How to apply for a Malta Schengen visa from the UK

Where you apply

Apply to Malta if it is your main destination. The High Commission in London decides the applications, and its visa section deals with the public only in writing; VFS Global receives them, by appointment:

• London: the main centre. Applications go from here to the High Commission.
• Manchester and Edinburgh: satellite centres. Files are sent to VFS in London and on to the High Commission the following day, so VFS asks you to allow a few extra working days.

You need a valid UK residence permit to apply here: VFS says that if you hold only a UK visitor visa, you apply in your country of residence. Everyone, children included, applies in person, and each family member needs their own appointment. Book under the right category: “Tourist” if you travel for leisure and pay for your own accommodation, or “Visitor Family/Friends”, “Business”, “EEA/EU and Swiss national family member” or “Minors”.

Step by step

1. 1

   Fill in the paper form

   Download the Schengen form from the Maltese foreign ministry, in English or a bilingual version, fill in every section, print it and sign it under the disclaimer at the end.
2. 2

   Book at VFS Global

   On Malta's VFS page for the UK, in London, Manchester or Edinburgh. You get a confirmation email and an appointment letter.
3. 3

   Gather the documents

   Every document must be less than a month old. Show the originals and hand in photocopies, unless an original is asked for.
4. 4

   Attend the appointment

   Hand in the form and documents, give fingerprints and a photo, and pay the visa fee and VFS's service fee.
5. 5

   Wait for the decision

   VFS says the minimum processing time is three weeks, and emails you when the decision is back at the centre; you collect your passport there or pay for a courier.

Documents

The country's own checklist is the one that counts. The core of it:

• Passport issued within the last ten years, valid at least three months after you leave the Schengen Area, with two blank pages.
• Proof of your UK immigration status, such as your eVisa and a share code, valid beyond your return.
• The signed application form and a photo to the ICAO passport standard.
• Travel medical insurance with at least €30,000 cover, valid in every Schengen country for the whole trip.
• Recent bank statements, and a letter from your employer or proof of studies or self-employment.
• A flight reservation, and hotel bookings or an invitation letter.

On top of that, VFS Global's Malta checklist for the UK asks for:

• A printout of your eVisa and share code showing the grounds of your residence, its expiry and your photo. It must be valid at least one month after you return.
• Your last three months of UK bank statements, from the account your salary is paid into, dated within the last month and showing at least £48 for each day in the Schengen Area plus any unpaid travel and accommodation costs.
• A signed employer letter on headed paper, addressed to the Mission and under a month old, or your last three payslips; students bring a letter from their UK school, college or university.
• Flight tickets paid in full and confirmed, with the booking reference and e-ticket number. VFS says provisional reservations, part-paid tickets and tickets booked through a travel agency not registered in the UK make the application invalid; package holidays must be at least 75% paid.
• Travel insurance bought from a UK-registered insurer; for a multiple-entry visa, not a single-trip policy.
• A photo less than six months old, on a white background, not edited.

Fees and processing time

Visa fee, adults

€90; VFS lists £77 (VFS Global, November 2026)

Children aged 6 to 11

€45 (£39 on VFS’s list)

Children under 6

Free

VFS service fee

£27.38 including VAT, per application (VFS Global, November 2026)

Processing

At least three weeks, according to VFS Global

The two official pages disagree on payment: the High Commission says the visa fee is paid in pounds, in cash only, while VFS says fees can be paid in cash (not in Manchester or Edinburgh), by card or by postal order to “Malta Visa Application Centre”. The sterling amount follows the exchange rate, and all fees are non-refundable.

Applications and refusals

In 2025, the consulates of Malta in the UK received 5,216 short-stay Schengen visa applications: 1.0% of all those lodged in the UK, and the 13th most of any Schengen country. They refused 11.3% of the applications they decided; across every Schengen country in the UK the rate was 10.5%, according to the European Commission's visa statistics.

Applications, 2025

5,216

Rank in the UK

13th of 28 Schengen countries

Refused

11.3%

All Schengen countries in the UK

10.5% refused

The Commission counts applications where they are lodged, not by nationality, so these are residents of the UK of many nationalities. A refusal rate is an average over every applicant and says little about any one file; and the country you apply to is set by your main destination, not by its refusal rate.

