Study in Malta from Nigeria

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

Why study in Malta from Nigeria?

For Nigerian 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: there is no nationality-based English waiver for Nigeria — the University of Malta does not list Nigeria as exempt, so unless you hold UK GCE/GCSE, MATSEC or IB English, you will usually need IELTS/TOEFL/PTE/Trinity or UM’s own ISET (typically IELTS 6.0 for a bachelor’s, 6.5 for a master’s). 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 €6,500–€15,000/year depending on the programme (Medicine is higher) — below UK and Irish levels.
• No APS for Nigeria. 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 (limited) post-study window. Students can work part-time (20 hrs/week) once they hold a permit. A post-study “Graduate Seeking Employment” route is reported at around 12 months — but only for master’s or doctoral (MQF 7/8) graduates; there is no UK-style automatic Graduate Route, and a bachelor’s is a weaker pathway. After that you need a job offer for a Single Permit.

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

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

Here is the route from Lagos to a Maltese campus. Because of the timing trap (submit at least 9 weeks before your course starts plus 6–8 weeks processing), most Nigerian 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 Nigeria. 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 (a common Nigerian failure point).

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. 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 Lagos

Book and pay online, then submit your file and biometrics at VFS Global Malta in Lagos (Lekki Phase I) — the only Malta visa centre in Nigeria (no Abuja office). 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 Nigeria?

Your real costs are tuition, living money (shown in two stages), insurance and one-off visa costs. All Naira figures use 1 EUR ≈ ₦1,575 (as of June 2026) — the naira 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 Nigerian students (no APS)

This is where misinformation trips Nigerian 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 WAEC/NECO 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 (≈ ₦1.17m/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 (≈ ₦1.49m/month) to register for your e-Residence permit.

Show clean, verifiable funds. Pay online with a card enabled for international transactions — many genuine Nigerian applicants stumble here. More detail on the Malta student visa page.

Visa appointment in Lagos

• Where you apply. The only Malta visa centre in Nigeria is VFS Global, Lekki Phase I, Lagos — there is no Abuja office.
• 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. Always confirm the current checklist on the official Identità student page before you submit.
• Fees: government fee ~€100 + VFS service fee (paid in naira).
• No TB test for the visa. Malta screens after arrival: a chest X-ray within 4 weeks of landing (Nigeria 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” for Malta: there is no official figure to base that on. What is real is Malta’s reputation for tough Schengen short-stay scrutiny (the widely shared “~38.5% Malta” and “~45.9% Nigeria” figures are short-stay rates — 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, and a clear, honest study purpose. No inflated promises.

Scholarships for Nigerian students

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

• Malta MFA / Commonwealth Postgraduate Scholarship (at University of Malta) — Nigeria has been explicitly named for full tuition + living + stipend in past calls (an award pool of around €118,000). ⚠️ The named announcement is historic (c.2018); confirm whether a current-year call is open before relying on it — treat it as historically open to Nigeria, not a guaranteed live award.
• Endeavour II (Malta) — not open to fresh Nigerian applicants; it requires Maltese citizenship, EU permanent residence or 5 years’ Malta residence.
• Nigeria-side and pan-African options. PTDF and other Nigerian routes may apply to a Maltese degree — check each scheme’s destination rules.

See the full list on our scholarships for Nigerian students page.

Student success stories

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How we help

World Study helps Nigerian 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 Lagos — honestly, with real costs in naira 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 Nigeria page and want to know if I qualify.”) or take the free 2-minute eligibility check →.