What is a Visa?
A visa is an authorisation in the form of a sticker affixed to a passport which authorizes the bearer to stay in or travel through Malta during a limited, specified, period. The possession of a visa does not give the third country national the automatic right of entry, as bearers must prove that they will meet the conditions of entry.
Notwithstanding the possession of a visa, border control authorities may refuse entry or annul the visa if it is established that:
• the bearer is not in possession of adequate means of subsistence;
• the data submitted during the visa application produced was incorrect or falsified;
• the bearer is unable to provide details regarding the circumstances of his/her stay in Malta.
Border control authorities may refuse entry also for reasons of security or public policy. Malta mainly issues two (2) types of visas:
• The Schengen Visa (short stay), which is issued for a period not exceeding 90 days and is regulated by the EU’s harmonized provisions; &
• The National Visa (long stay / D-Visa), which is issued for a period exceeding 90 days, but no longer than 365 days, and in accordance with national rules.

The Schengen area and cooperation originate from the Schengen Agreement of 1985.
It represents a territory where the free movement of persons is guaranteed. The signatory States to the agreement have abolished all internal borders in lieu of a single external border. Therefore, common rules and procedures are applied to visas for short-stays, asylum requests and border controls. Simultaneously, cooperation and coordination between Police services and judicial authorities guarantee security. Schengen cooperation was incorporated into the European Union legal framework by the Treaty of Amsterdam of 1997.
A Schengen visa is an authorization issued by a Schengen State with a view to:
• transit through or an intended stay in the territory of the Schengen States of a duration of no more than 90 days in any 180 days period (“short stay visa”),
• transit through the international transit areas of airports of the Schengen States (“airport transit visa”).
Schengen Member States
To date, a total of 26 countries adhere to the Schengen Agreement; 22 EU Member States and another four (4) Associated States (non EU Member States) have abolished border control and have fully implement the Schengen acquis in relation to the issuance of a visa. The 26 Schengen Member States are Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland*, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein*, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway*, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland*
(* Non EU Member States)
While four (4) EU Members States – Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania – are not yet fully-fledged members of the Schengen area and another two (2) – Ireland and the United Kingdom – maintain autonomous visa, immigration and asylum policies and do not participate in Schengen cooperation.
Key Rules
The key rules adopted within the Schengen framework include:
• Removal of checks on persons at the internal borders;
• A common set of rules applying to people crossing the external borders of the EU Member States;
• Harmonisation of the conditions of entry and visas rules for short stays;
• Enhanced police cooperation (including rights of cross-border surveillance and hot pursuit);
• Stronger judicial cooperation through a faster extradition system and transfer of enforcement of criminal judgments;
• Establishment and development of the Schengen Information System (SIS).


