Who can enter Malta without a visa?
All citizens of the European Union are entitled to enter Malta and travel freely with their national identity card, except for travelers from Ireland who must use an Irish passport card.
Currently, travelers from 63 countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, can also enter Malta and other Schengen countries without a visa. Travelers from visa-free countries will need a valid passport.
Note that the European Union will not issue Schengen visas to citizens who received Russian passports in the DNR, LNR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, as well as in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
From January 1, 2024, or when the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) comes into force, citizens of Kosovo will not need a visa to enter the EU either. In the meantime, Kosovo remains the only country in the Western Balkans where citizens need a visa to enter the EU
Who needs a tourist visa to enter Malta?
Malta is part of the Schengen Area , a group of 26 European countries that issue a common visa that allows travelers to stay for a maximum of 90 days in the span of 180 days. This applies to travel within the Schengen Area.
Travelers from countries that cannot enter Malta without a visa must apply for a Schengen tourist visa before travel – details on the government Identity Malta website . Information required for application includes dates and details of transport organizations for entry and exit from the Schengen area, proof of residence and proof of financial support. The cost of the application is 90 euros for adults and 45 euros for children.
Schengen zone visa extension
If you wish to stay in the Schengen area for more than 90 days, you can extend your Schengen visa, but extensions are rarely granted and approval is usually only given for humanitarian reasons or force majeure circumstance (such as a natural disaster in your country). In particular, for a longer stay in Malta, you can apply for a national visa, also known as a long-term visa or a 'D' visa.
What if you need to leave the Schengen area and re-enter?
Multiple entry into the Schengen area, which allows travelers to re-enter after exiting non-Schengen countries, is normally granted automatically to visitors from 63 visa-free countries.
When exiting and re-entering Malta and the Schengen area, it is vital that you adhere to a maximum stay of 90 days within a 180-day period (this starts from the date you first enter the Schengen area).
General documents required to apply for a visa to Malta:
• Download the application form for a visa to Malta, fill it out, the information must be true. You can also complete the Malta visa application form electronically and then print it out.
• 2 photos must be added; the photograph must be passport-sized – a recent full-face photograph with a light background.
• Your passport, valid for at least 3 months after your return date, and copies of your previous visas are required. Your passport must contain at least two blank pages.
• A copy of the return ticket reservation. It is not recommended to buy a ticket before obtaining a visa – unless otherwise required.
• Confirmation of travel medical insurance for a minimum amount of 30 000 Euros within Malta and the entire Schengen area.
• Visa cover letter indicating the purpose of the visit to Malta and the itinerary.
• Airline booking (if available).
• Proof of marital status (marriage certificate, birth certificate of children, death certificate of spouse, food card, if available).
• Proof of residence during the entire period of stay in Malta.
• Financial means. Confirmation of the availability of sufficient funds for the period of stay in Malta. According to the information provided by the European Commission, a foreigner who wants to enter the territory of Malta, when applying for a Maltese visa, must confirm the availability of 48 euros per day for the period of stay at the Maltese embassy or consulate.
If employed:
• Employment contract.
• Current bank statement for the last 6 months.
• Certificate from the employer on the absence of objections.
• Income Tax Return (ITR) form or Income Tax Certificate.
If self-employed:
• A copy of your commercial license.
• Statement from the company's bank account for the last 6 months.
• Income Tax Return (ITR).
If a student:
• Confirmation of registration.
• Letter of approval from school or university.
If retired:
• Pension certificate for the last 6 months.
The signed application form must be accompanied by the rest of the above-mentioned mandatory documents and delivered in person to the relevant embassy/consulate or its representative in your country.
In addition to the general required documentation, other additional documents must be accompanied depending on the purpose of your Malta visa application.
The procedure for urgent visa issuance
The deadline for urgent visa issuance is up to 3 working days. Additionally, you need to pay a visa fee of 70 euros.
Issuance of an urgent visa to Malta is considered in exceptional cases:
• Illness of a relative living in Malta;
• Business visit that cannot be postponed;
• Accompanying a person related to you for urgent mandatory treatment;
• The need to urgently participate in scientific, cultural, political and public events on a non-commercial basis.
A document confirming the reason for urgent registration must be attached to the package of documents for submission. Representatives of the consulate consider it and make a decision on the urgency of issuing a visa.
Medical Insurance
An insurance policy for a Schengen visa must meet the following requirements:
• It must cover at least 30 000 Euros for medical expenses and emergency evacuation.
• It must be valid in all 26 Schengen countries.
• It must be valid for the duration of your stay in Europe.
Make sure your insurance policy covers :
• Cost of treatment. This includes:
1. Inpatient and outpatient treatment.
2. Visiting a doctor.
3. Hospitalization.
4. Surgery.
5. Prescription drugs.
6. Emergency dental care.
• The cost of repatriation or evacuation.
1. If you are seriously ill, or were involved in a serious accident that requires medical treatment from your home country, then travel insurance covers repatriation costs.
2. It also covers repatriation in the event of death.
A special transit visa to Malta is required for individuals flying within the Schengen area and wishing to transfer to another flight on the island. This permit allows you to stay in the country for up to 5 days with the possibility of leaving the airport.
Requirements for obtaining a transit visa to the airport of Malta
Documents for registration:
• passport;
• route;
• visa to the destination country;
• hotel and ticket reservations;
• a photo of the installed sample;
• international health insurance;
• completed visa application form;
• consular fee payment receipt.
Exception! A visa is not required for transit through Malta if three conditions are met: the final destination is not a Schengen country, the transit will take no more than 24 hours and the traveler does not leave the airport.
Visa-free transit
Visa-free transit through the territory of Malta is prohibited, except when a transfer to the nearest flight is planned within the day. The flight must be between countries that are not members of the Schengen Agreement. At the same time, it is forbidden to leave the transit zone of the airport, and you must have confirmed tickets for the next flight with you.
Stores are usually open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Saturdays until 8 p.m. Shops are closed on Sundays.
Public transport in Malta is very convenient and quite inexpensive. The main bus terminal is in Valletta, from where you can get to any part of the island. On average, the duration of the trip will be 20-30 minutes, the longest – 50 minutes. Please note that Malta car traffic is left-hand To stop a bus at a bus stop, you have to raise your hand.
It is allowed to import from outside the European Union:
• Alcohol
Individulas over the age of 17 can import the following goods in their personal luggage:
• 1 liter of alcoholic beverages, which exceeds 22% of the volume of alcohol, or undenatured ethyl alcohol of 80% of the volume;
• 2 liters of alcoholic beverages, which does not exceed 22% of the volume of alcohol;
• 4 liters of non-sparkling wine;
• 16 liters of beer.
Passengers can combine the first two types of alcohol, but the volume of alcohol cannot exceed 100%.
• Tobacco
When traveling by plane or ship, passengers over 17 years of age may import tobacco products for personal use in the following quantities:
• 200 cigarettes.
• 100 cigarillos.
• 50 cigars.
• 250 g of smoking tobacco.
• Other products:
• Medicines — for personal use only;
• Items for personal use of a non-commercial purpose in the amount of no more than 430 euros when traveling by plane or ship;
• Items for personal use of a non-commercial purpose in the amount of no more than 150 euros (passengers under 15 years of age);
• Non-commercial items consist of goods for personal or family use, or gifts.
Prohibited for import:
• Meat and dairy products produced outside the EU, with the exception of products in limited quantities from Andorra, Croatia, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland and a small amount of certain products from other countries.
• Protected species and their products listed in CITES, e.g., ivory, turtle shells, coral, reptile skin, wood from the Amazon forests, etc.
Restricted import:
• Pets must be identified (stamp or electronic chip), vaccinated against rabies, and also have the necessary veterinary certificate;
• No more than 10 kg of meat, milk and dairy products brought from Croatia, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Iceland;
• Milk powder for infants, baby food and special medical food may be allowed if they do not need to be refrigerated before opening, and if they are factory-made products in their original packaging, and their quantity does not exceed 10 kg for products manufactured in Croatia, in the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Iceland, or 2 kg for products from other countries:
• Fish, only if it is gutted and its weight does not exceed 20 kg;
• Currency — without restrictions, if it is imported from an EU country. All passengers arriving from outside the EU must declare amounts exceeding 10,000 euros or their equivalent;
• Coats, fur and leather shoes made from protected species (special permit required).
It is strictly forbidden to import weapons, ammunition, explosives, drugs, means of special communication, as well as plants, soil, wild animals and birds.
The importation of objects and things of historical and artistic value is prohibited.
Health requirements for pets entering Malta from another EU country
Dogs, Cats and Ferrets need to comply with the following sanitary requirements:
• ISO identification – 15-digit microchip or clear tattoo. Before vaccination against rabies, the animal must be identified.
• Rabies vaccine at 12 weeks of age.
• A valid EU passport.
• 21 days must pass from the moment of vaccination against rabies.
• Deworming from 24 to 120 hours before entering Malta (only for dogs). Dogs moving directly between Norway, Finland or Ireland and Malta are exempt from Echinococcus multilocularis tapeworm treatment.
Health requirements for pets entering Malta from non-EU countries
Dogs, Cats and Ferrets need to comply with the following sanitary requirements:
• ISO identification – 15-digit microchip or clear tattoo. Before vaccination against rabies, the animal must be identified.
• Rabies vaccine at 12 weeks of age – a blood test will also be required if you are traveling from a 'non-listed country'. The test must be carried out on a sample taken by an authorized veterinarian at least 30 days after the date of vaccination and at least three months before the date of travel. The test must measure serum level of neutralizing antibodies to the rabies virus equal to or greater than 0.5 IU/ml, the test must be performed in an approved laboratory.
• An official health certificate issued by the country of departure, a "listed" or "non-listed country".
• It must be 21 days from the date of the rabies vaccination and 3 months after the rabies neutralizing antibody test if you are traveling from a "non-listed country".
• Deworming from 24 to 120 hours before entering Malta (only for dogs).
To find out the full list of requirements for entering Malta with a pet from your country, visit the link.
