Short answer
You need a full-time course at MQF level 5 or above from an MFHEA-licensed institution, with more than 15 hours of tuition a week. You apply for a D visa through VFS in a country where the service runs, since Pakistan has no centre, at least nine weeks before the course, with three months of bank statements showing 75 percent of the minimum wage for each month of study and EUR 30,000 of insurance. In Malta you then apply in person for the study permit, where the funds test changes and the insurance rises to EUR 100,000.
How does the Malta student route actually work?
In two stages, both run by Identità, the Maltese government agency for identity and residence documents. Its Central Visa Unit issues the visa that gets you in, and its expatriates unit issues the permit that lets you stay.
The D visa
The Central Visa Unit says applicants for courses exceeding 90 calendar days are issued with a National Long Stay Visa, the D visa. Identità’s residence permit FAQs describe it as allowing a maximum stay of 365 days. Because Malta is in Schengen, the visa insurance has to cover your first entry into the Schengen area, not only Malta.
The study permit
The permit is applied for after you arrive. Identità’s study permit page says applications must be submitted by the applicant in person whilst in Malta, and its study FAQ says you cannot get this permit before arriving. The permit lasts up to one year, or the length of the course if that is shorter, and is renewed each year.
Malta is in Schengen, unlike Cyprus, its nearest comparison for Pakistani students. The Schengen visa guide explains what that means for short visits and travel once you hold a permit.
Which courses qualify?
Fewer than the advertising suggests. Form N.01, the study permit application, sets three conditions that every course must meet.
- the institution is licensed by the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority, MFHEA;
- the course is full time and leads to a higher education qualification recognised at MQF level 5 or above by the Malta Qualification Recognition Information Centre;
- tuition hours exceed 15 hours a week.
Identità’s study FAQ adds plainly that part-time courses are not eligible. One of Identità’s older pages still names the National Commission for Higher Education, the body MFHEA replaced, so if you see that name on a recruiter’s material it may simply be copied from an old source. The forms and checklist use MFHEA.
What the enrolment letter must show
The Central Visa Unit checklist asks for an enrolment letter showing the institution as registered with MFHEA, the MQF level, the ECTS, the contact hours per week and the address where lectures take place. A letter missing any of those is a letter that will be sent back. Ask the institution to check it against the checklist before it reaches you.
Where do Pakistanis apply for the visa?
Outside Pakistan. This is the single most practical fact about Malta for a Pakistani family, and it changes the budget.
What Identità publishes
Identità’s residence permit FAQs for 2025 and 2026 say the applicant must book an online appointment under the applicable visa category with VFS Global in any country the service is available in, and that one does not need to be a legal resident of that country to apply for a D visa. Identità’s list of visa centres did not include Pakistan on the day of writing. Countries near Pakistan on the list include the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Who books the appointment
The VFS page for student appointments says the appointment for a student visa must be booked by the educational institution you are applying with. Identità’s student guidelines say interviews are conducted at the VFS office or online through Microsoft Teams, and that appointments made after 1 March 2024 go through Identità’s new system.
What that means in practice
Most Pakistani applicants will be travelling to a centre in the Gulf to lodge the file, which means a visit visa for that country, a flight and a hotel on top of Malta’s own fees. Plan the trip with the institution before you pay a deposit, and check the current list of centres, because Identità adds and removes them.
How does Malta test your money?
Twice, with two different formulas, and neither is published as a euro amount. I am not going to calculate one for you and present it as official, because Identità does not.
At the visa stage
The Central Visa Unit checklist, version 2.1 dated 13 August 2025, asks for a bank statement for the last three months with a recent bank certificate, and says the funds must amount to at least 75 percent of the national minimum wage for every month of study. It also asks for a copy of an international bank card, front and back. If someone is sponsoring you, the sponsor adds their own three-month statement, a signed declaration and their ID. Older guidance from March 2025 used a daily figure. The August 2025 checklist replaced it.
At the permit stage
Form N.01 asks for at least 60 percent of the national equivalised income threshold, based on the equivalent household size indicated by the National Statistics Office, for the year or pro rata. Identità’s study FAQ words it as 60 percent of the annual national minimum wage or the poverty line, whichever is higher. Form N.01 adds that when you rely on a foreign bank account, you must confirm access to the funds through a debit or credit card and corresponding withdrawal slips from a local bank.
| Stage | Formula | How it is shown |
|---|---|---|
| D visa, before travel | At least 75 percent of the national minimum wage for every month of study | Three months of bank statements, a recent bank certificate and a copy of an international bank card |
| Study permit, in Malta | At least 60 percent of the national equivalised income threshold, for the year or pro rata | Bank evidence, and for a foreign account, card access and withdrawal slips from a Maltese bank |
| Post-study permit | 60 percent of the national equivalised income threshold for nine months | Bank evidence with Form N.03 |
What to do with that
Ask the institution for the euro amount it is currently seeing accepted for each stage, and ask Identità if the institution cannot say. Hold comfortably more than either, in an account with an international card, for at least three months before the appointment. And plan to withdraw from a Maltese ATM in your first days, because the permit file asks for the slips.
