for stays exceeding three months (90 days), travelers from the Schengen Area or the European Union are (in theory) required to register with the Maltese authorities to obtain a residence certificate. In practice, this requirement is not strictly enforced, and many travelers staying in Malta for periods ranging from just 3 months to 1 year do not complete these procedures. However, if you plan to stay for more than a year, it is important to undertake these formalities.

Many citizens from outside the European Union and the Schengen Area can visit Malta without a visa, but only for short stays. This includes all types of tourism, family, academic, or professional trips.

Travelers and students from 61 countries and 3 special administrative regions can visit and stay in Malta for up to 90 days, as well as within the Schengen Area (including Malta), within a 180-day period.

All citizens originating from a country not listed above—outside the European Union, the Schengen Area, or the short-stay visa exemption countries—require a visa to visit Malta, regardless of the reason or duration of their stay.

If you are a citizen not exempt from visa requirements and wish to travel to Malta for a short stay, that is, a maximum stay of 90 days (12 weeks), you will need to apply for a “Schengen Short-Stay Visa” (C-Visa).

The application for a C Visa must be made through a VFS Global center or possibly at an embassy or consulate of a Schengen Area member country (France, Italy, etc.). Allow at least 4 weeks between the application and your intended departure date.

If you are a citizen not exempt from visa requirements or limited to a 90-day stay and wish to travel to Malta for a long stay, that is, a stay exceeding 90 days, you will need to apply for a “National Long-Stay Visa” (D-Visa).

Please note that the rules in Malta have changed. Previously, citizens exempt from short-stay visa requirements, such as many students from Latin America, could enter Malta without a visa for short stays and then apply for an extension or a long-stay visa while in Malta.

Now, if your plan is to stay in Malta for more than 3 months, it is required to apply for a long-stay visa from your home country before departing for Malta. As with short-stay visas, long-stay visas can also be applied for through a VFS center.

Regarding the requirement for financial resources (Bank Statement): Anyone applying for a long-stay visa to Malta must prove their financial ability to cover the entire stay. Each applicant must have 75% of the Maltese national minimum wage for the entire stay, which is approximately €161 per week. The proof must be a bank document translated into English and denominated or converted into euros.

All required documents for a visa application must be presented in English (health insurance, proof of financial resources, etc.). For students planning a language study stay in Malta, Identità provides a checklist to prepare your D student visa application.