Study in Malta from South Africa

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

Why study in Malta from South Africa?

For South African 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. South Africa is not on the University of Malta’s automatic English-exemption list, so you may need IELTS/TOEFL/PTE/Trinity (or UM’s ISET) unless you hold qualifying English such as UK GCE/GCSE, MATSEC or IB (typical levels: BA IELTS 6.0, MA 6.5). Many SA NSC/IEB applicants may already hold qualifying English — check your university’s exact admission rules for your programme.
• An EU degree at mid-range cost. University of Malta tuition for non-EU students runs roughly €8,500/year (arts/business BA)–€13,400/year (science master’s) depending on the programme — below UK and Irish levels.
• No APS for South Africa. The German Akademische Prüfstelle (APS) certificate applies only to China, Vietnam and India — it does not exist for Malta, and it is not the same as South Africa’s domestic Admission Point Score. Your qualifications are recognised by your Maltese institution, with MQRIC providing recognition where needed.
• Part-time work rights. Once your residence permit issues, students can work up to 20 hours a week. Malta also offers free public bus transport to residents — check your eligibility and the current rules once you hold your e-Residence permit.

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

Step-by-step: how to study in Malta from South Africa

Here is the route from South Africa to a Maltese campus. Because of the timing trap (submit at least 9 weeks before your course starts plus 4–8+ weeks processing), most South African 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 recognition where required, and the course must be MQF 5 or above for the residence permit — no APS is needed for South Africa. When accepted, you receive an enrolment letter showing proof of tuition paid — the document the visa office requires.

Step 2 — Arrange Schengen-valid medical insurance

Buy travel medical insurance valid across Schengen, with minimum €30,000 coverage for the entry D-visa. At the residence-permit stage, University of Malta, MCAST and ITS students are exempt, but private-college students need €100,000 cover. Typical annual premiums are in the region of €250/year, but quotes vary — get your own. Keep the policy document for your visa file.

Step 3 — Prove your funds (stage one)

For the visa, show at least 75% of Malta’s national minimum wage per month of study — about €746/month in 2026 — on top of tuition. A sponsor is allowed (with a declaration and statements). A second, higher funds check (~€950/month, excluding tuition) comes after arrival, at the e-Residence-permit stage. South African funds must comply with SARB exchange-control rules (use your Single Discretionary Allowance / study allowance).

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

Submit your file and biometrics at VFS Global in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town or Durban — at least 9 weeks before your course start. Apply under the National-D study product, not the short-stay Schengen category. The Central Visa Unit, Identità (Malta) decides your application. The government fee is about €100 (an “extended” appointment is €150) plus a VFS service fee. Processing commonly takes 4–8+ weeks, so apply early.

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

How much does it cost to study in Malta from South Africa?

Your real costs are tuition, living money (shown in two stages), insurance and one-off visa costs. All Rand figures use 1 EUR ≈ R18.8 (indicative mid-market, as of June 2026) — the rand is a volatile emerging-market currency, so re-check before you pay.

Tuition is the biggest fixed cost; the living-money figures are amounts you show you have, not fees. The University of Malta warns the €950/month minimum is not enough to live on comfortably — budget more. For a fuller breakdown, see our study in Malta from Africa hub.

Credential recognition for South African students (no APS)

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

• APS is NOT required for Malta. There is no APS step for Malta — the German APS exists only for China, Vietnam and India, and it is not South Africa’s domestic Admission Point Score. Ignore agency blogs that conflate the two.
• Your institution recognises your qualifications. The Maltese university assesses your NSC and degree, with MQRIC (Malta’s ENIC-NARIC) providing formal recognition where needed. This is part of admission, not a separate visa step.
• English documents. South African documents are already in English, so you rarely need certified translations — a real advantage of this corridor.
• Passport validity. Your passport must be valid for at least 10 months.

We check every document — enrolment letter, proof of tuition paid, 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): at least 75% of Malta’s national minimum wage per month — about €746/month (≈ R13,995/month) in 2026 — on top of tuition. A sponsor is allowed (with a declaration and statements). You also show 14 nights’ accommodation and return flights at this stage.
• Stage 2 (residence permit, after arrival): a higher monthly figure of about €950/month excluding tuition (≈ R17,820/month) to register for your e-Residence permit.

Show clean, verifiable funds that comply with SARB exchange-control rules. More detail is on the Malta student visa page.

Visa submission in South Africa

• Where you apply. Malta visas are submitted at VFS Global in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban — submit at least 9 weeks before your course starts.
• How. Book, submit your file and give biometrics at VFS. Your application is decided centrally by the Central Visa Unit, Identità (Malta) — there is no local Malta-embassy interview, though the unit may request one.
• Documents: passport (valid ≥10 months), enrolment letter (MFHEA-registered course + proof of tuition paid), Schengen medical insurance, funds evidence, 14-night accommodation, return flights, NSC/degree/transcripts — always confirm the latest requirements on the official Identità/Central Visa Unit student checklist.
• Fees: government fee ~€100 (next-day appointment €150) + VFS service fee.
• No TB test for the visa. Malta does not require a TB certificate on the Central Visa Unit student checklist — the Schengen medical insurance covers it. (This contrasts with the UK and Cyprus corridors, which do require pre-departure medicals for South Africans.)
• Processing: plan for 4–8+ 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” approval for Malta: there is no official figure to base that on. What is real is that South Africa is a lower-risk nationality than most — SA’s overall Schengen refusal rate was about 5.43% (2024), low by African standards — but Malta has small consular capacity and heightened scrutiny of African files, so an airtight, fully-funded application still matters. The way we strengthen your case is the same way we beat refusals everywhere: a genuine enrolment, clean documents, two-stage funds shown correctly, and a clear, honest study purpose. No inflated promises and no guarantees.

Scholarships for South African students

You may be able to cut Malta’s cost with funding:

• Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters — open to applicants worldwide, including South Africans; full funding for selected master’s programmes that may include a Malta study period. This is the most realistic funded route for Malta.
• Endeavour II (Malta) — not open to fresh South African applicants from abroad; it requires a Maltese permanent residence permit (the 5th call closed 5 Jun 2026).
• South-Africa-side and pan-African options. Some SA and continental schemes may apply to a Maltese degree — check each scheme’s destination rules.

See the full list on our scholarships for South African students page.

Student success stories

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How we help

World Study helps South African students choose the right Maltese programme, prepare a clean application (credential recognition, enrolment letter, proof of tuition paid), arrange Schengen insurance, set up the two-stage funds correctly and submit the National D visa at VFS — honestly, with real costs in rand 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 South Africa page and want to know if I qualify.”) or take the free 2-minute eligibility check →.