We recommend that you familiarise yourself well with the Visa and e-Residence permit requirements and procedures that you will need to follow in order to arrive and stay in Malta.
A Visa is the official permission, which temporarily authorises individuals to travel to a foreign country so you need to check whether you are required to apply for a visa in order to travel to Malta. Further information is available below.
An e-Residence Permit on the other hand is the document that you will require to reside in Malta if your study visa does not cover your entire study period in Malta. Following arrival and registration at the University, all international students who are planning to stay for one academic year or more should apply for an e-Residence Permit. This permit will serve as an Identity card and will allow you to travel within the Schengen Area, together with a valid passport. Further information on the e-Residence permit application procedure is available below.
The information below applies to prospective and current students of the University of Malta (UM).
Applying for a Malta Long-stay Student Visa (D-Visa)
All Third Country Nationals (TCNs) who are planning to study at the University of Malta (UM) for at least one semester must apply for a long-stay D-Visa. If you are here for only one semester of studies but you were issued a 91-day D-Visa (which does not cover the entire duration of your studies) you should seek to extend your visa in good time at the Central Visa Unit, Malta. The International Office will guide you on the visa extension application procedure and will issue a visa extension letter to support your request.
If you are going to study at UM for at least one academic year, but you are issued a 91-day D-Visa, you will be guided by the International Office to apply for a Maltese residence permit. The residence permit is renewable every year upon submission of a new application.
Long-stay Student Visa (D-Visa) Application Procedure: Malta Visa Extended Service
Most Third Country Nationals (TCNs) are required to apply for a Long-Stay D-Visa through the Visa Extended Service. Please refer to our guidelines to familiarise yourself with the Visa Extended Service application procedure. In countries where the Extended Service is not available, visa-seekers are advised to contact us so we may advise them on alternative routes. As from 1st March 2024, all TCNs, including those hailing from countries that normally enjoy a 90-day visa waiver, are required to apply for a Long-Stay Visa if their study period in Malta is longer than 3 months.
TCNs who already hold a valid long-stay D-Visa or Schengen residence permit issued by another member state do not need a visa to enter Malta. These visa-holders are allowed to travel freely through the Schengen Area as per their validity dates. It is imperative that they adhere to their purpose of stay within the Schengen Area.
We advise you to get in touch with us to start off your visa process as soon as you receive your unconditional letter of acceptance. It is also important to familiarise yourself with the residence permit requirements before your departure since you will need to prepare and bring along certain original documents which might be difficult to obtain after your departure (e.g., Bank statements).
Visa Support Letter
Applicants requiring a Visa Support Letter are to complete this form.
General Information
National Visa:
A D-type Visa is a national visa which is issued for a period exceeding 90 days, but no longer than 365 days, and is issued in accordance with national rules.
We would like to remind you that when planning your journey to Malta, you need to plan your itinerary ahead. Since there may not be direct flights from your country of residence to Malta, you will have to stop over in another country on your way to Malta. In this case, you are advised to check with the relevant embassy in your country of residence, whether you require an entry/transit visa.
Following your arrival in Malta you shall be guided and assisted by the International Office to apply for a residence permit (please refer to section e-Residence Permit for non-EU/EEA nationals) which would be valid for a period of one year of study and is renewed every year subject to your academic progression.
You are advised to visit the section on pre-arrival information. Ensure that important documents are packed in your hand luggage. You might be requested to present these important documents before you board your flight to Malta. You may also be asked to present them to the immigration authorities in the transit country, or upon arrival in Malta.
For further information, please contact the International Office on visas@um.edu.mt
Applying for a Schengen C-type Visa
TCNs who wish to travel to Malta for a short-term period (i.e. not exceeding a 90-day stay) and require an entry visa, may refer to the Visa Representation Agreements in the absence of a Maltese Representative Office in your country of residence. However, students must keep in mind that Short-Stay visas cannot be extended or converted to a Maltese residence permit.
Applicants who will be travelling to Malta to follow courses of a duration of less than 3 months are to present the invitation letter issued by the academic department and the letter of acceptance issued by the International Admissions Office.
Graduands who wish to visit Malta to attend their graduation ceremony may request this letter and present the official correspondence received from the Certification Office.
General Information
Schengen Visa:
The Austrian, French, German Italian, Spanish and other European representatives may issue short-term visas valid up to 90 days. A Schengen C-type Visa is an authorisation issued by a Schengen State with a view to:
For further information, please contact the International Office on visas@um.edu.mt
If you are an EU/EEA student who will be studying at the UM for at least two semesters we highly recommend that you apply for a residence permit within the first 3 months (90 days) of your arrival in Malta. To renew your permit you are to follow the same procedure as outlined below. All documents should be in English. Please refer to the English translation policies to meet Identita's translation requirements.
There are two steps you must follow in order to apply.
Step 1
You must first prepare the following documents:
Please ensure that your personal details are updated on eSIMS and correspond with the information you provide in this form. If you are a new student, please enrol before you request the endorsement letter.
Erasmus, Exchange or Transfer visiting students
Full-time students (including Erasmus Mundus students)
Under the section - Educational Establishment Details - fill in the details as shown below:
Name of Educational Establishment: University of Malta
Contact Person: International Office
Property Name / No.: Administration Building, Room 220
Street Name: Tal Qroqq
Locality: L-Imsida
Telephone No.: 23403182
Mobile No.: 23403182
Email Address: international@um.edu.mt
Institution License Number: Not applicable
Course Title: Type course title eg. B.A in History and Geography
MQF Level: If you are following a course of studies leading to:
Bachelor degree - MQF Level 6
Master degree - MQF Level 7
Doctorate/PhD - MQF Level 8
Certificate in Foundation Studies - MQF Level 4
Doctor of Medicine and Surgery - MQF Level 7
If you are following a course of studies that is not indicated above, you may find your course MQF Level through the course overview.