Why two levels of insurance?
Because the visa and the permit have different rules, and the permit’s is much higher.
- for the visa, the checklist asks for minimum medical cover of EUR 30,000, covering at least 91 consecutive days from first entry into the Schengen area, valid for study;
- for the permit, Form N.01 asks for a minimum coverage limit of EUR 100,000, valid for the entire period of stay in Malta.
Students at the University of Malta, the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology and the Institute of Tourism Studies are exempt from the permit-stage insurance requirement. Students at private institutions are not. A cheap travel policy bought for the visa will not carry the permit, so ask before you buy whether the insurer offers a policy that meets the EUR 100,000 permit level for the whole year.
What is on the visa document list?
The Central Visa Unit’s student checklist is specific. These are the items most often got wrong by Pakistani applicants.
- a passport with at least 10 months of validity;
- the enrolment letter with MFHEA registration, MQF level, ECTS, weekly contact hours and lecture address;
- proof that tuition has been paid;
- three months of bank statements with a recent bank certificate, and a copy of an international bank card;
- sponsor documents if someone else is paying;
- medical insurance of at least EUR 30,000 for at least 91 days from first Schengen entry;
- proof of accommodation for the first 14 nights;
- an entry ticket dated no more than two weeks before the course starts.
The checklist says all documents must be submitted in English, and that translations must come from Identità’s approved translators. Urdu documents translated by a local translator in Pakistan may not meet that condition, so check the approved list first.
What are the fees and how long does it take?
| Item | What the official page says |
|---|---|
| D visa, standard, age 12 and over | EUR 100, appointments within three weeks |
| D visa, extended, age 12 and over | EUR 150, next-day appointments |
| VFS service fee | Charged separately by VFS |
| Study permit application | EUR 50 on the study permit page, EUR 27.50 on Form N.01; confirm on the portal |
| When to lodge the visa | At least 9 weeks before the course starts |
| Visa processing | Up to about 8 weeks from the VFS appointment |
| Appeal after a visa refusal | Within 15 days of receiving the refusal letter |
The permit fee discrepancy
I include both permit figures because Identità publishes both. Its study permit page lists EUR 50 for study, research and training applications. Form N.01 says an application fee of EUR 27.50 must be paid. Either may be the older one. Pay what the portal asks for on the day, and keep the receipt.
Timing
Nine weeks before the course is the latest the checklist allows, and eight weeks is the published upper end of processing. That leaves almost nothing for a request for further documents. Treat twelve weeks as the real target, and remember the trip to a Gulf centre has to fit inside it.
What happens when you arrive in Malta?
You apply for the study permit in person, and you meet the second funds test and the higher insurance requirement.
- submit Form N.01 in person, with the fee;
- show funds at 60 percent of the national equivalised income threshold, with card access and local withdrawal slips if the account is abroad;
- show insurance of EUR 100,000 for the whole stay, unless you are at the University of Malta, MCAST or ITS;
- show proof of tuition payment and accommodation;
- complete the health screening, for which Form N.01 asks for a Health Screening Approval email sent by the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Unit, with courses under three months exempt.
Identità’s study FAQ says a decision typically takes a few weeks. I could not confirm what the health screening involves on an official page, so ask the institution what its students were asked to do.
How much can a student work in Malta?
Part time, with a licence, and Identità’s own pages do not agree on the detail. I will set out what each says rather than pretend they match.
- Identità’s student employment page says higher education students may work up to 20 hours a week, starting from their first year of study, and other students after their first three months;
- Identità’s study FAQ says that after the first 90 days of your stay, students may work up to 20 hours a week, and that you must wait for the licence to be issued before you start;
- older notes on Forms N.01 and N.03 say 15 hours a week with an employment licence.
Jobsplus, the employment agency, says students may work part time if they are issued with an employment licence, and the employer applies for it. The safe reading is up to 20 hours a week, and nothing at all until Jobsplus has issued the licence. Do not build your budget around wages you cannot lawfully earn in your first months.
What happens after you graduate?
Identità’s study FAQ says the post-study permit allows you to stay in Malta for up to 9 months after graduation, that it can only be granted once, that it is not itself a work permit, and that you must apply while your student permit is still valid. Form N.03 asks for funds at 60 percent of the national equivalised income threshold for the nine months.
Nine months, once, with funds, and no work permit attached. It is a window to look for a job, not a job. If what happens after graduation is your reason for choosing a country, the destination comparison sets Malta against countries with longer post-study routes.
