Visa Information


Do I require a Schengen visa to travel to Malta?

If you are an EU citizen (including citizens of Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway & Switzerland) you do not need a Visa to travel to Malta.

Citizens of many Central & South American countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, Panama, Chile, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Venezuela, Honduras & Nicaragua do not require a Visa to travel to Malta and can stay in Malta without a Visa up to 90 days (3 months), after which they can apply for a Student Visa (which allows you to reside in Malta for the duration of your study) and can stay in Malta to further their studies or travel to other European countries (in the Schengen area) while registered as students with Gateway School of English GSE.

Japanese, South Korean & Malaysian students do not require a Visa to travel to Malta and can stay in Malta without a Visa up to 90 days, after which they can apply for a Student Visa (which allows you to reside in Malta for the duration of your study) and can stay in Malta to further their studies or travel to other European countries (in the Schengen area) while registered as students with Gateway School of English GSE.

See section below: How to apply for a Student Visa after 90 days.

Students coming from countries listed in the link below require a Schengen Visa to travel to Malta:

https://identitymalta.com/who-requires-a-visa/

If I require a Visa to travel to Malta, where do I apply?

The link below shows a list of countries where Malta is served by a Visa Application Centre and a list of countries where Malta has no Diplomatic Mission or Consular post:

https://identitymalta.com/unit/central-visa-unit/#1564491218807-78480b08-2587

Together with your Visa application you must present a copy of the Letter of Acceptance.  This is sent to you by the school upon confirming your enrolment as a student at GSE.

For Visa application forms: GSE Gateway School of English Malta Schengen Visa Application Form

There are two types of Visas which you can apply for:

Either:

a Short-stay “C” visa (Schengen)

This is the Visa which is available in countries where Malta has no consular post or Embassy.

These visas allow the holder to remain in the territory of Malta and all other Schengen Member States for a maximum period of three months (90 days) , after which you will have to apply for an extension of your Student Visa (see ‘how to apply for a Student Visa’ below).

Or:

a National Long-stay “D” visa This Visa will allow the holder to stay in Malta for longer than three months (90 days) and will cover the full duration of your stay. Students on a type D visa cannot extend their stay once in Malta. This Visa is only available in countries where Malta has diplomatic missions (Embassies) and consular posts.

How do I apply for a Student Visa (Schengen Visa) which allows me to continue studying with Gateway School of English after 90 days?

You will need to apply for a  Schengen student visa that is granted for a maximum of 365 days and will cover the entire duration of your language stay in Malta.

Should you need to stay longer than 365 days you will need to first apply for an extension of your student visa, then at least 8 weeks before the expiry of your Visa you have to apply for a Temporary Residence Permit to cover the remaining days/weeks.

How to apply for a Schengen Visa while you are in Malta:

Step 1:

5 weeks into your 90 days please advise our Admin office about your Visa application and send us your email address, biodata page of your passport and mobile phone number so we can obtain your reference number to be able to submit your online application.

Step 2:

All documents need to be sent in one email to [email protected] (the school’s department responsible for Visa extension for students attending courses in Malta) . Please include your name + surname Visa Application in the subject line. There is a Visa admin fee of Euro 40 which needs to be paid at the school if the student wishes that he/she will be assisted throughout the process.

Step 3:

The documents need to be submitted online and once done students will receive an email from Identity Malta requesting the Euro 100 government fee payment.

Step 4:

You will receive another email from Identity Malta requesting that you take in your passport and passport photos.

When your Visa is ready you can pick up your passport from the address below:

Central Visa Unit, Identity Malta Agency Head Office
Valley Road, Msida, MSD 9020
Malta

Opening Hours for Students: 

Mon – Fri: 08:00 to 14:00 

Contact Phone Number: +356 2590 4550

If you’re going by public transport you may use the following buses: 48,44,49,41,45

It is advised that you will apply for the Visa at least 6 weeks before the expiry of your 90 day period.  Please note that we do accept last minute Visa applications as well.

Which documents do I need to apply for a Schengen Visa?

Click the link here for a list of documents you will need when applying for a Visa in Malta: 

Documents required to apply for a Visa in Malta Checklist – Gateway School of English GSE

Which documents do I need to apply for a  residence permit on the basis
of study after receiving a Visa for 1 year?

Third-country nationals who are following a course of study in Malta beyond the expiry of their
authorisation of stay (that means they can no longer apply for a Visa as they would have spent more than 365 days in Malta) must have their immigration position covered by a residence permit.

Checklist for a residence permit: Identity Malta Checklist Temporary Residence Permit for Study Purposes – Gateway School of English GSE

CEA FORM N for study purposes (instead of a Visa Application Form after you spend more than 365 days in Malta):

https://identitymalta.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CEA-Form-N.pdf

Kindly note that Non-EU Applications for the purpose of Study now have to submit their application online by accessing this website:

https://noneu.identitymalta.com/neu/frontEnd/

Information on how to use this online application portal can be found here:

https://noneu.identitymalta.com/neu/frontEnd/docs/manual.pdf

How can I get to the Identity Malta offices?

Google Maps link (Identity Malta / Central Visa Unit): https://goo.gl/maps/Q7mhZ9UFysk4dGeW9

If you have any other questions please feel free to contact us: [email protected]