Study in Malta from South Africa
You can study in Malta from South Africa in English, and your Matric English mark can satisfy the language requirement, but the NSC does not give direct entry to a University of Malta bachelor's. Tuition is €8,500–10,800 per year and the visa is quoted at €400 in Johannesburg. One VFS branch serves the whole country.
Is Malta a good choice from South Africa?
Malta teaches in English and Maltese, so your degree is in the language you already study in, with no translation of transcripts needed. Tuition is billed in euro: €8,500–10,800 per year for a non-EU bachelor’s at the University of Malta, €10,800–13,400 per year for a master’s, and from €5,750–19,500 per year at private colleges.
It is a small sector — 8 recognised institutions, 8,252 international students in 2023/24, of whom 502 were African. The catch is the undergraduate route: the University of Malta places NSC and IEB holders on Foundation Studies before a bachelor’s, so a Matric that opens a South African degree does not open a Maltese one. Our Malta country guide covers the wider picture.
Entry with the NSC (Matric)
The University of Malta treats the NSC and IEB NSC as below the Maltese Matriculation Certificate, so you take the Certificate in Foundation Studies first: 12 months at €6,600–16,000 per programme. English is the exception in your favour — an NSC English mark of 4, that is 50% or better, meets UM’s English requirement, so most South Africans do not sit IELTS.
Queen Mary University of London’s Malta campus is the one direct route: it accepts the NSC at Higher Level for its MBBS, at top grades including Biology or Chemistry plus a second science subject.
American University of Malta, Global College Malta, GBSB Global Business School and MCAST publish no NSC grade table and assess files individually via an MQRIC comparability statement. At master’s level a three-year NQF 7 bachelor’s is judged on classification rather than on the length of the degree, so the Honours year often decides whether you are admitted.
The student visa from South Africa
You apply at VFS Global in Johannesburg (Rivonia Village Office Block) — one branch for the whole country, not four cities, so budget for travel. The operator is VFS and the fee quoted locally is €400, including the VFS service charge. Biometrics are required and processing is 6-8 weeks, against Malta’s published 3–9 weeks.
Show €746–950 per month — the lower figure at the visa stage, the higher for the residence permit after arrival, excluding tuition — as bank statements for the last three months, or a sponsor’s bank statement with a signed declaration letter. Travel cover of at least €30,000 is required at entry.
Tuberculosis screening happens after arrival: a chest X-ray within four weeks. South Africa is a Hague Apostille country, so DIRCO or the High Court apostilles your documents; no consular legalisation chain. See the Malta student visa guide and proof of funds explained.
Money: what a first year costs
Tuition is €8,500–10,800 per year for a bachelor’s and €10,800–13,400 per year for a master’s at the University of Malta; the foundation year is €6,600–16,000 per programme and medicine is €26,000–39,500 per year.
Add living costs of €950–1,600 per month, health cover at €150–400 per year, the visa at €400 and the residence permit application at €50. Erasmus Mundus is the only scheme on file for Malta, and South Africans are eligible; Chevening and the Commonwealth Scholarship, which you also qualify for, fund study in the United Kingdom, not Malta. See Malta scholarships and scholarships for South African students.
From South Africa to Malta: key facts
| Where to apply | VFS Global — Johannesburg only |
|---|---|
| Who takes the application | VFS Global |
| Apply without leaving South Africa | Yes |
| Visa or permit fee | €400 |
| Processing time (national guide) | 3–9 weeks |
| Refusal rate | Not published |
| School certificate | National Senior Certificate |
| Certifying documents | Apostille (Hague Convention member) |
| TB test | Screening after arrival |
| Scholarships open to South African nationals | Erasmus Mundus |
Last verified 2026-09-09 against official sources (identita.gov.mt).
What works in your favour
- Your NSC English mark of 4, that is 50% or better, meets the University of Malta’s English requirement, so you skip the IELTS floor of 6 that other origins face.
- Your documents are apostilled by DIRCO or the High Court, one step instead of the ministry-plus-embassy chain other origins run.
- You may work up to 20 hours a week from the first year of a full-time recognised degree, at a minimum wage of €994.24 per month.
- After graduating, the Graduate seeking-employment/business permit gives 9 months, at a fee of €27.50.
