Study in Malta from Ghana
Malta teaches in English and takes Ghanaian applications direct, but the WASSCE does not open a bachelor's on its own: the University of Malta requires its Certificate in Foundation Studies first. Tuition is then €8,500–10,800 per year, and the study visa is lodged at VFS for €90 plus a service fee. The catch is the funds test: €746–950 per month, checked twice.
Is Malta a good choice from Ghana?
Malta is an EU and Schengen member whose languages are English and Maltese, and English carries almost every degree, so your schooling transfers without a language year. The system is small — 8 recognised institutions — and so is the African cohort: 502 students among 8,252 international students in 2023/24.
The University of Malta charges €8,500–10,800 per year for a bachelor’s, while private colleges start at €5,750–19,500 per year. Living costs run €950–1,600 per month. The catch is the extra year: a Ghanaian WASSCE from 2006 onwards is accepted for a foundation place, not for first year, so plan four years of fees for a three-year degree. The Malta study guide sets out the national rules.
Entry with the WASSCE
The University of Malta does not give direct bachelor’s entry on the WASSCE (+ BECE). You enter through the Certificate in Foundation Studies, 12 months at €6,600–16,000 per programme, which then admits you to a UM course in the matching subject area; its medical and dental stream secures a place in Medicine and Surgery for students who pass it, billed within €26,000–39,500 per year.
Queen Mary University of London’s Malta campus states that the WASSCE is not accepted as a stand-alone qualification for Ghana. MCAST, the Institute of Tourism Studies and GBSB Global Business School publish no grade table: each certificate is assessed individually by MQRIC at MFHEA. English is straightforward: WASSCE English at C5 or better meets UM’s requirement, with floors of IELTS 6 for a bachelor’s and 6.5 for a master’s where a certificate is asked for. Compare universities in Malta.
The student visa from Ghana
Ghanaian applicants are served by the Malta High Commission in Accra through VFS centres in Accra and Kumasi. You apply for the National long-stay (D) visa, not a short-stay Schengen visa; VFS prices the study category at €90, plus its service fee, higher at Kumasi than at Accra. Processing is quoted as at least 15 working days, against a national range that runs to 9 weeks.
Biometrics are taken at the centre, and the medical happens after arrival: a chest X-ray within four weeks. Entry insurance must cover at least €30,000. Ghana issues no apostille although Malta’s rule assumes one: certificates are authenticated by WAEC or the Ministry of Education, legalised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Accra, then by the mission, and no fee schedule for that middle step is published. See the Malta student visa requirements and the proof of funds rules.
Money: what a first year costs
Malta bills in euro only. The foundation year is €6,600–16,000 per programme; the bachelor’s after it is €8,500–10,800 per year at the University of Malta or from €5,750–19,500 per year privately, and a master’s is €10,800–13,400 per year.
Add €950–1,600 per month to live, €150–400 per year for health cover, €90 for the visa plus the VFS service fee, and €50 for the residence permit after arrival. Malta runs no national scholarship for incoming non-EU students: the one scheme on file is Erasmus Mundus, and Ghanaian nationals are eligible. See study costs in Malta and scholarships for Ghanaian students.
From Ghana to Malta: key facts
| Where to apply | Malta High Commission Accra |
|---|---|
| Who takes the application | VFS Global |
| Apply without leaving Ghana | Yes |
| Visa or permit fee | €90 |
| Processing time (national guide) | 3–9 weeks |
| Refusal rate | 58.7% (2025) — short-stay visas, not a student figure |
| School certificate | WASSCE |
| Certifying documents | Consular legalisation — no apostille |
| TB test | Screening after arrival |
| Scholarships open to Ghanaian nationals | Erasmus Mundus |
Last verified 2026-09-09 against official sources (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu · identita.gov.mt).
What works in your favour
- Degrees are taught in English and WASSCE English at C5 or better meets the University of Malta’s language rule, so the IELTS floors of 6 and 6.5 may never apply to you.
- Two submission centres operate in Ghana, in Accra and Kumasi, and the study category is priced at €90 before the service fee.
- Private colleges are the cheaper route: €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 begins.
- Funds are tested twice at €746–950 per month, and unverifiable funds is the first refusal ground the Central Visa Unit lists.
- Malta’s Accra consulate refused 58.7% (2025) of short-stay Schengen applications — a different visa, and no refusal rate is published for the student one.
- Legalisation is a three-office chain with no published fee schedule, and it runs before your application, not alongside it.
- 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 Ghana that means checking whether your WASSCE means a foundation year at UM or a direct assessment at a private institution, ordering the MQRIC comparability statement early, and sequencing the WAEC, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and mission legalisation steps so nothing expires. We vet transcripts, sponsor letters, bank statements and insurance before you submit, because incomplete 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 Ghana
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Decide between foundation and a direct offer
The University of Malta requires its Certificate in Foundation Studies for WASSCE holders. Private institutions may assess the same certificate directly, so apply to both kinds in parallel.
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Order the MQRIC comparability statement
Submit your WASSCE or degree certificate to MQRIC. A foreign qualification costs €50 plus €2 postage, and the statement is what private institutions assess you on.
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Legalise your certificates in Accra
Ghana issues no apostille. Have documents authenticated by WAEC or the Ministry of Education, legalised by the Ministry of Foreign 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, ahead of 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 plus a signed declaration. The higher figure returns at the residence-permit stage.
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Lodge the D visa at VFS Accra or Kumasi
Book the study category at €90 plus the service fee, give biometrics and include insurance of at least €30,000. Ask for the national D visa, not a short-stay Schengen visa.
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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. Confirm whether your institution needs the higher permit-stage insurance cover.
Frequently asked questions
The foundation year is €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 are €950–1,600 per month, insurance €150–400 per year, the visa €90 plus a service fee, and the residence permit €50.
Not at the University of Malta, and this is where most Ghanaian applicants are misinformed. A WASSCE from 2006 onwards leads to the Certificate in Foundation Studies, 12 months, before a bachelor's. Queen Mary's Malta campus does not accept it as a stand-alone qualification either. Private institutions assess it case by case through MQRIC.
Through the Malta High Commission in Accra, with VFS submission centres in Accra and Kumasi. The study category is €90 plus the centre's service fee, which is higher in Kumasi. VFS quotes at least 15 working days, while the national range runs to 9 weeks. Apply as early as your acceptance allows.
€746–950 per month, in two stages: the lower figure at the visa application, the higher one excluding tuition for the residence permit after arrival. Evidence is bank statements for the last three months, or a sponsor's bank statement with a signed declaration letter. Sponsors are accepted when the statements and declaration agree.
Usually not for the University of Malta, which accepts WASSCE English at C5 or better. Where a test is required the floors are IELTS 6 for a bachelor's and 6.5 for a master's; British Council centres run in Accra, Tema, Kumasi, Tamale and Takoradi. The visa unit itself sets no separate language test.
Erasmus Mundus is the only national-level scheme on file for Malta, and Ghanaian nationals are eligible. Malta funds no government scholarship for incoming non-EU students, and its doctoral scheme requires prior residence in Malta. Any institutional discount comes from the college itself, so ask the admissions office 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 needed, with some sectors restricted. After graduating, the Graduate seeking-employment/business permit runs 9 months, non-renewable, at €27.50.
The funds figure goes up. Malta's national minimum wage is legislated to rise 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 Low Wage Commission has not yet published the exact 2027 amount, so budget above the current figure.