How do you apply, step by step?
The order below fixes the course and the VFS centre first, because those two decisions set your costs and your timeline.
Choose an MFHEA-licensed institution and a full-time course
The study permit is for students accepted by an establishment licensed by the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority, on a full-time course leading to a qualification at MQF level 5 or above. Identità says part-time courses are not eligible, and tuition must exceed 15 hours a week.
Get the enrolment letter and pay the tuition
The Central Visa Unit wants an enrolment letter showing the institution as registered with MFHEA, the MQF level, the ECTS, the contact hours per week and the address where lectures take place, plus proof that tuition has been paid.
Build three months of bank evidence
For the visa, the checklist asks for a bank statement for the last three months with a recent bank certificate, showing funds of at least 75 percent of the national minimum wage for every month of study, and a copy of an international bank card, front and back. A sponsor adds a three-month statement, a signed declaration and their ID.
Buy the visa insurance
For the visa, the checklist asks for medical cover of at least EUR 30,000, covering at least 91 consecutive days from first entry into the Schengen area, valid for study. The permit stage later asks for cover of EUR 100,000 for the whole stay, unless you are at the University of Malta, MCAST or ITS.
Book the VFS appointment at least nine weeks ahead
Malta has no visa centre in Pakistan on Identità’s list. Identità says applicants may book with VFS Global in any country where the service is available, without being resident there. The checklist says the application must be submitted at least nine weeks before the course starts. The student visa fee is EUR 100 at the standard rate.
Travel no more than two weeks before the course
The checklist says the entry ticket must be no more than two weeks before the course start date, and asks for proof of accommodation for the first 14 nights.
Apply in person for the study permit in Malta
Identità says the permit application is submitted by the applicant in person while in Malta and cannot be obtained before arriving. At this stage the funds test changes to 60 percent of the national equivalised income threshold, and a foreign account must be shown accessible by card with withdrawal slips from a local bank.
What goes wrong most often?
A course that does not qualify
Part time, below MQF level 5, 15 hours or fewer a week, or an institution without an MFHEA licence. Any one of these and the permit route is closed.
Assuming there is a centre in Pakistan
There is none on Identità’s list. The trip to a centre abroad costs money and time that families rarely budget for.
Money that arrived last month
The checklist asks for three months of statements. A balance that appeared recently, with no history, is the weakest part of most files.
One insurance policy for everything
EUR 30,000 meets the visa. The permit wants EUR 100,000 for the whole stay, unless you are at one of the three public institutions.
Translations from the wrong translator
The checklist requires Identità’s approved translators. A translation done anywhere else may simply not count.
Lodging eight weeks before the course
The checklist says at least nine weeks, and processing can take eight. Late files become next intake files.
Working before the licence
Every version of the rule requires a Jobsplus licence first. Starting a job on the promise that the licence is coming is working without one.
A realistic example
This is a hypothetical illustration, not a real client. Saad is 23, has a BS in computer science from Gujranwala, and wants a one-year master’s at a private Maltese institution starting in October 2027.
- January 2027. He checks that the institution is MFHEA licensed and that the course is full time, MQF level 7 and well over 15 hours a week. He asks the institution which VFS centre its Pakistani students used last year.
- March. He accepts the offer and pays the tuition. The enrolment letter lists the MFHEA registration, MQF level, ECTS, contact hours and lecture address.
- March to June. His father moves the family’s savings into one account and leaves it there, so the three-month statement shows a stable balance well above what the institution says it has seen accepted. Saad gets an international debit card on the account.
- June. He has his documents translated by a translator on Identità’s approved list, buys EUR 30,000 visa insurance, and confirms a room for his first 14 nights.
- Mid July. The institution books his VFS appointment in Dubai, twelve weeks before the course. He travels on a UAE visit visa, lodges the file and returns.
- September. The D visa is issued. He books a flight dated ten days before the course starts.
- October. In Malta he withdraws cash from a local ATM on his Pakistani card and keeps the slips, buys EUR 100,000 insurance for the year, completes the health screening, and submits Form N.01 in person.
He spent more on the Dubai trip than on the visa fee, and he knew that in January because he asked.
The version that goes wrong
His friend Waleed is sold a diploma at a college the recruiter calls accredited, with 12 hours of classes a week and work rights from day one. The hours are below the 15-hour floor, nobody checks the MFHEA licence, and every official version of the work rule requires a Jobsplus licence first. The guide to checking a visa consultant in Pakistan sets out the questions that would have exposed it.
Key takeaways
- The course must be full time, MQF level 5 or above, at an MFHEA-licensed institution, with more than 15 hours of tuition a week; part-time courses are not eligible.
