Malta Visa from the UK: Appointments, Checklist & Fees

Do UK residents need a visa for Malta?

It depends on your passport, not on where you live. British, Irish and EU/EEA citizens can visit Malta for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. Most non-EU nationals living in the UK, such as Indian, Pakistani, Nigerian, Bangladeshi, Chinese or South African citizens on a Skilled Worker, student, family or settled status, need a Malta Schengen (type C) visa, applied for here.

You must be legally resident in the UK to apply here. VFS Malta UK does not accept a UK short-stay (C type) visitor visa: visitors apply in their country of residence. Your UK permission must be valid for at least 1 month beyond the date you leave the Schengen area, and you prove it with a UKVI eVisa share code, as all BRPs have expired. Our eVisa share code guide explains how to generate one.

ETIAS, the €20 travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers such as British citizens, has no confirmed launch date and never applies to people travelling on a Schengen visa. A Malta visa covers Gozo and Comino and the other 28 Schengen countries. Cyprus is still outside Schengen, but it accepts a valid double- or multiple-entry Schengen visa for short stays.

Malta visa appointments in the UK

Malta visa applications in the UK are submitted in person, by appointment, at VFS Global centres in London, Manchester and Edinburgh. Every applicant, including children and infants, must attend. Malta has a single deciding mission here, the High Commission of Malta in London, so there is no consulate-by-region split: VFS sends files from Manchester and Edinburgh to its London office, which forwards them to the High Commission the following day.

The right-hand column is about travel, not jurisdiction. The VFS Malta UK booking site shows the centres open to you when you create your appointment; if it asks you to use a particular centre, follow that instruction.

London

The London centre has no courier step. The exact address, opening hours and entry rules are on the VFS Malta UK site and your appointment letter. Always go by the address on the letter, as VFS moves and merges centres from time to time.

Manchester

Manchester suits applicants from the Midlands, the North and Wales who would otherwise lose a day travelling to London. VFS calls it a satellite centre and asks you to add 2 days to the minimum processing time. VFS also says cash is not accepted here, so pay by card or postal order. Check the address on your appointment letter before you set off.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh serves Scotland and is the realistic option for Northern Ireland, which has no Malta centre. Like Manchester, it is a satellite centre: add 2 days, and do not plan to pay in cash.

How to book

1. Create an account on the VFS Global Malta UK booking site with your own email address.
2. Choose your centre and the visa category that matches your trip (Tourist, Visitor Family/Friends, Business and so on).
3. Enter each applicant’s details exactly as in their passport.
4. Choose a date and time and keep the confirmation, which you bring on the day.

Booking is free. VFS warns that around Easter, the July and August school holidays and Christmas, appointments are booked very quickly, because the High Commission only processes a fixed number of applications each day. Its advice is to book as soon as you know you will be travelling.

On the day

Bring your appointment confirmation, passport, original documents and a set of photocopies; VFS keeps the copies unless an original is required. You hand in your file, pay the visa fee and the VFS service charge, and give fingerprints and a digital photo unless your fingerprints were taken for a Schengen visa in the last 59 months. Your passport stays with the application. VFS may offer optional paid extras; none of them changes the decision or how quickly the High Commission makes it.

Important: Schengen Visa Support does not book, hold or supply visa appointments, and no legitimate agent can. Appointments are booked in your own name on the official VFS system. We explain how it works, help you complete the booking yourself and make sure your application is ready for the day. See our Schengen visa appointment guide for booking across countries.

Malta visa document checklist for UK residents

Malta’s UK checklist, published by VFS, is stricter than many on a few points: documents must be recent, flights must be paid, and family visits need a certified declaration from Malta. VFS says supporting documents should be no older than 1 month, and the High Commission can always ask for more.

