Visa for Malta: Types, Eligibility Criteria & Application Process

Malta is a beautiful island between Sicily and the North African coast in the central Mediterranean. If you are planning to visit or move to Malta, you might require a Visa from India. There are multiple visas, and there can be many ways to get these, depending on your purpose of visit. Among other requirements, it is mandatory to get travel insurance to visit Malta as of a recent policy in 2022.

Are you curious about the ways to get a Visa for Malta? Then, find out all about it in this article.

Do Indians Need a Visa to Travel to Malta?

Any individual travelling from India to Malta needs a visa for Malta. They must apply for a Malta visa 3-6 months before the planned journey.

Is There a Visa on Arrival in Malta for Indian Citizens?

As of now, Malta does not offer a visa facility on arrival. There is also no facility for an electronic visa here. Therefore, visitors need to apply for a visa in advance before planning to visit here.

There are three types of Malta visas for Indians. You can choose the suitable type based on the purpose of your visit. Here are the types of visas you can apply for while visiting Malta.

•  Airport Transit Visa (ATV): With this visa, you can cross the international transit zone of Malta's International Airport. It is issued for 24 hours, suitable for people planning to stay here for a short time before catching the flight and moving to the destination country. However, this visa does not allow visitors to travel outside the airport's international zone to the Schengen territory.
• Short-stay “C” Visa (Schengen): This is a similar short-stay visa, which comes in the form of a sticker on your passport. However, it is better than the previous visa type, as it allows you to stay in the territory of Malta and all other Schengen Member States for a period of 3-6 months (90-180 days) from the day you enter Malta. This visa is effective if your work requires visiting the Schengen area.
• National Long-stay “D” Visa: This visa is for people who must stay in Malta for more than three months. It will allow the visa holder to access the Schengen areas where Malta has diplomatic missions (Embassies) and consular posts. If you are on a type D visa, however, you will not be able to extend your stay with this visa in Malta. When it comes to the purpose of visit, you can find the following types of visas in Malta. 
  • Malta Schengen Visa: If you are visiting Malta for a short trip, and your home country is not exempted from visa requirements, you will require a Malta Schengen Visa. This visa is valid for about 90 days. You can also visit other Schengen countries with this visa. 
  • Malta Transit Visa: This visa is for people who are in transit in Malta while travelling to other countries. However, you will not require this visa if you already have a Schengen visa or a residence permit from another Schengen country. 
  • Malta Work Visa: If you are visiting Malta for work, and are not from EU, EEA or Switzerland, then you will need this visa. It is generally valid for about a year, and can be renewed according to your work contract. 
  • Malta Student Visa: As the name suggests, this visa is for such people who are visiting Malta for study purposes. Students outside the EU, EEA or Switzerland need to apply for this visa. It is valid for 90 days. You will need a residence permit if you wish to study for more than 90 days. 
  • Malta Family Visa: This visa is for the family members of Malta citizens or permanent residence holders. they can apply for this visa if they wish to bring their spouse, partner, or minor children to Malta. 
  • Malta Golden Visa: You can apply for this visa if you are planning to gain citizenship in Malta through investment. This visa will help you enter Malta and start investing. 

If you are wondering about the validity of your visa, it depends on the type of visa and entry level. Usually, one cannot extend a short-term visa over five years. Here are the different entry levels and their validity in Schengen.

• Single Entry Visa: This type of visa is entitled to a single uninterrupted stay once during the period stipulated initially in the visa. However, it does not exceed three months.
• Double Entry Visa: This visa allows two stays for the visa holder for the period stipulated in the visa. The overall duration of your visit cannot exceed three months in half a year.
• Multiple Entry Visa: This type of visa is entitled to numerous stays for a period stipulated in the visa. It cannot exceed three months in half a year, but there is no limit on the overall duration of stay.

Now that you know the types of Malta visas, you must be curious to see the eligibility criteria for this process. You need to meet these if you are planning to visit Malta. Here are the eligibility conditions for this process.

