Oct 18, 2022
11 min read
Malta is a beautiful, historic island nation located in the Mediterranean Sea. With its natural beauty, scenic coastline, fascinating history, and unique culture, it's an ideal destination for anyone who loves beaches and history.
However, before you visit Malta, you must first find out if you need a Malta Tourist Visa. However, there are different Malta Schengen travel visas, such as business visas and student visas. Therefore, for this post, I will only cover the Malta Tourist Visa, also known as the Malta Schengen Visa.
I will explain everything about the Maltese Tourist Visa. Including, important information such as who needs a Malta Tourist Visa, visa fees, required documents, and how to apply.
Here's everything you need to know:
The easiest and fastest way to apply for your Malta Tourist Visa is to use Atlys. The time of standing in queues and waiting for your visa is long gone. When you apply through Atlys, it's as easy as providing some personal and travel information.
As soon as you provide them with your information, your Schengen Visa application is on its way to being processed. As I said, visa applications can't be easier.
Now that you know how to get your Malta Tourist Visa in minutes, I will explain all the important information regarding this particular Schengen Visa. This section of the post will cover important information such as Malta Tourist Visa requirements, the processing time, and visa fees.
Later in this post, I will explain the Maltese Tourist Visa required documents and visa application process. Please feel free to skip ahead to each section by using the links provided.
The Malta Tourist Visa is a multiple-entry Schengen Visa that allows foreign nationals to enjoy international travel to Malta. For example, suppose you travel to Malta with a Schengen Visa. In that case, you enjoy multiple entries to Malta for 90 days in a 180-day period. This is known as the 90/180-day Schengen rule. However, many people get confused about how long they can stay in the Schengen Area; therefore, feel free to check out our 90/180-day Schengen rule guide.
Please remember that you can only apply for the Malta Tourist Visa if you travel for tourism purposes. Other terms used for the type of visa include:
A great benefit of the Malta Tourist Visa is that you can visit other Schengen member states. These Schengen countries include:
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
If you want to travel to any of the Schengen Countries or countries in Europe, you must apply for the Schengen Visa.
Okay, so you now know what the Malta Tourist Visa is, but do you need to apply for a Malta Tourist Visa? This depends mostly on your country of origin or what passport you have. Let me explain by breaking it down:
US citizens enjoy visa-free travel to any of the Schengen Countries. You do not need to apply for a Schengen Visa if you have a US passport. How great is that? However, starting in 2023, any person who enjoys visa-free travel to the Schengen Area must apply for the ETIAS. I'll explain the ETIAS later in this post.
If you have a permanent residence permit for the US, you might enjoy visa-free travel to Malta. However, it all depends on your country of origin. Let me explain this by using an example. Perhaps you're a US Green Card Holder and an Indian passport holder. In that case, you must apply for a Schengen Tourist Visa. This is because India does not have visa-free arrangements with the Schengen member states.
As I mentioned, not all countries enjoy visa-free travel to the Schengen Area. Therefore, you must apply for a Schengen Visa if your country does not enjoy visa-free travel to the Schengen Area. Please check out our list of countries that must apply for a Schengen Tourist Visa.
The processing time for a Maltese tourist visa can vary depending on where you are applying. Generally, it takes around 15 days to process a tourist visa for Malta. However, if you are applying from a country with many applications, it may take longer.
The best way to ensure a fast processing time for your Maltese Tourist Visa is to make sure that you complete all of the required paperwork correctly. Once your application is received, it will be reviewed by the Maltese Embassy or Consular. The embassy of Malta will then notify you once your Malta Tourist Visa is processed.
You can begin your application as early as 6 months before traveling to Malta. However, I advise beginning your application at least 2 months before departure.
You're probably asking why so early. Therefore, you will have enough time to finish your visa application, wait for your visa to be processed, and fix any mistakes (like missing documents or an incomplete application).
The following non-EU nations and the EU have thus far reached an agreement on visa facilitation. These agreements make it easier to issue visas to EU citizens and those of other countries: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cape Verde, Georgia, Moldovan, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Russia, Serbia, and Ukraine.
Suppose you apply for the Malta Schengen Visa. In that case, you must show proof of financial sufficiency of at least 48 EUR per day.
The answer is yes, but only in extraordinary circumstances, such as when new information or unique circumstances emerge upon admission into Malta. Here's a list of reasons you can use to extend your Malta Tourist Visa:
Now that we have covered the basics of the Malta Tourist Visa, we can get to the entry requirements, such as the travel documents. You must gather these documents before starting your Malta Schengen Tourist Visa application. Here is a list of required documents:
If you are visiting a family member or friend, you must submit additional documents such as:
This section is essential if you need to apply for the Malta Tourist Visa. In this section, I will explain how you can get a Malta Tourist Visa in 6 simple steps. However, as I mentioned earlier, you can skip these steps and apply through Atlys instead.
The first and most crucial step is to gather your required documents. You can do it later, but I recommend you do it first. Gathering your documents can take some time, and you do not want to go to your Visa Interview without all your documents.
You will see the visa application form is on the list of required documents. After you have all the other documents, you must print out the visa application form and complete it. Once your visa application form is complete, remember that you must sign it at the bottom.
Okay, you have your required documents and your visa application form signed. The next step is to schedule a visa interview at a Malta Embassy or Consulate in your country. Unfortunately, some countries do not have a Malta Embassy or Consulate. If that is the case, you must use visa services.
There are a few ways you can schedule your visa interview, namely:
You must show up for your visa appointment, as the title says. When you show up for your appointment, an embassy or consulate personnel member will conduct a brief in-person interview with you.
During the interview, you will present your Schengen Visa Application and all necessary paperwork. The staff member will also briefly ask you about your trip's objective. There's nothing to stress about. You'll no doubt succeed in your upcoming Schengen Visa interview.
After the interview, the staff member will take your biometric data. You won't need to do this if you've recently traveled to the Schengen region within the last 59 months. However, once your biometric data is in the system, you must pay your visa application fee.
The challenging part is over. All that's left to do is wait while your visa is processed. As previously stated, this may take 15 to 30 business days.
Authorities will contact you by phone, email, or SMS once your visa has been processed (depending on your preferred contact method).
After your Malta Tourist Visa is approved, you can start celebrating. Your Malta Tourist Visa application is finally over.
Now you can head to the Embassy or Consulate and collect your approved Malta Tourist Visa.
You've probably heard of the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS). If you haven't, then let me explain.
The ETIAS was proposed 5 years ago as a new travel authorization system to enhance security in the Schengen Area. The system's goal is to collect information on visa-free tourists to the European Union and ensure that people who pose a security risk are identified before traveling to the Schengen Area.
Although the ETIAS is not yet active, you must apply for your ETIAS starting November 2023. This is because you are exempt from completing the ETIAS visa application in 2022. However, in Novermber 2023 all visa-free travelers must apply for the ETIAS before traveling to any Schengen country.
Your hard work has paid off. The last thing you need to do is sit back, relax, and plan your next Schengen getaway. One last thing, you can head over to our FAQ section for more information about the Malta Tourist Visa.
So, for 90 days out of a possible 180, you can travel within the Schengen area. After that, you are prohibited from working. If you land a job, you must obtain an EU work permit and a TRC from that specific member state to begin working there.
The first and most important thing you must know about the Malta COVID entry requirements is that you no longer need to complete the Passenger Locator form. Instead, before entering Malta, all travelers over 12 must provide one of the following documents: