MALTA SHORT-TERM VISA FOR PHILIPPINE PASSPORT HOLDERS
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What is Malta famous for? Malta is the smallest country of the European Union (EU) by land area and population. What’s surprising is that Malta is a popular tourist destination and known for its warm climate and breathtaking landscapes. With its beautiful weather in a paradise, it serves as locations for major film productions such as Troy, 007: Casino Royale, Davinci Code, Count of Monte Cristo, Captain Phillips, Assassin’s Creed, and Game of Thrones. Name it! The archipelago is home to fantastic places, vast History, friendly climate, and amazing culture one should visit.
In this article, learn more about how to apply for a Malta visa from the Philippines, Malta visa appointment booking, processing time at the Malta visa application center, flight itinerary for a Malta visa, hotel bookings for a Malta visa, Schengen travel insurance for a Malta visa application, and Malta visa application process in the Philippines.
Who is eligible to apply for a Malta short-term visa?
Important Documents to Prepare
1. Online Visa Application Form duly filled out and signed by the applicant.
2. Two current biometrical passport photos (35-45 mm width)– have your passport photo taken. The embassy is very strict on their photo specifications. Fortunately, they have a page on their official website dedicated to explaining this. Bring at least two copies or more, just in case. One photo should be glued to the application form. The second photo will be returned to you.
- Taken with nothing covering the face, without sunglasses or contact lenses, or a head covering unless worn for religious or medical reasons.
- The subject should have their mouth closed (no grinning, frowning or raised eyebrows).
After which, paste your photo on each of the electronic visa form that you completed online (1 original and 1 photocopy of the form).
3. Original Passport and a Photocopy of it as well as the Bio Page– The embassy requires that your passport is valid for at least another three months on the date the visa application is submitted. It also must have two empty pages for them to stamp your passport. If you have renewed your passport, bring your old one/s with you. These are needed especially if you have previous overseas trips.
4. Proof of travel/ Travel plan (travel destination, route, proof of accommodation, and itinerary) – a copy of the roundtrip airline booking with dates and flight numbers specifying entry and exit from Malta. With the necessary documents needed, this should clearly state the purpose of your travel. You just need to show a flight itinerary from the Philippines that should cover your entry and exit to and from Malta and to all Schengen countries of destinations, including your exit and entry from MANILA TO MANILA (EX. MANILA-MALTA-SPAIN-MALTA-MANILA).
- If applying as a Tourist:
- A cover letter addressed to the Malta Embassy Consul. If you are a first-time traveler to Malta, please submit an informal declaration through a cover letter explaining your willingness to return to the Philippines before the expiration of your visa: What exactly will be an incentive for you to return to the Philippines, and can you submit proofs for these circumstances?
- Your day-to-day itinerary – be specific in indicating the place you will visit and the tours you will join or take.
- Proof of accommodation or Hotel reservations – you would need to show hotel bookings, but this does not mean that you must pay for your hotel reservations this early. You can check via Booking.com, Airbnb, Agoda, or simply an apartment.
- If joining a cruise, please provide your booking certificate and the ship’s itinerary.
- Flight reservation – Reservation ONLY. Do not pay for your flight reservations until your visa is approved. You can avail of my services for a dummy ticket so that I can assist you with your flight reservations. Get a flight reservation here.
B. If without a Sponsor: In cases where the applicant, and not the inviting party, will be responsible for his/her own expenses, s/he should provide evidence that:
- the accommodation has been obtained for the entirety of the stay in Malta
- s/he is in possession of funds totaling at least 48 Euros for each day of the applicant’s visit in Malta (such as Bank Certificates, Bank statements, Bank Books, Latest Income Tax Return, Business Permit, Employment Certificate, SEC registration)
- Additional documents for children (minors):
- Department for Social Welfare Department (DSWD) Travel Clearance – If a child (minor) is traveling without the parent(s) having legal custody, a travel permit may be necessary. Please contact the Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) after you receive the visa.
