Visa field guide · MT
Plan your Malta application
Identità's Central Visa Unit runs the long-stay routeSee the common routes, understand the hand-offs, then confirm every requirement on the official website.01 / ROUTES
Choose the route that matches your trip
These are starting points—not an eligibility decision. Open the official route before you apply.- ↗Schengen short-stay visa (C)
Tourism, business, family or short-study visits up to 90 days, issued through a Maltese embassy, consulate or representing Schengen state.
- ↗National long-stay visa (D)
Employment, study or family reunification over 90 days, run by Identità's Central Visa Unit rather than the foreign ministry.
02 / JOURNEY
What the application journey usually looks like
The exact order can vary by visa, nationality and application location. “If asked” steps are conditional.- 01Confirm the short-stay or long-stay route
Malta separates the EU-standardised Schengen C visa from its own national D-visa procedure, which is not harmonised at EU level.
- 02Check who represents Malta where you live
Where Malta has no local diplomatic mission, another Schengen state can represent Malta for short-stay applications under published representation agreements.
GUIDELENS HELPS HERE - 03For a long stay, choose the Premium or Extended process
Identità's Central Visa Unit offers a Premium process (online token, document upload and courier passport handling) for applicants without local mission access, and an Extended process through Visa Application Centres elsewhere.
- 04Submit documents through the applicable Central Visa Unit channel
Both long-stay routes are run by Identità rather than the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs that handles short-stay Schengen visas.
IF ASKED - 05Complete the courier or in-person passport step
Applicants send their passport by courier or attend a Visa Application Centre in person, depending on the chosen route.
- 06Track the decision through Identità or the visa centre
Processing for the national long-stay routes commonly takes several weeks, and Identità communicates the decision through the same channel used for submission.
03 / BEFORE YOU START
Four things to know before you start
- Two different Maltese authorities
- The Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs' missions handle short-stay Schengen visas; the national long-stay (D) visa is run by Identità's Central Visa Unit.
- Representation agreements matter
- Where Malta has no embassy or consulate, another Schengen state may represent it for short-stay visas under agreements Identità publishes.
- Premium vs Extended
- Identità offers a Premium process for applicants with no local Maltese mission, alongside an Extended process through Visa Application Centres in other locations.
- No EU-wide rulebook for long stays
- Long-stay visas fall outside the harmonised Schengen Borders and Visa Code framework, so Malta sets its own national D-visa policy and documents.
04 / PRACTICAL GUIDE
Malta's split short-stay and long-stay authorities
Malta's Schengen short-stay visa and its national long-stay visa are run by two different bodies, and the long-stay route itself branches by where you are applying from.- 01
Check the representation-agreement list first
If Malta has no mission in your country, confirm which other Schengen state's embassy is authorised to accept your short-stay application before you go anywhere.
Identità · Visa Representation Agreements ↗ - 02
Long-stay visas go through Identità, not the foreign ministry
The Central Visa Unit at Identità, not the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs, decides national D-visa applications for employment, study and family reunification.
Identità · Central Visa Unit, National Visa ↗ - 03
Confirm whether your case uses the Premium or Extended process
The Premium route (online token, document upload, courier passport) is for applicants with no local Maltese mission; the Extended route runs through Visa Application Centres elsewhere with in-person submission.
Identità · Central Visa Unit ↗ - 04
Keep the Schengen rule in view
For a multi-country trip, apply to the country that is the main purpose or longest stay. Use the first country only when stays are equal. The 90 days in any 180-day period are counted across the whole Schengen area.
European Commission · Applying for a Schengen visa ↗
05 / PREPARE
Information worth gathering before you open the form
Not every item applies to every route. Use the official checklist generated for your application.Passport and previous travel-document details
Travel dates, itinerary and accommodation
Travel medical insurance for the Schengen stay
Evidence of funds and the purpose of the trip
Employment, study or sponsor information where relevant
Translations and route-specific documents requested locally
06 / OFFICIAL
Continue with the official authority
You remain responsible for reviewing and submitting your application.