Study in Malta from Kenya
Malta teaches in English and accepts Kenyan applications direct, but the KCSE does not open a bachelor's on its own: the University of Malta requires its Certificate in Foundation Studies first. Tuition then runs €8,500–10,800 per year, and the visa is lodged at VFS Nairobi for €100–150 plus a matching service fee. The catch is the funds test: €746–950 per month, checked twice.
Is Malta a good choice from Kenya?
Malta is an EU and Schengen country whose languages are English and Maltese, and English carries almost every degree, so nothing is lost in translation from a Kenyan classroom. It is a small system: 8 recognised institutions, with 502 African students among 8,252 international students in 2023/24. The University of Malta charges €8,500–10,800 per year for a bachelor’s, and private colleges open lower at €5,750–19,500 per year.
Living costs are €950–1,600 per month on an island that imports most of what it sells. The catch is an extra year: the KCSE admits you to a foundation programme rather than to first year, so budget four years of fees and rent for a three-year degree. The Malta study guide covers the national rules.
Entry with the KCSE
The University of Malta requires KCSE holders to complete the Certificate in Foundation Studies before a bachelor’s — 12 months at €6,600–16,000 per programme — after which you enter a course in the matching subject area; the medical and dental stream secures a place in Medicine and Surgery for students who pass it, where fees fall within €26,000–39,500 per year.
Queen Mary University of London’s Malta campus does not accept the KCSE at all and wants A-levels, the IB or an approved foundation programme. MCAST and the Institute of Tourism Studies set no KCSE grade threshold: each certificate is compared individually by MQRIC at MFHEA. English rarely costs you a test: KCSE English at grade C or better meets UM’s requirement, against floors of IELTS 6 for a bachelor’s and 6.5 for a master’s. Compare universities in Malta.
The student visa from Kenya
Kenyan files go to VFS Global in Nairobi, which acts for Malta’s Central Visa Unit; Malta has no embassy or consulate in Kenya. You apply for the National long-stay (D) visa at €100–150, and VFS adds a service fee of the same size at the centre. Processing is 6–8 weeks (minimum). Biometrics are taken at the appointment, and the medical happens after arrival, a chest X-ray within four weeks, so no TB certificate is needed before you fly.
Entry insurance must cover at least €30,000. Malta’s rule assumes an apostille and Kenya issues none, so certificates run a four-step chain: notarisation, the Attorney-General, the State Department for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, then the mission — with no official fee schedule published for it. Read the Malta student visa requirements and the proof of funds rules.
Money: what a first year costs
Malta bills in euro. The foundation year is €6,600–16,000 per programme; the bachelor’s that follows is €8,500–10,800 per year at the University of Malta or from €5,750–19,500 per year at a private college, and a master’s is €10,800–13,400 per year.
Living costs are €950–1,600 per month, health cover €150–400 per year, the visa €100–150 plus the same again in VFS service fees, and the residence permit €50 after arrival. Malta funds no national scholarship for incoming non-EU students: the single scheme on file is Erasmus Mundus, open to Kenyan nationals. See study costs in Malta and scholarships for Kenyan students.
From Kenya to Malta: key facts
| Where to apply | VFS Global Nairobi |
|---|---|
| Who takes the application | VFS Global |
| Apply without leaving Kenya | Yes |
| Visa or permit fee | €100–150 |
| Processing time (national guide) | 3–9 weeks |
| Refusal rate | Not published |
| School certificate | KCSE |
| Certifying documents | Consular legalisation — no apostille |
| TB test | Screening after arrival |
| Scholarships open to Kenyan nationals | Erasmus Mundus |
| Kenyan students in Malta | 23 (2023) |
Last verified 2026-09-09 against official sources (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu · identita.gov.mt).
What works in your favour
- Teaching is in English and KCSE English at grade C or better satisfies the University of Malta, so the IELTS floors of 6 and 6.5 may not apply to you at all.
- Kenya has a working submission centre in Nairobi even though Malta keeps no embassy here, so no third-country trip is needed.
- Private colleges undercut the public rate: €5,750–19,500 per year against €8,500–10,800 per year at UM.
- You may work part-time from the first year of a recognised full-time course, once Jobsplus issues the employment licence you need.
- Graduates may stay on the Graduate seeking-employment/business permit for 9 months at €27.50.
The honest downsides
- The foundation year adds 12 months and €6,600–16,000 per programme before the degree starts.
- Funds are tested twice at €746–950 per month, and unverifiable funds is the first refusal ground Identità lists.