• Applicants should possess the required documents and fees for this visa.
• Applicants should have enough finance to support their travel and stay in Malta.
• They should have travel medical insurance of at least US$34,128.15.

It is always better to know all the requirements for a Malta visa before starting the application process. These documents are mandatory to be submitted for getting a permit. Ensure that the following documents are handy when applying for this visa.

General Requirements

• A valid passport
• Filled and completed visa application form
• Passport-size photographs
• A cover letter
• Registered ID proof
• Bank statements and financial details
• Details of flight itinerary
• Proof of accommodation reservation in Malta
• A travel insurance

Additional Requirements for Students

Apart from these general requirements, there might be the following additional requirements in this process. For example, the following documents might be necessary if you are a student.

• Proof of enrolment to an institute in Malta
• Letter of acceptance

Additional Requirements for Employees

If you are employed or retired, you must produce the following documents.

• Employment contract
• Bank statements for at least six months
• NOC from the current employer
• ITR form or Certificate of Income Tax
• Pension statement for the last six months
• A copy of the business licence and company bank statement (if self-employed)

When applying for a Malta Visa, the Indian citizens need to pay a certain charge as processing fee. For children, this fee is about USD 147.01 (EUR 136.20), while adult applicants need to pay about USD 167.78 (EUR 155.46) in this process. 

Disclaimer: The visa fees are subject to change, based on new immigration rules, the country in which you apply, the local currency and currency exchange rates.

Currently, there is no online mode to complete this process. You can complete the application offline with the following steps.

Step 1: Visit the official website of VFS Global. Choose your visa type from the drop-down list.

Step 2: Scroll down to your selected visa section and click on the drop-down list. Next, click on the option of “Download Forms”.

Step 3: Click on the "Malta Visa Application Form" link. Download the PDF form on your device.

Step 4: Take a printout of this form and start filling it out with all your details. Collect the required documents and application fee amount.

Step 5: Book an appointment with this centre for biometric information from the website. Then, bring the filled application form and documents to your nearest Visa Application Centre on the booked slot.

Step 6: Submit these along with the required fee. You can track your application online and will receive a mail update once the application is approved.

Disclaimer: The visa fees are subject to change, based on new immigration rules, the country in which you apply, the local currency and currency exchange rates.

Usually, the authorities complete the processing of a visa application for Malta in 15 days. However, in some exceptional cases and disturbances, it might take up to 60 days to approve a visa. Therefore, you need to plan and apply it in advance accordingly.

It is mandatory to purchase travel medical insurance to get a visa for Malta. Besides the rule, a travel insurance policy can be highly beneficial and convenient for you if you visit Malta. Here are the reasons you should buy travel insurance before this trip.

• Travel Convenience: Every traveller has different sets of requirements. For instance, students or employees will have additional requirements from regular tourists. A travel insurance plan takes care of the customised needs of every type of traveller, looking after their convenience.
• Accident Coverage: If you or your family members get into any kind of accident causing physical or property damage in Malta, your travel insurance provider will compensate for the same. It can also provide emergency cash reimbursement when required.
• Medical Coverage: It is challenging to look after a foreign country's healthcare requirements. With travel insurance, you will receive coverage for any emergency medical requirements overseas. In addition, this coverage will help you get financial and advisory assistance to help you gain knowledge of the healthcare service in this country.
• Reimbursements and Cancellation Charges: Trip cancellations can be difficult to deal with, especially in the case of international tours. It can take a long time to get the reimbursements. However, travel insurance will make the process much easier, helping you get the refunds on time.
• Loss Compensation: Losing your luggage, personal belongings or important documents can be vulnerable in a foreign country. However, this problem is taken care of by travel insurance. It gives you compensation for your loss in Malta.

Therefore, as you can see, getting a Visa for Malta might take some time. However, it is not a significant challenge. As this article pointed out, you can apply for a visa if you have all the required documents and enough funds to support you. You need to select the correct visa type based on your visit's purpose.