Internships will provide you with a unique opportunity to gain practical experience and increase your knowledge in an identified area of expertise by engaging in a specific work/research-based setting. If you are interested in researching a specific topic or you are interested in gaining experience in research and / or work processes, you can be an Intern.
The aim of this page is to guide you prospective interns through the application process.
If you are an Intern receiving an Erasmus+ funding, then you are kindly requested to contact us here, as a different procedure applies.
The information below covers internship requests from international candidates (students, administrative staff or researchers), who are enrolled at a Higher Educational Institution abroad and following courses at Level 6 to Level 8 (Undergraduate to Ph.D.) and interested in pursuing an internship/traineeship/job shadowing experience for a definite period of time at UM, which period of time may vary between one month and one year.
If you are interested in taking up an internship at the University of Malta, you must first find an internship supervisor willing to host you for the duration of the internship.
Access the full list of Faculties / Institutes / Centers / Schools. In case of any difficulty, you can contact Ms. Rand Ikermawi.
The aim of the internship would need to be discussed with the prospective internship supervisor in order to determine whether you can be hosted or not.
Once your internship details; namely internship supervisor, internship aims and dates are confirmed you are invited to submit the following:
As international interns, you are advised, that the University of Malta does not provide you with any financial or in-kind contributions. You must have sufficient financial resources in order to organise your trip to Malta and to finance your stay in Malta, including, but not limited to: accommodation, transport academic materials and any other living expenses required during your stay. You are also responsible to make the necessary insurance coverage in place; either through your home institution or through your own arrangements.
During your internship, as an intern, you would have to abide by the regulations of the University of Malta and agree to respect the necessary conditions, set out in the specific Internship Agreement. The conditions can include any specific conditions laid out by the supervisor (the UM academic or administrative member of staff in charge of the intern).
Language of tuition at the University of Malta is English and therefore it is recommended that you have the adequate level of English Language proficiency to be able to successfully undertake the internship. Recommended English Language level is B2 and higher, as per the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
The applicable law for Internship Agreements undertaken at the University of Malta is the Maltese Law. According to the international law, the law of the country where the contract shall be executed shall prevail. No other foreign legislation can be accepted.
As an intern, you must have a travel and health insurance which covers the duration of your stay in Malta and expenses for your personal belongings, specific medical interventions, repatriation and adequate coverage at the University of Malta which includes civil liability.
For internships which are carried out within the EEA by students of EU nationality, a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) must be obtained. The EHIC provides cover for the first 90 days, therefore it is still important to have necessary travel and health insurance to cover services not included under the EHIC.
All EU/EEA and all non-EU nationals are also requested to familiarise themselves with the E-residence requirements.
During the internship period at UM, the interns are subject to the conditions of the Internship Agreement and the rules and policies of the University of Malta and its subsequent amendments.
Your home institution should provide you with the necessary documents which are required by the University of Malta. If your home institution does not provide with you with such agreement, the University of Malta will draw up an Internship Agreement for you. Should this document require any amendments, we will provide the necessary assistance.
The International Office, together with the Legal Office, prepares and reviews the documents.The necessary feedback will be provided by the University of Malta supervisor. The Internship Agreement is countersigned by the home institution, the University of Malta and yourself. The UM affirms the importance of having an Internship Agreement in place for every hosted intern, as this outlines the obligations of both parties. The agreement must be in place before the start of the internship.
During your internship, you will not be registered on the Student Information Management System (SIMS) but may still apply for a library card (at the Library’s discretion) and for an IT services user account.
No ECTS credits for the internships shall be awarded by the University of Malta.
The UM reserves the right to terminate the Internship Agreement traineeship agreements in cases where interns do not comply with the terms of the internship, misconduct and/or where the conditions of the agreement cannot be fulfilled by either party.
Non-EU students are advised that their nationality and the duration of the internship will determine whether they require a visa or not. The duration of the internship will also determine whether the students will be required to apply for a C-Type or D-Type visa.
The following link provides information about the nationalities which don’t require a visa for internships of less than 90 days.
Remaining nationalities will need to proceed as follows:
Apply for a Schengen C-type Visa if your stay is less than 90 days.
TCNs who wish to undertake an internship 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.
You will be guided on the visa process as part of the internship preparation process. Once you have completed the internship documents. Student are advised to apply for their visa at least 3 months ahead of the start of the start of their internship at UM.
For further information, please contact the International Office at international@um.edu.mt.
Apply for a D-Type visa if your stay is for more than 90 days.
TCNs who wish to undertake an internship which is longer than 90 days are required to apply for a D-Type visa. The process to apply for a D-Type visa takes at least 12 weeks and is carried out through the Central Visa Unit (Malta). Students are advised that during this process they have to submit their passport to the visa application centre. It is crucial that interns complete their internship arrangements and documents at least 15 weeks prior to the start date of the internship. Students will then be guided for a Training Visa. Host supervisors are advised that they may need to be flexible with start dates in view in view of the lengthy visa procedures.
Guidelines towards the hosting of internships - 2026 [PDF] at the University of Malta.