Malta Visa from Dubai: VFS, Fees, Documents and the High Refusal Rate

The short answer: Emiratis don't need a visa for Malta: they can stay up to 90 days in any 180. Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals living in the UAE need a Schengen visa. You apply at VFS Global's joint visa centres in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, and Malta decides itself rather than through another Schengen country. The visa fee is EUR 90 for adults, plus VFS's service charge, and processing takes 15 calendar days, up to 45. Prepare carefully: Malta is reported to refuse a larger share of Schengen visa applications than any other Schengen country.

Valletta, Gozo, the Blue Lagoon on Comino and English courses bring UAE residents to Malta. Malta issues Schengen visas, so a Maltese visa also covers the other Schengen countries, as long as Malta is your main destination.

Malta visa for UAE residents at a glance

Question	Answer (October 2026)
Emirati passport	No visa, up to 90 days in any 180
India, Pakistan, Philippines, Egypt, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka	Schengen visa before travel
Where to apply	VFS Global, Wafi Mall in Dubai or the World Trade Centre mall in Abu Dhabi, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Visa fee	EUR 90 adults, EUR 45 children aged 6 to 11, free under 6, plus the VFS service charge
Processing	15 calendar days, up to 45 if Malta needs more checks
Apply	Up to 6 months before you travel, and at least 15 days before
Refusal rate	Reported at about 38%, the highest in Schengen
Flights	No non-stop flight; Emirates flies via Larnaca, Cyprus

Who needs a visa for Malta

Whether you need a visa depends on your passport. UAE citizens have been able to visit Malta and the rest of the Schengen area without a visa since May 2015. They will need the EU's ETIAS travel authorisation once it starts; it hasn't yet, and the EU says it will announce the date several months ahead.

Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals need a Schengen visa, and so do most other nationalities living in the UAE. EU rules say you apply in the country where you legally live, so UAE residents apply in the UAE, not at home.

Apply to Malta if it is your main destination, where you spend the most nights. A week in Malta and Gozo with three nights in Sicily is a Maltese application; the reverse is an Italian one. See our Schengen visa guide for how the rule works.

How to apply from Dubai or Abu Dhabi

1. Fill in the Schengen application form, then print it and sign it.
2. Book an appointment on VFS Global's Malta site for the UAE. Guides say you use the centre for the emirate on your Emirates ID: Dubai for Dubai and the northern emirates, Abu Dhabi for Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.
3. Attend your appointment at VFS's joint visa centre in Wafi Mall, Dubai, or in the World Trade Centre mall, Abu Dhabi. Both open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. You hand in your documents, give fingerprints and pay the fees.
4. Wait about 15 calendar days for the decision. Malta can extend this to 45 days if it needs more documents or checks.

Malta has an embassy in Abu Dhabi and a consulate general in Dubai, but visa applications go through VFS. In some countries another Schengen state handles Malta's visas; the UAE isn't one of them.

Documents

VFS gives you Malta's current checklist when you book. For a tourist visit, UAE residents are usually asked for:

• Passport with at least two blank pages side by side, valid at least three months after you leave the Schengen area
• A recent photo to the Schengen standard
• The signed application form
• UAE residence visa and Emirates ID, valid at least three months after you leave the Schengen area. Some agents quote six months; check your checklist.
• Return flight booking and a hotel booking for the whole stay
• A letter from your employer on letterhead, stating your position, length of service and salary, and that you return to work after the trip. Business owners bring their trade licence.
• Bank statements, stamped by the bank. Checklists have asked for three months and for six; bring six if you can.
• Travel medical insurance with at least EUR 30,000 of cover for the whole Schengen area and your whole stay, including repatriation

A spouse or child who doesn't work brings the sponsor's bank statements and an NOC from the sponsor.

Visiting family or friends

Your host in Malta signs Identità's Declaration of Proof, a sworn statement that they will host you and, if needed, cover your costs. A notary or lawyer in Malta witnesses and certifies their signature.

Children

A child needs a birth certificate and an NOC from both parents, notarised, with copies of both parents' passports. If only one parent signs, the NOC is reported to need attestation by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs too.