- Malta publishes no refusal rate for this route, so there is no benchmark for your odds. The Commission for University Education named unlicensed agencies and fake universities in January 2026.
- Legalisation runs through four offices in Nairobi with no published fee schedule, and it must finish before the file is lodged.
- The main intake is October, with February for some programmes; the University of Malta’s cut-off for October 2026 was 1 July, and the 2027/28 date is not yet published.
Our core guidance is free, funded by university commission. For Kenya that means establishing whether your KCSE means a foundation year at UM or a direct assessment at a private institution, starting the MQRIC comparability statement early, and sequencing notarisation, the Attorney-General, Foreign Affairs and mission legalisation so nothing lapses. We vet transcripts, sponsor letters, bank statements and insurance before submission, because incomplete or inconsistent documents are a stated refusal ground. Premium Placement is optional and paid. Before paying any agent, read [how to spot a fake agent](/spot-a-fake-agent/).
How to apply to study in Malta from Kenya
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Decide between foundation and a direct offer
The University of Malta requires its Certificate in Foundation Studies for KCSE holders. Private institutions may assess the same certificate directly, so apply to both kinds at once.
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Order the MQRIC comparability statement
Send your KCSE or degree certificate to MQRIC. A foreign qualification costs €50 plus €2 postage, and private institutions decide on that statement rather than on grades.
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Legalise your certificates in Nairobi
Kenya issues no apostille. Documents are notarised, authenticated by the Attorney-General, then by the State Department for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, then legalised by the mission.
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Apply direct to the institution
Malta has no central portal. Apply online to each institution, selecting Overseas Qualifications at the University of Malta, before the 1 July cut-off at 14:00 for an October start.
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Build the two-stage funds file
Show 746 to €950 a month with three months of bank statements, or a sponsor's statements and a signed declaration. The higher figure applies again at the residence-permit stage.
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Lodge the D visa at VFS Nairobi
Book the national long-stay study category, pay 100 to €150 plus an equal service fee, give biometrics and include insurance of at least €30,000 of cover.
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Complete the permit and X-ray after arrival
Apply for the residence permit at €50 and take the chest X-ray within four weeks of landing. Check whether your institution requires the higher permit-stage insurance cover.
Frequently asked questions
The foundation year costs €6,600–16,000 per programme, then €8,500–10,800 per year at the University of Malta or from €5,750–19,500 per year privately. Living costs run €950–1,600 per month, insurance €150–400 per year, the visa €100–150 plus the same in service fees, and the residence permit €50.
Not at the University of Malta, which is where most Kenyan applicants are misled. The KCSE leads to the Certificate in Foundation Studies, 12 months, before first year. Queen Mary's Malta campus does not accept it at all. Private institutions assess it case by case on an MQRIC comparability statement, so a direct offer is possible but never promised.
At VFS Global in Nairobi, which acts as an extended service branch for Identità's Central Visa Unit, because Malta keeps no embassy or consulate in Kenya. The fee is €100–150 plus an equal VFS service fee, and processing is 6–8 weeks (minimum). Biometrics are taken at the appointment.
€746–950 per month, tested twice: the lower figure for the visa, the higher one excluding tuition for the residence permit after you arrive. Accepted evidence is bank statements for the last three months, or a sponsor's bank statement with a signed declaration letter. A sponsor is allowed when the statements and the declaration match exactly.
Often not. The University of Malta accepts KCSE English at grade C or better for undergraduate entry. Where a test is required the floors are IELTS 6 for a bachelor's and 6.5 for a master's, with British Council centres in nine towns including Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu. The visa unit sets no separate language test.
Erasmus Mundus, the only national-level scheme on file for Malta, and Kenyan nationals are eligible. Malta operates no government scholarship for incoming non-EU students, and its doctoral scheme is closed to new arrivals because it requires prior residence in Malta. Institutional discounts, where offered, come from the college and should be confirmed in writing.
Yes. Term-time work is up to 20 hours a week from the first year of a full-time recognised degree, and an employment licence from Jobsplus is required, with some sectors restricted. After graduating you may hold the Graduate seeking-employment/business permit for 9 months, non-renewable, at €27.50.
The money threshold rises. Malta's national minimum wage is legislated to increase again in January 2027 and the proof-of-funds floor is pegged to it, so the €746–950 per month on file will be higher for 2027/28 applicants. The exact 2027 amount is not yet published, so prepare statements above the current figure rather than at it.