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Malta Passport Visa Free Countries List

There are a few different kinds of visa available, including those covering business, tourism and individuals in transit. As their names suggest, they basically provide an explanation for why you are travelling to a certain destination, whether that is for business or leisure purposes, for example. Visas are issued by the authorities to people without citizenship to provide validity to their visit to the country.

However, this process can often be lengthy, expensive, limiting and frustrating. Visa-free travel means that you can visit other countries without the need to go through any of this hassle. It is generally available to residents when the government of both countries have established an agreement allowing for visa free travel. The freedom of movement seen within the European Union is a perfect example of this kind of arrangement. It’s also an arrangement that Maltese passport holders benefit from, and is one of several factors which have made the Maltese passport rank fourth for travel freedom according to the Malta Passport Index. This is especially impressive when you consider that this index includes 219 destinations and 199 passports.

Among the many significant benefits of Maltese citizenship planning either by naturalisation or through investment is visa-free travel to 124 countries and visa-on-arrival for 41 other countries.

Benefits Of Unrestricted Travel

  • Hassle free travel without the need to deal with complications, forms or additional bureaucracy. This includes the ability to travel without the need for things like bank statements, copies of passports and references from employers. This also means that you have a greater level of privacy as you do not need to share this private/confidential data.
  • You can save money by avoiding the fees needed to obtain a visa, which can be very steep in certain countries.
  • Avoid the inconvenience of needing to wait around at a governmental body/embassy in order for your visa to be processed. This means you can travel at a moment’s notice, without the need to plan in advance. This is as valuable for businesses as it is for a spur of the moment holiday.
  • Finally, there is no need to wait in those lengthy and cramped border control queues when you arrive at your destination.

What’s the difference?:Visa-free and Visa-on-Arrival

The key differences between visa-fee and visa-on-arrival can likely largely be guessed by their names. Visa on arrival provides you with a visa when you arrive in the country, specifically at the port of entry. The process is started and completed at that point. The way this is done is generally pretty simple: your passport is checked, stamped, the visa payment is collected and the visa is then issued. There may be some countries where biometrics, in others words fingerprints or facial scans, are taken, but other than that the experience should be fairly consistent.

Although it is not quite as straightforward as visa free travel, it is still a great deal more simple than obtaining a visa ahead of travelling. For starters, there’s a single location and no need to go through time-consuming formal procedures with an embassy/consulate.

There are, nonetheless, a few things to keep in mind. First off, you will need to make sure that there is space in your passport for an additional stamp. This is a simple point, but an important one all the same. Also, in certain states, you will be required to provide proof of your return journey, alongside things like evidence of accomodation bookings and adequate funds for your stated journey. This is all essentially to prove you are there for the reasons outlined.

Generally speaking, visa on arrival facilities should be available at your port of admission. However, it is up to you to ensure this, and if not, a regular visa must have been acquired before landing. Do note that visa on arrival facilities, when crossing a land border, tend to be separate from immigration controls. This keeps things straightforward and is utilised by countries to avoid and minimise the possibilities of corruption.

Visa-free travel, as you may imagine, is quite a bit more straightforward. You do not need to apply for a visa, nor do you need to acquire one upon arrival. This means that you save both time and money, allowing little need for preplanning. If you are someone who may need to travel in the spur of the moment for business, for instance, this kind of access is of incredible importance and value.

Nonetheless, even in these instances, you will still need to travel through immigration so that they can check your passport for validity. You may also receive a stamp at this point depending on the nation you are visiting. For instance, the United States stamps upon entry; Singapore on entry and exit; and others like Israel do not stamp at all but instead provide landing strips. The security reasons for this requirement are pretty obvious: there’s no way of telling you have the right to travel visa-free unless they are able to inspect the passport at this point.

Regardless of your method of travel, you must always be mindful not to overstay your allowed leave of entry. This, of course, depends on the specifics of the country and the type of visa, but even visa free travel is often restricted for a limited time. This is generally between two weeks and a few months, to upwards of half a year to a year. Ensure that you check the specifics when planning your stay because overstaying is an offence which can be prosecuted with civil or even criminal charges in some instances. It may also restrict your travel in the future as a result.


List of Countries Available for Visa-Free Travel in the Schengen Area From Malta

Malta entered the Schengen group in 2007, after signing the Schengen agreement which eliminated all the internal borders between the member states.