English courses

Language schools say a course of up to about 12 weeks is a short stay: you apply for a Schengen visa with the school's enrolment letter. A longer course needs a Maltese national visa. Check with your school before you book.

Why Malta refuses so many applications

Malta refused 38.5% of the Schengen visa applications it decided in 2024, the highest rate of any Schengen country, according to analyses of EU figures; the 2025 rate is reported at about the same level. The EU average was under 15%. Malta doesn't publish why, but the standard Schengen grounds apply: not enough money, a purpose that doesn't hang together, or documents that don't match.

• Make every document tell the same story: the same dates on the form, the flights, the hotel and the leave letter.
• Show steady salary credits over several months, not a large deposit just before you apply.
• Book real hotels you can cancel, not placeholder reservations.
• If Malta is one stop on a longer trip, check that it really is where you spend the most nights.

How much money you need to show

We couldn't find a current daily figure on an official Maltese page. Older checklists quote EUR 48 a day; treat it as a minimum, and show enough for your hotels and return flight on top.

Fees and processing time

• Visa fee: EUR 90 for adults and EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 11, according to Malta's foreign ministry. Children under 6 pay nothing.
• VFS service charge: on top of the visa fee. VFS shows the dirham amount when you book.
• Processing: 15 calendar days as standard, up to 45 when Malta needs more documents or checks.

Malta's visa agency, Identità, says you can apply up to six months before you travel and no later than 15 days before. Appointments in the UAE were hard to get for several Schengen countries in 2026, so book as soon as your dates are firm. Fees aren't refunded if you are refused, and you can't buy a faster decision.

At the border

Since April 2026, Malta and every other Schengen country register non-EU visitors in the EU's Entry/Exit System. On your first trip since it started, you give fingerprints and a photo at passport control instead of getting a stamp.

Flights from the UAE

• There is no non-stop flight from the UAE to Malta.
• Emirates flies Dubai to Malta once a day with a stop in Larnaca, Cyprus, on the same flight number: about eight hours in total. The service was cut back in March 2026 because of the regional conflict and was running again by September.
• Other airlines connect through Istanbul or other European hubs.

Flights between the UAE and Europe were disrupted for much of 2026, so check your flight with the airline before you book, and make sure the reservation you submit matches your application dates.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I apply for a Malta visa in Dubai?

At VFS Global's joint visa centre in Wafi Mall, Dubai, or the one in the World Trade Centre mall in Abu Dhabi, Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. Malta decides the application itself.

How long does a Malta visa take from Dubai?

15 calendar days as standard, and up to 45 if Malta needs more documents. Apply up to six months before you travel and at least 15 days before.

Why is the Malta visa refusal rate so high?

Malta refused about 38% of applications in 2024, the highest rate in Schengen. It doesn't publish reasons, but weak finances and documents that don't match are the usual Schengen grounds, so make your file consistent.

How much bank balance do I need for a Malta visa?

Malta doesn't publish a current figure that we could find. Older checklists quote EUR 48 a day; bring six months of stamped statements showing a steady income.

Is there a direct flight from Dubai to Malta?

No. Emirates flies Dubai to Malta with a stop in Larnaca, Cyprus, on the same flight, about eight hours in total. Other airlines connect through European hubs.

Do Emiratis need a visa for Malta?

No. UAE citizens can visit Malta without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180. They will need an ETIAS travel authorisation once the EU starts it.

Planning a trip to Malta

Four days covers Valletta, Mdina and a boat to Comino's Blue Lagoon; a week adds Gozo. Sicily is a short ferry ride from Valletta and in Schengen, so the same visa covers it. See our Schengen visa services for help preparing your Malta application, browse holiday packages, or talk to us about flights and hotels.

Related guides

• Schengen visa for UAE residents
• Italy visa from Dubai
• Greece visa from Dubai
• Portugal visa from Dubai

Last checked 9 October 2026 against Identità's Central Visa Unit pages and its list of visa centres and representation agreements, Malta's foreign ministry visa guidance, the European Commission's Schengen visa statistics, the EU Visa Code and fee regulation, the European Commission's ETIAS page, eu-LISA on the Entry/Exit System, and airline schedules and reports. This guide is general information, not immigration advice. Confirm the current requirements with VFS Global before you apply.