- Pakistan has no visa centre on Identità’s list; applicants book with VFS in any country where the service runs, without needing to be resident there.
- The visa funds test is 75 percent of the national minimum wage for every month of study, on three months of statements with an international bank card.
- The permit funds test is 60 percent of the national equivalised income threshold, and foreign accounts need card access and Maltese withdrawal slips.
- Insurance is EUR 30,000 for the visa and EUR 100,000 for the permit, except at the University of Malta, MCAST and ITS.
- The student D visa fee is EUR 100 at the standard rate; lodge at least 9 weeks before the course, and allow up to about 8 weeks for processing.
- Work is part time, up to 20 hours a week on Identità’s current pages, and only after Jobsplus issues an employment licence.
- The post-study permit is up to 9 months, granted once, not a work permit, and applied for while the student permit is valid.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Malta visa centre in Pakistan?
Not on Identità’s list of visa application centres on the day of writing. Identità’s residence permit FAQs say an applicant must book an online appointment with VFS Global in any country where the service is available, and that one does not need to be a legal resident of that country to apply for a D visa. Nearby countries on the list include the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and India. Check the current list before booking, because centres change.
Which visa do I need to study in Malta?
A National Long Stay Visa, the D visa, for any course over 90 calendar days. Identità’s Central Visa Unit says applicants for courses exceeding 90 days are issued with a D visa, and its FAQs describe a maximum stay of 365 days on it. After arrival you apply for a separate study residence permit.
How much money do I need to show for Malta?
There are two tests and neither is published as a euro figure. For the visa, the Central Visa Unit checklist dated 13 August 2025 asks for funds of at least 75 percent of the national minimum wage for every month of study, shown on three months of statements. For the permit, Form N.01 asks for at least 60 percent of the national equivalised income threshold for the household size, for the year or pro rata. Ask your institution and Identità for the current amount before you apply.
What health insurance does Malta require for students?
Two levels. For the visa the checklist asks for at least EUR 30,000 of medical cover for at least 91 consecutive days from first entry into the Schengen area, valid for study. For the permit, Form N.01 asks for a minimum of EUR 100,000 covering the entire stay in Malta. Students at the University of Malta, MCAST and the Institute of Tourism Studies are exempt from the permit-stage insurance requirement.
How much is the Malta student visa fee?
The Central Visa Unit checklist lists EUR 100 for applicants aged 12 and over at the standard rate, for appointments within three weeks, and EUR 150 at the extended rate for next-day appointments. The VFS page also shows its own service fee on top. Identità’s general FAQs give other figures for other visa types and say the fee varies for students, so use the student checklist.
How much is the Malta study residence permit fee?
Identità’s own pages disagree. Its study permit page lists EUR 50 for study, research and training applications, while Form N.01 says an application fee of EUR 27.50 must be paid. I cannot tell you which is current, so confirm the amount on the Identità portal when you apply.
How long does the Malta student visa take?
Identità’s FAQs say the whole visa process may take up to about 8 weeks from the date of the VFS appointment, and the student checklist says the application must be submitted at least 9 weeks before the course starts. A refusal can be appealed within 15 days of receiving the refusal letter. For the permit, Identità says a decision typically takes a few weeks.
Can I work as a student in Malta?
Yes, part time, and only once Jobsplus has issued an employment licence, which the employer applies for. Identità’s student employment page says higher education students may work up to 20 hours a week from their first year of study. Its study FAQ says work is allowed after the first 90 days, and older form notes say 15 hours. Read the current Identità and Jobsplus pages, and do not start work until the licence is issued.
Can I stay in Malta after graduating?
For up to 9 months, once. Identità’s study FAQ says the post-study permit allows you to stay for up to 9 months after graduation, can only be granted once, is not itself a work permit, and must be applied for while your student permit is still valid. Form N.03 asks for funds of 60 percent of the national equivalised income threshold for the nine months.
Do I need IELTS for Malta?
The government does not set a test. Form N.01 asks the institution to confirm that the student has sufficient knowledge of the language of the course, so the institution sets the test and score. All documents for the visa must be in English, and translations must come from Identità’s approved translators.
Can I go to Malta for a part-time or short course and switch?
Part-time courses are not eligible for the study permit, Identità says so directly. The course must be full time, lead to a qualification at MQF level 5 or above, and involve more than 15 hours of tuition a week. A course that fails any of these does not support the permit, whatever the brochure says.
Can Ch. Bilal Rasheed help me with a Malta application?
Yes, as an ICEF-accredited education consultant and immigration advisor in Pakistan. That covers checking the institution is MFHEA licensed, the course level and hours, the three-month bank evidence, the two insurance levels, choosing a VFS centre and the timing. Identità decides the visa and the permit, so no one can guarantee either. A consultation can be booked in Lahore, on WhatsApp or by phone.