Duration From _ to _: Type start and end date of course
For further information, please contact the International Office on visas@um.edu.mt
Holders of a residence permit issued by a Schengen member state are permitted to travel to Malta visa free.
If you are a TCN student with a residence permit issued by a Schengen member state and plan to study for one semester during the validity of your permit, you must submit a copy of your residence permit and a declaration [PDF] of your current address in Malta to the International Office.
If you are planning to study for two or more semesters you are required to apply for a Maltese residence permit. For more information please refer to the section on this page titled as "e-Residence Permits for non-EU/EEA nationals".
All non-EU/EEA students who will be studying at the UM for at least one academic year are required to apply for a residence permit within the first 3 months (90 days) of their arrival in Malta. To renew their permit, students must follow the same procedure as outlined below. All documents should be in English. Please refer to the English translation policies to meet Identita's translation requirements.
There are two steps you must follow in order to apply.
Step 1
You need to prepare the following documents:
A bank statement or money transfer receipts, showing transactions of the past three months. The statement should show a balance of a minimum of 950 Euro for each month of stay in Malta, or its equivalent in foreign currency. A bank certificate showing solely your bank balance is not acceptable.
When you apply for a permit renewal you are required to resubmit a new bank statement showing the same amount as above.
Foreign and original bank statements must be signed, stamped and dated by the bank manager.
When foreign bank statements are presented, the applicant must provide an ATM withdrawal / Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS) receipt to show that the bank account is accessible in Malta.
Additionally, submit a photocopy of the front side of the credit/debit card with the same bank account number that corresponds to the account number on the bank statement you are presenting.
In the case of local bank statements only original copies are accepted. Bank balances are only accepted in Euro. If the bank account is held in another currency, the applicant must show the equivalent amount in Euro. (An Internet currency conversion in English will do).
If a student is sponsored, an official sponsorship letter is required. Financial dependence may be from any of the following: a parent, next of kin, spouse, employer, or educational institution. The sponsorship letter should include the details of the sponsor, the duration of the sponsorship and what it covers.
The sponsored student is still required to fulfil the above requirement - i.e. to prove their receipt of funds either by a bank statement or by locally issued cheques (if applicable).
The sponsored student is required to attach copies of the sponsor’s identification (ID or Passport), together with the above-mentioned declaration letter.
Please ensure that your personal details are updated on eSIMS and correspond with the information you provide in this form. If you are a new student, please enrol before you request the endorsement letter.
Endorsement letter for:
Erasmus, Exchange or Transfer visiting students
Full-time students (including Erasmus Mundus students)
Step 2
You must then upload your documents and submit your online application through here.
Under the section - Educational Establishment Details - fill in the details as shown below:
Name of Educational Establishment: University of Malta
Contact Person: International Office
Property Name / No.: Administration Building, Room 220
Street Name: Tal Qroqq
Locality: L-Imsida
Telephone No.: 23403182
Mobile No.: 23403182
Email Address: international@um.edu.mt
Institution License Number: Not applicable
Course Title: Type course title eg. B.A in History and Geography
MQF Level: If you are following a course of studies leading to:
Bachelor degree - MQF Level 6
Master degree - MQF Level 7
Doctorate/PhD - MQF Level 8
Certificate in Foundation Studies - MQF Level 4
Doctor of Medicine and Surgery - MQF Level 7
If you are following a course of studies that is not indicated above, you may find your course MQF Level through the course overview.
Duration From _ to _: Type start and end date of course
This section (Section 5) of the application form requires the Educational Establishment stamp and the handwritten signature of the University official. The form must also be dated.
E-residence permit applications for part-time courses will not be considered if the tuition hours are less than 15 hours per week.
For further information, please contact the International Office on visas@um.edu.mt
Third Country Nationals who have been offered a place to follow an online / distance learning or a hybrid programme are not eligible to apply for a Malta Long-Stay D-Study Visa. Visa-seekers are to consult the Short Stay (C) Visas section for more information.
All Third Country Nationals are required by the Health Authorities to undergo a health screening examination as soon as possible at one of the below private clinics/ hospitals as part of the application procedure for the residence permit. This examination consists of the presentation of the student’s immunisation certificate, and where applicable receiving a vaccine booster and /or undergoing a chest X-ray depending on the medical doctor’s recommendation.
Students who were born or have lived for six months or more in a country reported as Very High-Risk or High-Risk Tuberculosis Country Lists must take the chest x-ray examination. This health screening must be taken within four weeks of the student’s arrival in Malta.
Students are required to present an Immunisation Certificate (in English or officially translated into English) issued by their immunisation/ health authorities indicating coverage for these specific vaccines:
OR
Continuing TCN students who did not undergo the health screening examination last year will be required to do it this year.
Current students who undertook a chest X-ray at the commencement of their studies following enrolment at the University of Malta need not undertake a further X-ray but should provide a copy of the report issued by the clinic where the X-ray was conducted and send to workpermitqueries.idcu@gov.mt together with the approval given previously by the Health Authorities.
Current students who undertook the Occupational Health Protocol (OHP) when they joined the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery or the Faculty of Dental Surgery or the Faculty of Health Sciences at the UM last year and require approval again for residency purposes must also send their documentation (including the application form that was filled in last year), to workpermitqueries.idcu@gov.mt .
The health screening examination can be taken at one of the following private clinics / hospitals:
Students are required to present this application form to be completed by the medical doctor.