- Affidavit of Support and Consent of both parents or legal guardians (especially of the non-traveling parent) notarized and legalized by the Department of Foreign Affairs
- Birth Certificate of the minor certified by the National Statistic Office (NSO)
- Photocopy of passport of parents/legal guardians
- Proof of economic means of parents/legal guardians
5. Travel Insurance – the coverage must be applied during the entire duration of the trip in Malta and must be valid for all Schengen countries. Coverage sum must be AT LEAST EUR 30,000 (Php 2.5 million or USD 50,000). I highly recommend Pioneer Insurance which you can avail yourself through me. Feel free to directly inquire through JASTravel on Facebook and I would be very glad to assist you.
For the list of recommended Schengen insurance companies in the Philippines, you can also check it through https://www.vfsglobal.com/Malta/Philippines/pdf/New-Insurance-Visit-Family.pdf . And it is also great to know that Pioneer Insurance is one them!
6. Proof of vaccination– Vaccines that are recognized are only those that are registered by the European Medicines Agency (EMA): Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson.
7. Proof of Funds or Financial Capacity – these documents are necessary to prove that you can either support yourself or your sponsor can cover your expenses financially during the whole duration of your travel.
- If applying as a Tourist or as a Visitor without a Sponsor – this means that you will cover all your expenses during the entire duration of your travel.
- Bank statements – must show records of the past six months. A bank statement shows your transactions in your account at a specific period. It will show debits (withdrawals, payments, taxes, service fees) and credits (deposits, interest earned.) Bank Statements can also be seen online especially if you have a registered account. There is no signature for the manager or a bank officer.
- Bank Certificate – it is a confirmation by the branch manager or a bank officer that you have an existing account in their bank. It shows the account number, the type, and other details such as the opening date of your account, your account balance as of the date of request, and your average daily balance.
- Other proof of income (supporting documents) – although it is not really required, you can submit invoices and pay slip equivalent to prove that you earn enough to support this trip financially.
- If applying as a Tourist or as a Visitor with a Sponsor – this means that your host and/or sponsor (family, friend, partner, or fiancé) pledges to take full responsibility to cover all the expenses that you will incur during the whole duration of your travel.
- If applying as a Tourist or as a Visitor without a Sponsor – this means that you will cover all your expenses during the entire duration of your travel.
To know more about additional requirements that you would need from your sponsor, check out my YouTube video: https://youtu.be/SEad8VHVkLk
9. Proof of Civil Status – Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Death Certificate of the spouse, etc. These documents must be issued on security paper (SECPA) by the Philippine Statistics Authority, see http://www.psaserbilis.com.ph.
Note: The birth certificate does not need to be authenticated by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs.
10. Evidence of your rootedness in the Philippines – Evidence of deep-rootedness a.k.a. strong family and social ties to your home country, is one of the most critical requirements when applying for a Schengen Visa. It is what the Consul will look for in your visa application. So how do you prove that you are firmly established in the Philippines and that you will go back to your home country?
- For Employees:
- Employment or Work contract and bank account statements or payslips showing the transfer of your last six-monthly salaries
- Certificate of Employment which should include the employer’s full name, complete address, telephone number with area code, details regarding the position, income, and employment duration
- Approved letter of approved leave signed by your employer (Leave of Absence letter)
- Optional: Signed No Objection Certificate which states that your employer has no objection for you to travel to Malta and that they have approved your leave request
- Most recent Income Tax Return 2316 (ITR)
- Optional Supporting Documents:
› Government Mandated Contributions – SSS, Pag-ibig, Philhealth Contributions
› If with existing loan – SSS Loan or Pag-ibig Salary loan
- For Self-Employed:
- DTI Business Name Registration Certificate
- Barangay Business Clearance
- Mayor’s Business Permit from your Municipality where the business address has been registered
- Business activity of your company for the last 6 months – invoices and bank transactions
- Most recent Income Tax Return 2316 (ITR)
- For Retirees:
- Pension statement for the last 6 months
- Retirement Certification
- Others (No work, No Business, etc.): Family as Proof of Rootedness:
- For Solo parents:
› A copy of your birth certificate- PSA Authenticated
› A copy of your child/children’s birth certificate- PSA Authenticated
› Solo parent ID
› Barangay Certification as Solo parent
› Notarized Affidavit of Solo Parent with Undertaking
› Money remittances to support your dependents - For those who are supporting or watching over the health/well-being of the family:
› A copy of my parent’s birth certificates- PSA Authenticated
› If parents are already Senior Citizens: a copy of their Senior Citizen ID and Barangay Certification as Senior Citizens
› If parents have sickness/ illness: Medical history of parents (diabetes, hypertension, etc.)
