Study in Malta from Kenya

Below is the full step-by-step: how your documents are checked, the real costs in shillings, the two-stage proof of funds, the visa appointment in Nairobi, and an honest look at Malta’s tough visa reputation and how we strengthen your application.

Why study in Malta from Kenya?

For Kenyan students, Malta is one of the few fully English-speaking EU destinations:

• English is an official language. Teaching, daily life and official documents are in English. Note, though, that Kenya is not on the University of Malta’s English-exemption list, so most Kenyan applicants still need an accepted English test (IELTS, TOEFL, PTE or Trinity, or ISET) — typically IELTS 6.0 for a bachelor’s and 6.5 for a master’s — unless they hold a UK GCE/GCSE, MATSEC or IB English qualification. Check your university’s exact English rules per programme.
• An EU degree at mid-range cost. University of Malta tuition for non-EU students runs roughly €8,500–€13,400/year for most bachelor’s and master’s programmes (science degrees cost more than arts/business; Medicine is far higher at about €26,000/year) — generally below UK and Irish levels.
• No APS for Kenya. APS is a Germany-only credential certificate (mandatory only for China, Vietnam and India applicants to Germany). It does not exist for Malta. Your qualifications are recognised by your Maltese institution, with MQRIC/MFHEA providing recognition where needed.
• Work and a post-study window. Students can work part-time (up to 20 hours/week, only after the residence permit is issued). For job-hunting after graduation, Malta’s “Graduate Seeking Employment” route is open to master’s and doctoral (MQF 7/8) graduates only, reported at around 12 months, after which you move to a Single Permit — there is no UK-style automatic Graduate Route.

For the full destination picture, see our study in Malta from Africa hub and your Kenya study-abroad track.

Step-by-step: how to study in Malta from Kenya

Here is the route from Nairobi to a Maltese campus. Because of the timing trap (submit at least 9 weeks before your course starts plus 6–8 weeks processing), most Kenyan students should start about a year ahead.

Step 1 — Get admitted and pay your acceptance deposit

Choose your programme and apply to a Maltese institution (most students target the University of Malta). Your qualifications are assessed by the institution, with MQRIC/MFHEA recognition where required — no APS is needed for Kenya. When accepted, you receive an original Letter of Acceptance showing proof of fee payment — the document the visa office requires. Pay using a card enabled for international payments or a verifiable bank transfer.

Step 2 — Arrange Schengen-valid medical insurance

Buy travel medical insurance valid across Schengen, with minimum €30,000 coverage for the full duration of your stay (courses over 90 days fall under the National D visa). Keep the policy document for your visa file.

Step 3 — Prove your funds (stage one)

For the visa, show a 3-month bank statement plus at least 75% of Malta’s national minimum wage per month of study — about €745/month in 2026 (the 2026 minimum wage is €229.44/week). This is on top of tuition; a sponsor is allowed (with a declaration and 3-month statements). A second, higher funds check (~€950/month) comes after arrival, at the residence-permit stage.

Step 4 — Apply for the National D study visa at VFS Nairobi

Book and pay online, then submit your file and biometrics at VFS Global Malta in Nairobi (5th Floor, Parkfield Building, Muthangari Drive, off Waiyaki Way, Westlands) — Kenya has a live Malta visa centre, so there is no covering-mission routing to another country. The Central Visa Unit (Identità, Msida) decides your application. The government fee is about €100 plus a VFS service fee. Apply under the National-D study product, not the short-stay Schengen category. Processing takes 6–8 weeks.

See our full Malta student visa guide for the document checklist.

How much does it cost to study in Malta from Kenya?

Your real costs are tuition, living money (shown in two stages), insurance and one-off visa costs. All shilling figures use 1 EUR ≈ KSh 148 (Wise mid-market, June 2026) — the rate is volatile, so re-check before you pay.

Tuition is the biggest fixed cost; the living-money figures are amounts you show you have, not fees. For a fuller breakdown, see our study in Malta from Africa hub.

Credential recognition for Kenyan students (no APS)

This is where misinformation trips Kenyan applicants up. The truth for Malta:

• APS is NOT required for Malta. There is no APS step for Malta — APS exists only for Germany (China/Vietnam/India). Ignore agency blogs that claim otherwise.
• Your institution recognises your qualifications. The Maltese university assesses your KCSE and degree, with MQRIC/MFHEA providing formal recognition where needed. This is part of admission, not a separate visa step.
• English documents. Any document not in English must be translated by an approved translator only.
• Passport validity. Your passport must have at least 10 months’ validity.