The items that need most care:

• The form is printed, completed and signed under the declaration at the end. The dates on it must match your flights and accommodation exactly.
• Your passport must be signed, issued within the last 10 years, valid at least 90 days beyond your return and have 2 blank pages. Bring copies of Schengen visas from the last 3 years.
• UK status: a share code for your eVisa, with your permission valid at least 1 month beyond your return. EU Settlement Scheme holders must print or present a share code too.
• Flights must be paid in full and confirmed, showing your name, dates, reservation code and e-ticket number. VFS says provisional reservations, part-paid tickets or bookings through a travel agency not registered in the UK make the application invalid. A holiday package paid in instalments needs proof that at least 75% has been paid.
• Insurance must be in your name, valid across the whole Schengen area for every day of the trip, with at least €30,000 of medical and repatriation cover, and bought from a UK-registered insurer. If you want a multiple-entry visa, do not submit a single-trip policy.
• Accommodation must be confirmed in your name, or come with a signed joint-travel letter and passport copy from the person who booked it.
• Photo: one colour photo no older than 6 months, on a white or off-white background, printed on photographic paper and glued to the form.

Malta’s country-specific items are the host’s Declaration of Proof for family and friends visits, certified by a legal representative in Malta, and a signed invitation from a Maltese company for business trips.

Employed

A signed (not digital) employer letter on headed paper, addressed to the Mission and under 1 month old, confirming your employment, or your last 3 months’ payslips. Business applicants need the employer letter. Your bank statements should be from the account your salary is paid into.

Self-employed

VFS asks for a signed letter on headed paper, under 1 month old, from your accountant, solicitor or bank manager confirming your self-employment, plus your Companies House Certificate of Incorporation if you trade through a company. Our self-employed guide covers what consulates look for.

Students

A signed letter from your UK school, college or university, addressed to the Mission and under 1 month old, confirming your enrolment, plus bank statements meeting the daily amount. VFS only describes spouse sponsorship, so if a parent is paying, add their signed sponsorship letter and bank statements and explain this in your cover letter.

Retired

VFS lists a recent original letter from the Pension Service (or Jobcentre, if you receive benefits). Pension statements and bank statements showing the pension arriving each month support it.

Sponsored

A spouse or registered partner who is paying provides a signed and dated cover letter confirming sponsorship, their passport, proof of occupation and proof of funds, with your marriage certificate (translated by a certified UK translator if it is not in English and was issued outside the EU).

Children

A full birth certificate naming both parents, written consent signed and dated by both parents, copies of both parents’ passports, a court order or death certificate where relevant, and a school letter. Certificates issued outside the UK must be legalised. Our guide to Schengen visas for children has the detail.

How much money do you need for a Malta visa?

The VFS Malta UK checklist asks for bank statements showing at least £48 for each day of your stay in the Schengen area, plus any accommodation and travel costs you have not yet paid. The European Commission lists Malta’s reference amount for entering the country as €48 per day. Check the current VFS checklist before you apply, as the amount can change.

VFS asks for your latest 3 months of UK bank statements showing your name, address and a closing balance dated within the last month, stamped by your branch; statements from online banks such as Monzo or Revolut can be accepted. For children, the VFS minors checklist asks for the parent’s or legal guardian’s statements to show a higher figure, £90 per day of stay plus unpaid costs when checked in October 2026, so check the current minors page before you apply. Our bank statements guide explains what a strong set of statements looks like.

Malta visa fees from the UK

The visa fee is set by EU law and is the same for every Schengen country; in the UK it is charged in pounds at the current exchange rate. VFS adds a separate service charge per application, which you pay at the centre.

VFS says fees can be paid by card, postal order made out to “Malta Visa Application Centre”, or cash (not in Manchester or Edinburgh); cheques and bank transfers are not accepted. The sterling amounts change with the exchange rate. Fees are not refunded if the visa is refused. For a cross-country comparison, see the Schengen visa fee guide.

How long does a Malta visa take from the UK?

VFS Malta UK says the minimum processing time is 3 weeks and that no return date can be guaranteed. Under EU law the standard decision time is 15 calendar days, extendable to 45 if more checks are needed. Add 2 days if you submit in Manchester or Edinburgh, and more if the High Commission asks for documents or an interview.

Because VFS asks for paid, confirmed tickets, consider fares you can change if your visa is delayed or refused. Our processing time guide covers what happens when a decision takes longer.

