Malta · Visa guide
Malta · Visa guideMalta Family & Friends Visit Visa
A short-stay Schengen visa to visit family or friends living in Malta — up to 90 days.
- ProcessingUsually about 15 calendar days from submission
- Visa categoryFamily & Friends Visit Visa
- Your guideOne consultant
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Malta Family & Friends Visit Visa — overview
A Maltese family-and-friends visit visa is a short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) — up to 90 days in any 180-day period — for staying with someone who lives in Malta. Applications from India are decided by the High Commission of Malta and handed in, in person, with originals and copies.
Malta's checklist is one of the most particular in the Schengen area. Your host's side has to be witnessed by a Maltese notary, your own family certificates have to be apostilled in India, and your insurance has to come from a short approved list. None of that is difficult; all of it takes time you need to plan for.
Earliest slot we saw
Checked by hand · 26 September
- Cochin
- 28 Sept
- Lucknow
- 28 Sept
- New Delhi
- 28 Sept
Tourist / short-stay appointments only. A snapshot from the portal on the date above, not a live feed. Slots move hour to hour and we never hold or sell them. All Malta centres & earliest dates
Start in Malta, not in India
On a Maltese family visit, the slowest document is not yours. If you are staying with your relative rather than in a hotel, accommodation is proved by Malta's Declaration of Proof — filled in and signed by your host, submitted in original, and witnessed by a Maltese public notary. Your host attaches:
- a copy of their ID card and of your passport's bio-data page;
- proof of where they live — title deeds, a rental agreement or energy bills;
- proof of their income — a salary slip, pension receipt or official income statement;
- a health insurance policy for you, where applicable.
A notary appointment in Malta and a courier to Punjab both take time, and your own file cannot be completed without them. Ask your host to begin the day the trip is agreed.
Two jobs to do in India that other countries skip
Apostille your family certificate. Malta asks for the birth or marriage certificate apostilled by the Ministry of External Affairs. A plain certificate, or a notarised copy, is not the same thing. If the relationship to your host runs through a marriage or a parent, this is the document that proves it.
Bring your Aadhaar card. Original and photocopy, listed for Indian nationals living in India. Almost no other Schengen checklist mentions it, which is exactly why it gets left at home.
Insurance from the approved list only
The cover is the usual Schengen minimum — EUR 30,000, all member states, the whole trip including arrival and departure days. The unusual part is the seller: Malta's checklist says it may only be bought from one of the 16 Schengen-recognised insurance companies in India. A policy from your bank's tie-up or an international card does not qualify, however good the cover.
Small rules that send files back
- Nothing printed back-to-back. Every page single-sided.
- Do not staple the photograph to the form.
- Three blank pages in the passport — one more than most Schengen states ask for.
- Originals and copies, handed in in person.
When your host is paying
Sponsorship does not replace your own evidence — it doubles it. The checklist asks for the sponsor's and the applicant's bank statements, both stamped and signed by the bank, both covering three months, along with your own two years of tax returns. A modest account with a clear history reads better than a large recent deposit nobody can explain.
Source: High Commission of Malta — Visiting Family and Friends visa checklist, as issued through VFS Global. Requirements change; confirm against the current checklist before you submit.
13 items
Documents you need
Application form
Filled in and signed by the applicant. Nothing in the file should be printed back-to-back.
One photograph
Recent, colour, white background, 3.5 cm × 4.5 cm. Do not staple it to the form.
Passport
Valid at least 3 months after the intended stay, issued within the previous 10 years and not valid for more than 10, with at least 3 blank pages. Bring the original with copies of the bio-data page, the last page, and Schengen entry and exit stamps from previous passports.
Travel medical insurance — from an approved insurer
Valid for all Schengen countries, at least EUR 30,000, clearly dated to cover the whole trip including arrival and departure days. The checklist states it may only be bought from one of the 16 Schengen-recognised insurance companies in India.
Cover letter
From the applicant: purpose of travel, duration, names of anyone travelling with you, and transport and accommodation details.
Flight reservation
Return or round-trip reservation, plus intra-Schengen travel if you are visiting several states.
Invitation letter and the host's status
An invitation from your family member or friend with their address, contact details and the intended period of stay, together with evidence of their legal residence — passport or national ID card, or residence permit.
Proof of accommodation
Either a confirmed hotel booking, or the Declaration of Proof completed and signed by your host, in original, witnessed by a Maltese public notary — with the host's ID card, proof of residence (title deeds, rental agreement or energy bills), proof of income and, if applicable, a health insurance policy for the person invited.