The Visa Code establishes the procedures and conditions in issuing visas for short stays (maximum of 90 days during any 180 days) in and transit through EU Member States applying the Schengen acquis in full, and the associated states. Therefore, any visa applications to enter Malta for short stays shall conform to the procedures established by the said Visa Code.
Visa Application
Visa applications must be in writing and should give all the details required on the Visa Application Form (this can be downloaded from this website or acquired from one of Malta’s Diplomatic Missions abroad).
The Visa Application Form must be signed by the applicant, and should include:
• Passport (validity of which must not be less than 3 months); and
• one (1) passport-size photograph (in colour, taken against a white background and the face should be clearly visible);
Time limit for processing a visa application
In most cases, applications are reviewed within seven (7) to fifteen (15) days.In individual cases, where further scrutiny of the application is necessary, the deadline may be extended up to a maximum of 45 calendar days after the application has been considered admissible.
It is recommended not to file a visa application later than fifteen (15) days prior to a planned trip, or otherwise it cannot be guaranteed that the application will be processed in time. Holders of multiple-entry Schengen short-stay visas can lodge a visa application before this visa has expired, provided it has been valid for at least six (6) months. Visa applications of family members of EU citizens will be reviewed in the shortest possible period of time.
Supporting documents
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF VISA REQUESTED AND/OR ACCORDING TO THE MISSION/REPRESENTATIVE, SHALL INCLUDE:
• The purpose of the visit;
• Means of transport and for the return journey;
• Means of subsistence (support) during the journey and stay;
• Accommodation arrangements.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF VISA REQUESTED AND/OR ACCORDING TO THE MISSION/REPRESENTATIVE, SHALL INCLUDE:
• A letter of invitation;
• A summons;
• Certificate of enrolment;
• An organised trip.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS REGARDING MEANS OF TRANSPORT AND RETURN SHALL MEAN:
In support of an application for a short-term or travel visa, applicants must show that they are in possession of adequate and valid individual or group Travel Medical Insurance, which covers any expenses which might arise in connection with repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention and/or emergency hospital treatment. The insurance must be valid throughout the Schengen Member States and should cover the entire period of the person’s stay. The minimum coverage is €30,000.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS REGARDING MEANS OF TRANSPORT AND RETURN SHALL MEAN:
• A valid return ticket; or
• A certificate of a reserved and prepaid journey.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS REGARDING MEANS OF SUBSISTENCE INCLUDE:
• Cash in convertible currency;
• Traveller’s cheques;
• Cheque books for a foreign currency account;
• Credit cards;
• Or any other means that guarantees funds in hard currency.
The level of means of subsistence shall be proportionate to the length and purpose of the stay.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS WITH REGARDS TO THE ACCOMMODATION INCLUDE:
• Hotel reservation or reservation for a similar establishment;
• Documents proving the existence of a lease or a title deed in the applicant’s name to a property situated in the country to be visited;
• Where a third-country national states that he/she shall stay at a person’s home or in an institution, the applicant must present a written declaration (Declaration of Proof) by the host, vouching for his/her commitment to accommodate the third-country national. The Diplomatic Mission and Consular posts will verify such declarations, where such checks are necessary;
• Or present a certificate in the form of a harmonised form, which must be filled in by the host/institution and stamped by the competent authority in Malta (according to the provisions laid down in its national legislation), vouching for the host’s commitment to accommodate the third-country national.
TRAVEL MEDICAL INSURANCE
In support of an application for a short-term or travel visa, applicants must show that they are in possession of adequate and valid individual or group Travel Medical Insurance, which covers any expenses which might arise in connection with repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention and/or emergency hospital treatment. The insurance must be valid throughout the Schengen Member States and should cover the entire period of the person’s stay. The minimum coverage is €30,000.
DECLARATION OF PROOF
Applicants, who are being invited from a reference host person in Malta, must present a Declaration of Proof, whereby, the Maltese host will declare that he/she are able to accommodate the applicant and/or being able to bear the applicant’s living costs and repatriation.
The Declaration of Proof form must contain information about the purpose of the applicant and indicate, in particular, the following:
• Whether its purpose is proof of sponsorship and/or of accommodation;
• Whether the host is an individual, a company or an organisation;
• The host’s identity and contact details;
• The invited applicant(s);
• The accommodation’s address;
• The length and purpose of stay;
• Possible family ties with the host.
It should therefore contain complete and relevant information about the host person extending the invitation, the applicant (as the invited person) and their relationship (including any family relationship), along with the purpose of stay to be covered by visa. The invitation should also state whether the host person extending the invitation will also be the financial guarantor for the applicant.
By completing and signing the Declaration of Proof, the reference host person guarantees to be financially responsible for any expenses incurred in connection with the applicant’s stay in Malta and repatriation, if the applicant fails to return to his/her country of origin before the expiry of the visa applied for.
The Declaration of Proof is to be certified, witnessed and stamped by a legal representative. If any information provided is found to be false or incorrect, the host person, whether an individual, a company or an organisation, is liable to criminal responsibility under the Laws of that particular Member State. In Malta, Articles 188 and 189 of the Criminal Code (Chapter 9 of the Laws of Malta) and Article 32 of the Immigration Act (Chapter 217 of the Laws of Malta) will apply along with any other law or regulation which may be in force at the time of the unlawful declaration.
Bound by Regulations, the list of third-countries whose nationals are subject to the visa requirement when traveling to Malta and/or any other EU Member State are:
AFGHANISTAN ALGERIA ANGOLA
>ARMENIA AZERBAIJAN BAHRAIN
BANGLADESH BELARUS BELIZE
BENIN BHUTAN BOLIVIA
BOTSWANA BURKINA FASO BURMA/MYANMAR
BURUNDI CAMBODIA CAMEROON
CAPE VERDE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC CHAD
CHINA COMOROS CONGO
COTE D’IVOIRE CUBA DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
DJIBOUTI DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ECUADOR
EGYPT EQUATORIAL GUINEA ERITREA
ETHIOPIA FIJI GABON
GAMBIA GHANA GUINEA
GUINEA-BISSAU GUYANA HAITI
INDIA INDONESIA IRAN
IRAQ JAMAICA JORDAN
KAZAKHSTAN KENYA KOSOVO
KUWAIT KYRGYZSTAN LAOS
LEBANON LESOTHO LIBERIA
LIBYA MADAGASCAR MALAWI
MALDIVES MALI MAURITANIA
MONGOLIA MOROCCO MOZAMBIQUE
NAMIBIA NAURU NEPAL
NIGER NIGERIA NORTH KOREA
OMAN PAKISTAN PALESTINE
PAPUA NEW GUINEA PHILIPPINES QATAR
RUSSIA RWANDA SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE
SAUDI ARABIA SENEGAL SIERRA LEONE
SOMALIA SOUTH AFRICA SOUTH SUDAN
SRI LANKA SUDAN SURINAME
SWAZILAND SYRIA TAJIKISTAN
TANZANIA THAILAND TOGO
TUNISIA TURKEY TURKMENISTAN
UGANDA UZBEKISTAN VIETNAM
YEMEN ZAMBIA ZIMBABWE
Third-country nationals who must be in possession of an airport transit visa when passing through an EU airport international transit areas are:
Afghanistan Bangladesh Democratic Republic of the Congo
Eritrea Ethiopia Ghana
Iran Iraq Nigeria
Pakistan Somalia Sri Lanka