The honest downsides
- One visa branch for the whole country, in Johannesburg, at €400 — higher than Malta’s own €100–150 government fee because the service charge is bundled in.
- Undergraduate entry means a foundation year first: 12 months and €6,600–16,000 per programme on top of the degree.
- Malta publishes no refusal rate for the study visa, so any agent quoting a success rate is inventing it. Read how to spot a fake agent.
- Living costs of €950–1,600 per month on an island with a tight rental market, billed in euro throughout.
Our core guidance is free, funded by university commission: we shortlist Maltese programmes that fit an NSC or an NQF 7 degree, confirm whether your English mark clears the requirement, and set the two-stage funds correctly. We vet every document before submission — apostille, MQRIC statement, admission letter, bank statements, insurance — so nothing fails on a fixable error before your Johannesburg appointment. Premium Placement is optional and paid. We never sell guaranteed admission or visas.
How to apply to study in Malta from South Africa
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Check your entry route
Decide between the University of Malta foundation year for NSC holders, a direct private-college offer, or the Queen Mary Malta MBBS route that accepts the NSC at Higher Level.
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Apostille your documents
Have DIRCO or the High Court apostille your NSC, transcripts and degree certificates. No consular legalisation chain is needed for South African documents.
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Confirm your English evidence
Check that your NSC English mark is 4 or better, which satisfies the requirement. If not, book IELTS at 6.0 for a bachelor's or 6.5 for a master's.
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Apply direct to the institution
File with each institution before its published deadline, which for the last confirmed cycle was 1 July at 14:00 for applicants who need a visa, and request an MQRIC statement if asked.
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Accept and pay tuition
Accept the offer, pay the required instalment and obtain an admission letter stating the course, level and language of instruction for the visa file.
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Prepare funds and insurance
Assemble three months of bank statements, or a sponsor's statements plus a declaration, showing 746 to €950 per month, and buy cover of at least €30,000.
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Submit in Johannesburg
Book at VFS Global, Rivonia Village Office Block, give biometrics and lodge the file at least nine weeks before the course starts. Allow 6 to 8 weeks for a decision.
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Complete formalities after arrival
Have a chest X-ray within four weeks of arrival and apply for the residence permit, showing €950 per month excluding tuition.
Frequently asked questions
Not for direct bachelor's entry at the University of Malta, which places NSC and IEB holders on the Certificate in Foundation Studies first, 12 months at €6,600–16,000. Queen Mary University of London's Malta campus does accept the NSC at Higher Level directly for its MBBS. Private institutions assess each file individually.
Tuition is €8,500–10,800 per year a year for a non-EU bachelor's and €10,800–13,400 per year for a master's at the University of Malta, from €5,750 at private colleges. Living costs are €950–1,600 per month a month, insurance €150–400 per year a year, and the visa €400 in Johannesburg. Medicine is €26,000–39,500 per year a year.
At VFS Global in Johannesburg, Rivonia Village Office Block — the only branch serving South Africa, despite older pages listing four cities. You give biometrics there and the Central Visa Unit in Malta decides. Processing is 6-8 weeks, and Malta's own published range is 3–9 weeks.
Usually not. An NSC English mark of 4, meaning 50% or better, satisfies the University of Malta's English requirement. Applicants without that mark meet the national floor of IELTS 6.0 for a bachelor's or 6.5 for a master's. British Council tests in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Gqeberha.
Not before you travel. The US$160 IOM tuberculosis certificate is a United Kingdom visa requirement, not a Maltese one. Malta screens after arrival: a chest X-ray within four weeks of landing. Budget for it, but do not pay a South African clinic for a pre-departure certificate Malta has not asked for.
€746–950 per month. The visa stage is set at 75% of Malta's minimum wage per month of study; the residence permit after arrival uses the higher figure and excludes tuition. Show three months of bank statements, or a sponsor's statements with a signed declaration letter.
Erasmus Mundus is the scheme on file for Malta, and South Africans are eligible. Chevening and the Commonwealth Scholarship, which South Africans also qualify for, fund study in the United Kingdom instead. Malta publishes no national scholarship for non-EU students, so plan on self-funding or a sponsor.
The money you must show rises. Malta's minimum wage is legislated to increase again in January 2027 under the Low Wage Commission agreement, and the student proof-of-funds floor is pegged to it, so the current €746–950 per month will be higher. The exact figure is not yet published.