We check every document — acceptance letter, proof of fee payment, transcripts — before you submit.

Proof of funds: the two-stage rule

Malta wants evidence you can support yourself without illegal work — and it checks twice:

• Stage 1 (visa): a 3-month bank statement plus at least 75% of Malta’s national minimum wage per month — about €745/month (≈ KSh 110,000/month) in 2026 — on top of tuition. A sponsor is allowed (with a declaration and statements).
• Stage 2 (residence permit, after arrival): a higher monthly figure of about €950/month (≈ KSh 140,000/month) to register for your e-Residence permit.

Show clean, verifiable funds with a clear source and history — sudden large lump sums just before applying invite questions. Pay online with a card enabled for international transactions or a documented bank transfer. More detail on the Malta student visa page.

Visa appointment in Nairobi

• Where you apply. The Malta visa centre for Kenya is VFS Global, 5th Floor, Parkfield Building, Muthangari Drive, off Waiyaki Way, Westlands, Nairobi. Because Kenya has a live VFS centre, there is no covering-mission detour to another country.
• How. Book and pay online, then give biometrics at VFS. Your file is decided centrally by the Central Visa Unit (Identità, Msida, Malta) — there is no local Malta-embassy interview, though the unit may interview.
• Documents: original Letter of Acceptance + proof of fee payment, passport (≥10 months’ validity), Schengen medical insurance, 3-month bank statement + funds proof, and approved translations of any non-English document.
• Fees: government fee ~€100 + VFS service fee (paid in shillings).
• No TB test for the visa. Malta screens after arrival: a chest X-ray within 4 weeks of landing (Kenya is on the WHO high-TB-risk list) plus an immunisation certificate.
• Processing: plan for 6–8 weeks, and submit at least 9 weeks before your course starts.

Honest note on approval odds. Malta does not publish a refusal rate for the National (Type D) study visa — those numbers are excluded from EU/Schengen statistics. So be wary of any agent quoting a “98% success rate” or “guaranteed visa” for Malta: there is no official figure to base that on. What is real is Malta’s reputation for tough Schengen short-stay scrutiny — Malta had the highest short-stay (Type C) refusal rate in the EU in 2024 (~38.5%) — but that is a different visa, not your study-visa odds. The way we strengthen your case is the same way we beat refusals everywhere: a genuine enrolment, clean and fully translated documents, two-stage funds shown correctly, strong ties to Kenya, and a clear, honest study purpose. No inflated promises.

Scholarships for Kenyan students

Be honest with yourself about Malta-side funding: it is limited for Kenyans.

• Malta MFA / Commonwealth Postgraduate Scholarship (at University of Malta) — this scheme names Ghana and Nigeria only, and Kenya is not included. There is no Malta-side inbound award for Kenyans here; do not rely on it unless a future call adds Kenya.
• Endeavour II (Malta) — not open to fresh Kenyan applicants; it requires Maltese citizenship, EU permanent residence or 5 years’ Malta residence.
• Commonwealth scholarships Kenya qualifies for (Kenya is a Commonwealth member) are generally UK-tenable, not Malta-tenable — check each scheme’s destination rules before assuming.
• Kenya-side and pan-African options. HELB and other Kenyan routes are largely domestic; confirm whether any apply to a Maltese degree.

Because Malta-side awards for Kenyans are thin, plan your budget around self/sponsor funding as the main route, and treat any scholarship as a bonus. See the full list on our scholarships for Kenyan students page.

Student success stories

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How we help

World Study helps Kenyan students choose the right Maltese programme, prepare a clean application (credential recognition, acceptance letter, proof of fee payment), arrange Schengen insurance, set up the two-stage funds correctly and apply for the National D visa at VFS Nairobi — honestly, with real costs in shillings and no inflated promises. Our core guidance is free; you only pay if you choose our optional premium visa-and-relocation support.

[Talk to a World Study advisor on WhatsApp →] (pre-filled: “Hi, I read your Study in Malta from Kenya page and want to know if I qualify.”) or take the free 2-minute eligibility check →.