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    Student visa guide

    Malta student visa 2026: cost, requirements and how to apply

    The Student national D visa plus study residence permit costs $229 in fees nobody can skip, up to $401 if every situational extra applies.

    By Global Admissions Editorial · Checked against 6 official sources

    How much does a Malta student visa cost in 2026?

    Applying for a student visa in Malta on the Student national D visa plus study residence permit costs $229 in fees you cannot skip: Student national D visa ($172) and Study residence permit ($57). Situational extras (visa application center service fee and health insurance: EUR 30,000 cover for the visa, EUR 100,000 for the permit) add up to $172 more. Tuition, living costs and proof-of-funds sit outside this total. All amounts are US dollars, last checked September 2026.

    Student national D visa plus study residence permit cost breakdown

    Every line the Malta application puts on your card, in US dollars, as of September 2026.

    Student national D visa$172
    EUR 150 for applicants aged 12 and over, paid by card at the standard three-week appointment; non-refundable Identità, Central Visa Unit: Documentation required for a student national visa
    Study residence permit$57
    EUR 50 per application at the Expatriates Unit, and EUR 50 again at each yearly renewal Identità, Expatriates Unit: Study, research, trainees, volunteers and interns
    Mandatory total$229
    What the Student national D visa plus study residence permit costs before any optional service.
    Situational extras, only if they apply to you
    Visa application center service fee$172
    Not included in Identità's fees; the policy says these currently do not exceed the equivalent of EUR 150 Identità, Central Visa Unit: Long-stay visa (D visa) policy
    Health insurance: EUR 30,000 cover for the visa, EUR 100,000 for the permit$0
    Both policies are required, with no official price published, so they sit outside the total Identità, Expatriates Unit: Non-employment permits, frequently asked questions
    If every extra applied$401
    Worst case. Most applicants pay none or one of these.

    Amounts are US dollars. Malta bills in its own currency, so the exact charge moves with the exchange rate. The native figures are in the notes column where the fee schedule publishes them.

    Things to watch

    • Applicants from countries without a Maltese diplomatic mission use the premium process instead: one payment of EUR 300 covers all fees and the passport goes by courier both ways.
    • The two funds tests use different yardsticks: 75 percent of the minimum wage per month for the visa, 60 percent of the statistics office's equivalised income threshold for the permit.
    • Euro figures convert at USD 1 = EUR 0.871, the ExchangeRate-API rate on 18 September 2026.

    How much bank balance do you need for a Malta student visa?

    For the Student national D visa plus study residence permit, Malta asks you to show EUR 746 (about $857). The accepted form is Three months of bank statements with a bank certificate, or a sponsor's statements and declaration, and it covers One month of study, at 75 percent of the 2026 national minimum wage of EUR 229.44 a week. This is money you show, not money you pay, so it never appears in the fee table above. The figure comes from Identità, Central Visa Unit: Documentation required for a student national visa, checked September 2026.

    Identità, Central Visa Unit: Documentation required for a student national visa · checked September 2026

    Malta student visa requirements and documents checklist

    7 documents every applicant provides.

    DocumentWho needs itWhat it involves
    An enrollment letter that names the MFHEA-registered institution and the course detailseveryoneThe letter has to carry the institution's name as registered with the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority, the full course name as listed on the authority's website, the MQF level, the number of ECTS, the duration and whether it is full or part time, holiday breaks, contact hours a week, the lecture address, and proof that the fees were paid. source
    A passport with ten months of validity and an appointment nine weeks aheadeveryoneThe Central Visa Unit wants ten months of passport validity and an application lodged at the external service provider at least nine weeks before the course starts. source
    Funds of 75 percent of the minimum wage for every month of studyeveryoneThree months of bank statements come with a recent bank certificate. A sponsored student adds the sponsor's three-month statements, a signed declaration and a copy of the sponsor's identity card or passport, plus a copy of the international bank card the student will use in Malta. source
    Insurance with EUR 30,000 of cover, valid for study, for at least 91 dayseveryoneStudents at MQF level 5 and above, who will move to a residence permit in Malta, insure a minimum of 91 consecutive days from entry to the Schengen area. Students at level 4 and below insure the whole stay. The policy has to state it is valid for study purposes, or the table of benefits goes in the file. source
    Accommodation for the first 14 nights and a flight in no more than two weeks earlyeveryoneThe file shows where you sleep for the first 14 nights in your own name, whether the school provides it, a registered lease, a notarized host declaration or a 14-night booking, and a full flight itinerary arriving no more than two weeks before the course starts. source
    A residence permit application in person within Malta, with a EUR 100,000 policyeveryoneOnce in Malta a student at a licensed institution applies for the study residence permit in person, online through the Expatriates portal. Since 1 August 2024 the file needs a health insurance policy of at least EUR 100,000 covering hospitalisation in Malta and other European countries; students of the University of Malta, MCAST and the Institute of Tourism Studies are exempt. source
    A lease that runs at least a year, unless the school houses youeveryoneStudent residence permits are issued for a year, so the lease has to cover at least a year from the application. Students housed by their institution submit the acceptance letter stating the address instead of a lease. source