Up to now, there are 26 countries (including Malta) which form part of the Schengen area and privileges the right to freedom of travel without internal border checks.

The Malta citizenship  programs give access to the following countries for visa free entry:

  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Italy
  • Latvia
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland

According to the European Union (EU) Legislation, all children who are nationals of Malta are expected to hold their passport or

National ID Card when departing from an EU Schengen state.

Below is the list of countries you can visit visa free with a Maltese passport:

ASIA:

  • Bangladesh* – maximum stay is 30 days
  • Brunei – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Cambodia* – maximum stay is 30 days. Online visa available
  • Hong Kong – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Indonesia – maximum stay is 30 days. Not available at all entry points.
  • Japan – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Kazakhstan – maximum stay is 30 days
  • Kyrgyzstan – maximum stay is 60 days
  • Laos* – maximum stay is 30 days
  • Macao – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Malaysia – maximum stay is 30 days
  • Maldives* – maximum stay is 30 days
  • Nepal* – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Philippines – maximum stay is 30 days
  • Singapore – maximum stay is 90 days
  • South Korea – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Sri Lanka* – maximum stay is 30 days
  • Taiwan – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Tajikistan* – maximum stay is 45 days
  • Thailand* – maximum stay is 15 days
  • Timor-Leste – maximum stay is 90 days

EUROPE:

  • Albania – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Gibraltar – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Netherlands – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Andorra – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Greece – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Norway – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Austria – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Greenland – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Poland – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Belarus – maximum stay is 30 day
  • Hungary – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Portugal – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Belgium – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Iceland – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Romania – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Bosnia & Herzegovina – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Ireland – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • San Marino – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Bulgaria – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Italy – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Serbia – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Croatia – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Kosovo – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Slovakia – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Cyprus – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Latvia – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Slovenia – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Czech Republic – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Liechtenstein – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Spain – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Denmark – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Lithuania– Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Sweden – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Estonia – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Luxembourg – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Switzerland – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Faroe Islands – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Macedonia – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Ukraine – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Finland – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Moldova – maximum stay is 90 days
  • United Kingdom – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • France – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Monaco – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Vatican City – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Germany – Can travel on Maltese Identity Card
  • Montenegro – maximum stay is 90 days

AFRICA:

  • Benin* – maximum stay is 30 days
  • Botswana – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Burkina Faso* – maximum stay is 30 days
  • Cape Verde Islands* – maximum stay is 30 days
  • Comoros Islands*
  • Djibouti* – maximum stay is 31 days
  • Egypt* – maximum stay is 30 days
  • Gabon* – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Gambia – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Guinea-Bissau*– maximum stay is 90 days
  • Kenya*– maximum stay is 90 days
  • Lesotho
  • Madagascar*– maximum stay is 30 days
  • Malawi*
  • Mauritania*
  • Mauritius – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Mayotte
  • Morocco – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Mozambique*– maximum stay is 30 days
  • Reunion
  • Rwanda*– maximum stay is 30 days
  • Sao Tome & Principe – maximum stay is 15 days
  • Senegal – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Seychelles* – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Somalia*
  • South Africa – maximum stay is 90 days
  • St Helena*
  • Swaziland (Eswatini) – maximum stay is 30 days
  • Tanzania – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Togo* – maximum stay is 7 days
  • Tunisia – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Uganda – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Zambia – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Zimbabwe – maximum stay is 90 days

OCEANIA:

  • American Samoa – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Marshall Islands – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Papua New Guinea* – maximum stay is 60 days
  • Australia – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Micronesia – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Samoa – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Cook Islands – maximum stay is 31 days
  • New Caledonia – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Solomon Islands – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Fiji – maximum stay is 120 days
  • New Zealand – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Tonga – maximum stay is 90 days
  • French Polynesia
  • Niue – maximum stay is 30 days
  • Tuvalu – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Guam – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Northern Mariana Island
  • Vanuatu – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Kiribati – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Palau Islands – maximum stay is 90 days

CARRIBEAN:

