Malta is part of the EU and has signed the Schengen Agreement, so it shares the same visa policy as the other Schengen countries. At the moment, over 60 foreign nationalities are able to visit Malta and the Schengen Area for up to 90 consecutive days without obtaining a travel document.
However, from 2024, all citizens from the same visa-exempt countries will be required to obtain an individual ETIAS Europe visa waiver for Malta before traveling to Malta and the Schengen zone for short stays.
This will include all children under the age of 18. Parents or legal guardians will be required to submit a separate Malta ETIAS for minors application for each of their children, indicating on each application that they are applying on behalf of a minor.
An approved ETIAS visa waiver for Malta is not a visa, but a multiple entry travel authorization that allows the holder to stay in the Schengen Area for up to 90 days with each entry. It allows travel to Malta for purposes of business, tourism, medical treatment, or transit.
Those who wish to travel to the country for other purposes, as well as those who are not eligible to apply for ETIAS, need a visa to visit Malta and are required to make a Malta Schengen visa appointment at the nearest Maltese diplomatic mission.
Schengen Malta visa requirements state that is necessary for the applicant to download, complete, and print a visa application form to bring to the consular appointment. It is also necessary to bring a range of supporting documents depending on the type of Schengen visa for Malta the applicant requires.
For example, in order to apply for a Maltese Schengen visa for minors, it is necessary to supply the child’s birth certificate and a Schengen application signed by both parents alongside the other required supporting documents.