What applicants reported

21 applicants in the United Kingdom have reported their Malta visa to Visa Catcher's statistics. The median time from appointment to passport back was 11 days.

Reports

21

Appointment to passport back (median)

11 days; typically 7–14 days

Approved

90% of 21 with a known outcome

Validity granted (median)

135 days

Multiple entry

79%

See every Malta report from the United Kingdom · how the statistics work

How often new dates appear

London. Our monitors saw new Malta appointments appear in London 11 times in the last 90 days, on 8 different days; the typical gap between two releases was about 28 hours. The latest release we saw was on 26 October at 06:13 UK time. Over the past year (901 releases) they were spread across the week and the day, with no day or hour that stands out: new dates can appear at any time.

Manchester. Our monitors saw new Malta appointments appear in Manchester 53 times in the last 90 days, on 16 different days; the typical gap between two releases was about 5 hours. The latest release we saw was on 17 September at 07:49 UK time. Over the past year (180 releases), 42% came on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Edinburgh. Our monitors saw new Malta appointments appear in Edinburgh 36 times in the last 90 days, on 11 different days; the typical gap between two releases was about 6 hours. The latest release we saw was on 17 September at 02:13 UK time. Over the past year (196 releases) they were spread across the week and the day, with no day or hour that stands out: new dates can appear at any time.

Getting the appointment

The form is the easy part. The hard part is a free date with VFS Global: when demand is high the calendar can stay empty, and new dates go quickly when they appear. In the last 90 days our monitors saw new dates appear in Manchester 53 times, typically about 5 hours apart.

These are the ways to get a date, including ours:

Each Malta route we track has its own page, and every route is on the UK appointment board page. For how the booking systems work, see how to book a Schengen visa appointment in the UK.

• Malta visa appointment, London
• Malta visa appointment, Manchester
• Malta visa appointment, Edinburgh

Questions

How late can I apply for a Malta visa from the UK?

VFS Global asks for applications to be handed in at the London centre at least 16 calendar days before departure, with a few more working days from Manchester or Edinburgh, and says otherwise the application will not proceed. Since VFS gives a minimum processing time of three weeks, apply earlier: you can apply up to six months ahead.

Can I use a flight reservation for a Malta visa from the UK?

No. VFS Global’s Malta checklist asks for tickets paid in full and confirmed, with the booking reference and e-ticket number, and says provisional reservations, part-paid tickets and tickets booked through a travel agency not registered in the UK make the application invalid.

Where can I apply for a Malta visa in the UK?

At VFS Global in London, or at its satellite centres in Manchester and Edinburgh, whose files go through London, so they take a few working days longer. The High Commission of Malta in London decides the applications.

Can I apply for a Malta visa in the UK on a UK visitor visa?

No. VFS Global says you need a valid UK residence permit; if you hold only a UK visitor visa, you apply in your country of residence.

What is the refusal rate for Malta Schengen visas in the UK?

In 2025, the consulates of Malta in the UK refused 11.3% of the short-stay visa applications they decided, against 10.5% across all Schengen countries in the UK, according to the European Commission’s visa statistics. They received 5,216 applications, the 13th most of any Schengen country.

Sources

• Malta High Commission in London: consular services and visas
• Malta Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs: Schengen visa application forms
• VFS Global: Malta visa application centre in the UK
• VFS Global Malta, UK: how to apply
• VFS Global Malta, UK: visa types, fees, documents and processing time
• VFS Global Malta, UK: apply at least 16 days before departure (24 March 2025)
• VFS Global Malta, UK: appointments only through the online portal (6 December 2025)
• EU Visa Code, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 (consolidated text of 28 June 2024)
• European Commission: visa policy and the short-stay visa fee
• European Commission: Schengen visa statistics for consulates, 2025 (2025-consulates-schengen-visa-statistics.xlsx)

Rules and fees are set by the consulates and their visa centres and can change; check the official pages above before you apply. Our coverage, prices and release statistics on this page are live. Visa Catcher is an independent appointment-tracking service, not affiliated with any visa centre, embassy, consulate or government.