  • Anguilla – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Antigua & Barbuda – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Aruba – maximum stay is 30 days
  • Bahamas – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Barbados – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Bonaire; St Eustatius & Saba – maximum stay is 90 days
  • British Virgin Islands – maximum stay is 30 days
  • Cayman Islands – maximum stay is 180 days
  • Curacao – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Dominica – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Dominican Republic – maximum stay is 90 days
  • French West Indies
  • Grenada – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Haiti – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Jamaica
  • Montserrat – maximum stay is 180 days
  • Puerto Rico – maximum stay is 90 days
  • St Kitts and Nevis – maximum stay is 90 days
  • St Lucia – maximum stay is 90 days
  • St Maarten – maximum stay is 90 days
  • St Vincent & the Grenadines – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Trinidad and Tobago – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Turks and Caicos Islands – maximum stay is 90 days
  • U.S. Virgin Islands – maximum stay is 90 days

AMERICAS:

  • Argentina – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Belize – maximum stay is 30 days
  • Bermuda – maximum stay is 21 days
  • Bolivia* – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Brazil – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Canada – maximum stay is 180 days
  • Chile – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Colombia – maximum stay is 180 days
  • Costa Rica – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Ecuador – maximum stay is 90 days
  • El Salvador – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Falkland Islands – maximum stay is 30 days
  • French Guiana
  • Guatemala – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Honduras – maximum stay is 90 days
  • México – maximum stay is 180 days
  • Nicaragua – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Panamá – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Paraguay – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Perú – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Suriname* – maximum stay is 90 days
  • United States – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Uruguay – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Venezuela – maximum stay is 90 days

MIDDLE EAST:

  • Armenia – maximum stay is 180 days
  • Bahrain* – maximum stay is 14 days
  • Georgia – maximum stay is one year
  • Iran* – maximum stay is 30 days
  • Israel – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Jordan*
  • Kuwait* – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Lebanon* – maximum stay is 30 days
  • Oman* – maximum stay is 30 days
  • Palestinian Territory
  • Qatar – maximum stay is 90 days
  • Turkey* – maximum stay is 90 days
  • United Arab Emirates – maximum stay is 90 days

Where* stands for visa-on-arrival in the Malta passport visa free countries list

Passengers need to confirm if a transit visa is required for any connections. People having a halt at the airport of an intermediary country, might require a transit visa to stay in the airport, while on their way to another country..

People travelling to countries, not in the Malta passport visa free countries list above, would require a visa.


Travelling To The U.S.

A Maltese national or anyone with a malta passport by investment travelling for tourism purposes in the U.S. does not need a visa for a maximum of 90 days on the following conditions:

  • The passenger needs to hold a biometric passport.
  • The e-form called ESTA must be filled at least 72 hrs before departure via the U.S.
  • Any Maltese national who is still has a valid entry visa on a non-biometric passport can enter the U.S.

A Maltese national would need to apply for a visa before travelling to the U.S. if the above guidelines are not met.

General Points Before Travelling

Passport validity length

There is no comprehensive answer on passport validity length, as it entirely depends on the individual country. Often though, a country will require you to be in possession of a passport that is valid for six months minimum from the date of your arrival. Some countries, however, only need your passport to be valid on arrival, or simply throughout the duration of your stay. It is also the case that certain countries have arrangements in order to cut the period of passport validity and can even accept expired passports in some instances.

Blank passport pages

As we have mentioned before, something to take into account is the need for blank passport pages. These are required as often countries use stamps to record your coming and going from that state. Generally, you will only need one or two blank pages available. Do note that the signature pages, which can often be found after the visa pages, do not count as an available page.

Vaccination

Something that needs to be taken very seriously is vaccination, specifically when it comes to yellow fever. Almost all African countries require incoming passengers to have this vaccination and to be able to verify this fact with an up to date International Certificate of Vaccination. In the case of some other countries, you will only need the certificate if you have come from, or have recently visited, an infected area.

Maltese Identity Cards

Maltese identity cards or Malta golden passport are granted to the citizens of Malta and other lawful residents of Malta. They can be used as a document to travel when visiting nations in the European Union and the European Economic Area.

Conclusion

The benefits of holding a Maltese passport are vast, including visa free access to a huge amount of countries, from the Schengen area alongside much of the rest of the world. One of these countries is the beautiful island of Malta itself, which on its own offers more than a lifetime’s worth of beauty and discovery. The advantages in terms of personal liberty, convenience and business opportunities are too vast to fully explore. A non-Maltese or a non-European Citizen can benefit from a unique program called the Malta Individual Investor Programme (MIIP) and can take up Maltese Citizenship by Investment.

Let our experts guide you on your journey for dual citizenship or residency, register with us now.

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