- For Solo parents:
- For Employees:
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Apply for Malta Schengen Visa
If you are residing in the Philippines, either as a national of the country or you have a visa to live there permanently, you will need to apply for a visa if you are planning on visiting Malta.
It’s easy to apply for your visa from the Philippines. All you need to do is submit your application and supporting documents to VFS Global in Manila and Cebu. Once you have done that, your application will be sent to the Embassy of Malta in Beijing for processing.
You can apply up to 3 months before your departure date. Applications generally take a minimum of 15 days to be processed, although it could take longer. As a general rule, you must apply well ahead of your trip to allow your application to be processed in time.
If you are applying for a Malta Schengen Visa, there is no Embassy of Malta in the Philippines. The nearest embassy to apply for a short-stay visa is at the Embassy of Malta in China, but the good news is, you don’t need to go to the embassy in China to lodge all your documents. It’s much more convenient to lodge them at VFS Manila as they already have a proper system to process this.
Take note that I will be providing you with information that is accurate as of this writing which can change without notice, so please always check their website for updated information.
Quick Facts
- Validity of Visa : Short-stay Schengen visas allow people to stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days every six-month period
- Processing time: The average processing time is 2 weeks, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, where visa staff work on a skeletal schedule, it may take between 2 to 4 weeks.
- Where to lodge your application:
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- VFS Manila
Ground Floor, Eco- Plaza Bldg., 2305 Don Chino Roces Ave. Ext., Makati, Metro Manila
- VFS Manila
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- VFS Cebu
Unit 503, 5th Floor, Keppel Center, Samar Loop cor. Cardinal Rosales Avenue, Cebu Business Park, Cebu City 6000
- VFS Cebu
- Embassy’s Information:
- Embassy of Malta China:
- Address: 1-51 SanLiTun Diplomatic Office Building, Gong Ti Bei Lu, Chaoyang District, 100600 Beijing
- Telephone Number: 0086 10 65323114
- E-mail address: maltaembassy.beijing@gov.mt
- Embassy of Malta China:
- Visa and Service Fees:
- The standard Malta Schengen visa fee for an adult is 80 Euros. Certain types of applicants (most students, children under 6) are exempt from all visa fees. To get a Schengen visa for Malta, you will likely have to submit a service payment with your visa application-this is a separate cost from the visa fee. Please note that these fees are non-refundable in the case of visa rejection.
- Visa Fee – Php 4,640 (EURO 80)
- For 6-12 years – Php 2,320 (EURO 40)
- VFS Logistics fee – Php 1,580 per applicant
- The standard Malta Schengen visa fee for an adult is 80 Euros. Certain types of applicants (most students, children under 6) are exempt from all visa fees. To get a Schengen visa for Malta, you will likely have to submit a service payment with your visa application-this is a separate cost from the visa fee. Please note that these fees are non-refundable in the case of visa rejection.
- Shipment fee for the delivery of your passport: Php 1,460 (two-way, Manila-Beijing-Manila)
Recap and Tips
So, just a recap and a reminder, please don’t forget these TIPS:
If you ever need help, you can avail my visa application bundle, and I will be glad to help you through the process!