Proof of financial means
Employed: stamped and signed bank statement for the last three months, three months' payslips, employment contract, the employer's leave approval, and income-tax return acknowledgements for the last two assessment years. Company owner or self-employed: personal and business bank statements, company registration with GST number, and two years' ITRs. Retired: three months' pension statements and/or proof of regular income from property or business.
If you are sponsored
Stamped and signed bank statements of BOTH the sponsor and the applicant for the last three months, proof of sponsorship and/or private accommodation on Malta's national form where applicable, and your own ITR acknowledgements for the last two assessment years.
Birth or marriage certificate — apostilled
Apostilled by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.
Aadhaar card
Original with a photocopy, for Indian nationals residing in India.
For minors
Travelling with one parent: the other parent's notarised consent and a copy of their passport (or a court order proving sole custody). Travelling alone: notarised consent of both parents with their passport copies.
5 steps
How the process works
Typical processing: Usually about 15 calendar days from submission — may extend up to 45 calendar days. Apply at least 2-3 weeks before travel.
Step 1
Free eligibility review
We assess your profile and build a document checklist matched to the embassy's requirements.
Step 2
Build the file & cover letter
Every document — finances, bookings, insurance and the cover letter — is prepared and verified.
Step 3
Book the VFS Global appointment
Applications in India are submitted through VFS Global — we schedule your slot.
Step 4
Submit & give biometrics
You attend the VFS centre to submit the file and provide fingerprints and a photograph.
Step 5
Decision & passport return
The embassy decides the application and your passport is returned through VFS.
Transparent
Costs & fees
Item
Amount
Schengen visa fee (adult)
EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 11; under 6 exempt. Payable in INR.
EUR 90
VFS Global service charge
Plus optional add-ons such as courier.
Confirmed at booking
Government and third-party fees change often — we confirm the exact current amounts for your case before you pay anything.
6 answers
Frequently asked questions
The invitation letter is required, but on its own it does not prove where you will stay. If you are not booking a hotel, your host completes Malta's Declaration of Proof, in original, witnessed by a Maltese public notary, and attaches their ID card, proof of residence, proof of income and — if applicable — health insurance for you.
Yes. Malta's checklist asks for the birth or marriage certificate apostilled by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. Apostille takes time, so start it before you book an appointment.
No. The checklist says insurance may only be purchased from one of the 16 Schengen-recognised insurance companies in India. It must cover at least EUR 30,000 for all Schengen countries and be dated for the whole trip, including the days you arrive and leave.
Both. For a sponsored applicant the checklist asks for stamped and signed statements of the sponsor and the applicant for the last three months, plus your own income-tax returns for two years.
The checklist lists the Aadhaar card, original with a photocopy, for Indian nationals residing in India. It is part of the standard pack — bring it even though most Schengen countries do not ask for it.
No. Malta's own checklist says that submitting the documents does not guarantee a visa, and that applications accompanied by forged documents will be refused. The decision is the High Commission's.
Why it matters
Going it alone vs filing with us
On your own
- Guessing the document list — one missing or wrongly formatted paper triggers a refusal.
- Generic cover letters copied from the internet that officers recognise and flag.
- No read on peak rejection windows or what this visa post is strict about.
- Government and VFS fees are non-refundable — money lost if you are refused.
- A refusal stamp follows you and weakens every future visa application.
With Lifeset Overseas
- An honest case assessment before you spend a rupee on government fees.
- A file built to the embassy's exact checklist and in the exact order.
- Weak finances, ties or purpose identified and fixed before submission.
- Previously refused? We can rescue and rebuild the file.
- Every case handled by one consultant, end to end.
Refused before?
A refusal isn't the end
A refusal is not a permanent bar — but it only improves if the actual reason is found and answered, and nobody can tell you a second application will succeed. If a Malta visa has been refused, we:
- Read the actual refusal letter and pinpoint the real gaps.
- Advise whether to pull the officer's notes (CAIPS / GCMS) for the true reason.
- Identify which part was weak — funds, employment, purpose or ties.
- Tell you honestly whether to reapply now or strengthen the file first.
- Refused? Your fee back, or a rebuilt application free — your choice.
Other Malta visas
Malta Tourist Visa
A short-stay Schengen visa for tourism and holidays in Malta — up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
Malta Business Visa
A short-stay Schengen visa for business meetings, conferences and training in Malta.
Malta Study & Research Visa
A visa for study, research or an internship in Malta — short stays use a Schengen visa; longer study needs a residence permit.
Malta Cultural, Sports & Religious Visa
A short-stay Schengen visa for cultural, sporting and religious events and film crews in Malta.
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Malta visitor visa: get a straight answer before you pay the fee.
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