Malta visa types for UK residents

Almost every UK applicant to Malta applies for a short-stay (type C) visa, which allows up to 90 days in any 180-day period. VFS Malta UK lists Tourist, Visitor Family/Friends, Business, Airport Transit and EU/EEA or Swiss national family member categories, with extra documents for minors.

Tourist. For leisure and sightseeing with your own paid accommodation, such as a hotel, hostel or B&B, plus fully paid flights and insurance. Many trips combine Valletta, Sliema or St Julian’s with a few nights on Gozo.

Family or friends visit. For staying with family or friends legally living in Malta. Your host provides a Declaration of Proof, no older than 6 months and certified by a legal representative in Malta, with a copy of their passport bio page and, if they are not an EU citizen, their Maltese permit of stay.

Business. For meetings, deals, recruitment, training or other work-related activity. VFS says every business application must be backed by a signed invitation letter, under 1 month old, from a company in Malta confirming the purpose, dates and any accommodation or travel arrangements; otherwise you apply as a tourist. Employees attending a work-related conference can also apply as business if the employer letter clearly states why.

Language courses. Malta is a popular place to study English, but the VFS Malta UK page has no separate study category. For a short course within 90 days, ask VFS or the High Commission which category and documents apply before you book.

Students on holiday. International students in the UK apply as tourists, with a signed letter from their university or college and evidence of funds or sponsorship.

Transit. Airport transit visas apply only to certain nationalities changing planes in a Schengen airport.

Any stay over 90 days, such as a long language course, work or residence, needs a Maltese national visa or residence permit through Identità instead, which is a separate process.

Malta-specific tips

A few of Malta’s UK rules catch applicants out.

• Paid tickets, not reservations. VFS says provisional flight reservations make the application invalid. Book flights you can change if possible, and keep proof of payment.
• Fresh documents. Employer letters, student letters and other supporting papers should be under 1 month old, and the employer letter must carry a real, not digital, signature.
• Host declarations take time. The Declaration of Proof has to be certified by a legal representative in Malta, so ask your host to arrange it well before your appointment.
• Malta and Sicily on one trip. Ferries run between Malta and Sicily, so many visitors combine the two. Apply to the country with the most nights; if equal, the country you enter first. Show the crossing in your evidence. Our which country to apply to guide covers multi-country trips.
• Cyprus is not Schengen. It accepts a valid double- or multiple-entry Schengen visa for short stays (not for Turkish or Azerbaijani nationals). Request multiple entries if you plan a side trip, and check the Cypriot Ministry of Foreign Affairs first.
• The Entry/Exit System. Malta records your face and fingerprints on first entry under EES, fully operational since April 2026, so allow extra time at passport control.

Why Malta visas are refused (and how to avoid it)

Most Malta refusals come down to evidence, not eligibility. The refusal form ticks the reason, which tells you exactly what to fix.

• Unclear finances: a balance below the daily amount VFS asks for, or large unexplained deposits shortly before applying.
• Doubts about returning: no employer letter, a weak UK footprint, or UK permission that ends soon after the trip.
• Inconsistent plans: form dates that do not match flights or hotels, or nights with no accommodation.
• Wrong country: applying to Malta when most nights are in Sicily or elsewhere.
• Missing visit evidence: a family visit without a certified Declaration of Proof, or a business trip without a Maltese company’s invitation.
• Travel and insurance problems: provisional flight reservations, cover below €30,000, or a policy not valid across all Schengen states.

To challenge a refusal, Identità’s visa appeals page says you may appeal to the Immigration Appeals Board within 15 days of being notified, paying €120 per visa application. You can lodge the appeal online through the Maltese government e-service, in person or through a representative at the Board’s registry (City Gate Buildings, Ordinance Street, Valletta), attaching a copy of the refusal letter and any documents you consider relevant. The deadline is short, so check the current procedure on the Identità website straight away. When the refusal was about missing or weak evidence, a fresh application with stronger documents is often quicker than an appeal. Our Schengen visa refused guide compares the two routes.