Conditions for Issuing a Visa
If Malta is the sole or the main destination of the visit, it is the Maltese authorities who shall examine the visa application.
In a country where Malta has no Consular Representation, an application may be submitted with the Consul of another Member State with which Malta has a bilateral agreement with.
Malta has also made arrangements with private external service providers so that an application may be submitted at their offices (including the capturing of biometric features).
A uniform visa may be issued for one or multiple entries with a maximum validity of five (5) years. In certain humanitarian cases, the period of validity of a visa may be extended.
A visa application may be lodged by the applicant at the earliest six (6) months before the intended visit. When lodging an application, the applicant must appear in person, unless this requirement has been waived. Apart from certain exceptions, the applicant must allow the collection of his/her fingerprints. Applicant will be exempted from having their fingerprints captured for a period of 59 months and need to pay the applicable fee. The visa fee may be waived or reduced in individual cases, including cultural, foreign and development policy reasons.
A visa is refused if the applicant:
• Presents a false travel document;
• Gives no justification for the purpose and conditions of the intended stay;
• Provides no proof of sufficient means of subsistence for the duration of the stay nor for the return to his/her country of origin/residence;
• Has already exhausted the 90 days of the current 180 days period;
• Is subject to an alert in the Schengen Information System (SIS) for the purpose of refusing entry;
• Is considered to be a threat to the public policy, internal security or public health of one of the Member States;
• Provides no proof of travel medical insurance, if applicable;
• Presents supporting documents or statements whose authenticity or reliability is doubtful.
In certain cases, the period of validity of a visa may be extended, while under certain circumstances, the visa may also be annulled or revoked.
Applicants who have been refused or have had their visa annulled or revoked, have the right to appeal against such decision to the Immigration Appeals Board within fifteen (15) days of the notification of such decision. Any communication to the Immigration Appeals Board should be addressed to:
The Secretary
Immigration Appeals Board
109,
Triq Zekka
Valletta VLT 1517
Visa Appeals Procedure
Whenever a visa application is refused, annulled or revoked by the Maltese authorities, the applicant is issued a refusal letter notifying him/her of the reasons of such refusal.
Applicants who have been refused or have had their visa annulled or revoked, have the right to appeal against such decision to the Immigration Appeals Board within fifteen (15) days of the notification of such decision. Any communication should be in English and addressed to the Immigration Appeals Board as follows:
The Secretary
Immigration Appeals Board
109,
Triq Zekka
Valletta VLT 1517
Applicants must submit to the Immigration Appeals Board within 15 days a copy of the refusal letter and other supporting documents justifying the grounds on which the decision should be reviewed. Such documents must be certified true copies of original by a lawyer or notary.
The appeal should be sent by registered mail and emailed to visa.appeals@gov.mt.
Subsequently, the Immigration Appeals Board will notify the person lodging the appeal and the Central Visa Unit with its decision.
Visa Student Application
Courses not exceeding 90 calendar days
Third-country nationals attending courses of a duration that does not exceed 90 days are to be issued with a Schengen Short-Stay Visa (C-Visa).
The applicant is to present his/her application at one of the submission points indicated below where the applicant resides or is legally present together with supporting documents:
• Directly at one of Malta’s missions or consular posts;
• At the premises of another Member State representing Malta, or;
• At the premises of an authorised External Service Provider.
Together with his/her application, the applicant is required to submit their biometric data.
If approved, the visa shall be granted on the basis of a multiple entry visa for the duration of the entire course, plus a 7-day grace period, provided that the total amount does not exceed 90 days.
In normal circumstances, the processing time, from the date of submission of the application to the final decision on the application, shall not exceed the period of 15 working days.
The above procedure is not applicable for students who are listed as visa-exempt nationals.

Courses exceeding 90 calendar days
Applicants (including those TCNs who are visa exempt for 90 days) who apply for courses which exceed 90 calendar days are to be issued with a National Long Stay Visa (D-Visa).
Applicants must present their application at one of the submission points indicated below:
1. Directly at one of Malta’s missions or consular posts, or;
2. At the premises of an authorised External Service Provide.


Information Source: https://identitymalta.com/
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