    How to apply for a Malta student visa

    1. Get the enrollment letter and pay the fees it lists

      Every course longer than 90 days needs a national long-stay D visa, even for nationals who could otherwise enter Malta visa free for 90 days.

      source
    2. Book the external service provider at least nine weeks before the course

      Applications go in at the premises of the authorized external service provider, and the appointment letter is itself one of the documents on the checklist.

      source
    3. Pay EUR 150 by card

      The standard student visa fee for applicants aged 12 and over is EUR 150, for appointments within three weeks. Children of six to eleven pay EUR 50 and under-sixes nothing. Fees are not refunded if the visa is refused or the application withdrawn.

      source
    4. Wait six to eight weeks for the passport to come back

      The Central Visa Unit vets the file in about four weeks and may call an interview; the whole process through a visa application center takes six to eight weeks. Applicants in countries with no Maltese mission use the premium process, where a single EUR 300 payment covers all fees and the passport travels by courier.

      source
    5. Enter Malta and apply for the study residence permit for EUR 50

      Visa-exempt nationals have three months from entering the EU to apply; visa nationals must hold the visa issued for education. The application is made in person while in Malta through the Expatriates Unit portal, and the fee is EUR 50.

      source
    6. Renew every year with fresh insurance and funds

      Permits run one year at a time. The EUR 100,000 policy can be renewed annually for longer courses, and the funds test at renewal is again 60 percent of the national equivalised income threshold, pro rata for shorter courses.

      source

    Malta student visa processing time

    Through a visa application center the long-stay visa takes six to eight weeks, of which about four weeks is the Central Visa Unit's vetting. The premium process for countries without a Maltese mission also returns the passport in six to eight weeks.

    Identità, Central Visa Unit: Long-stay visa (D visa) policy · checked September 2026

    Malta student visa work rights, dependants and what comes after

    Work rights

    A student on a course at MQF level 5 or higher may work up to 20 hours a week outside study time, with an employment license from Jobsplus. Students on courses at levels 1 to 4 get access only after 12 weeks of study and subject to a labor market test.

    sourcecompare all countries

    After graduation

    A graduate holding the course completion certificate can apply through the Expatriates portal for a residence permit in the job-seeking category, priced at EUR 50, and the EU portal records a minimum nine-month permit to seek employment or set up a business.

    sourcecompare all countries
    United States
    From $535 all-in
    United Kingdom
    From $1,760 all-in
    Canada
    From $175 all-in
    Australia
    From $2,250 all-in
    Germany
    From $190 all-in
    France
    From $183 all-in

    FAQ

    Frequently asked questions

    How much is the Malta student visa fee?
    The Student national D visa plus study residence permit application charge is $172 (Student national D visa). Add the other mandatory items (Study residence permit $57) and the all-in mandatory total is $229. Optional extras add up to $172 on top.
    How much bank balance is required for a Malta student visa?
    EUR 746 (about $857), held as Three months of bank statements with a bank certificate, or a sponsor's statements and declaration, covering One month of study, at 75 percent of the 2026 national minimum wage of EUR 229.44 a week. It is money you show rather than money you pay, so it is separate from the visa fees. The visa file has to show funds of at least 75 percent of the national minimum wage for every month of the course, which at the 2026 rate of EUR 229.44 a week comes to about EUR 746 a month. The residence permit stage uses a different yardstick: at least 60 percent of the national equivalised income threshold published by the statistics office, which Identità says it cannot confirm in advance. USD figure at EUR 1 = USD 1.149, ExchangeRate-API on 18 September 2026. Source: Identità, Central Visa Unit: Documentation required for a student national visa (September 2026).
    Can you work on a Malta student visa?
    A student on a course at MQF level 5 or higher may work up to 20 hours a week outside study time, with an employment license from Jobsplus. Students on courses at levels 1 to 4 get access only after 12 weeks of study and subject to a labor market test. Source: EU Immigration Portal: Student in Malta (September 2026).
    How long does a Malta student visa take?
    Through a visa application center the long-stay visa takes six to eight weeks, of which about four weeks is the Central Visa Unit's vetting. The premium process for countries without a Maltese mission also returns the passport in six to eight weeks. Source: Identità, Central Visa Unit: Long-stay visa (D visa) policy (September 2026).
    What's not included in the Student national D visa plus study residence permit fee?
    Tuition, living costs and the money you have to show in your account are separate from the fees on this page. Use our cost-of-study calculator at /tools/cost-calculator for a complete budget.
    When are these fees due?
    Application and biometric fees are paid before submission. Health surcharges (UK IHS, Australian OSHC) are paid as part of the visa application. Some fees (Anmeldung in Germany, OFII in France) are paid after arrival.

    Official sources

    Last verified September 2026.