Malta visa for British citizens

In 2025, Malta’s embassy and consulates in the United Kingdom (London) received 5,216 applications for short-stay Schengen visas and issued 4,623. 11.3% of applications were refused. In 2024 it had been 5.2%: the rate rose by 6.1 points, a sharp increase. The number of applications was almost unchanged (5,104 in 2024).

For comparison, all Schengen states together refused 10.5% of the applications lodged in the United Kingdom that year, from 1.0% at the consulates of the Netherlands to 32.0% at those of Iceland. Malta’s consulates worldwide refused 38.4%. Malta was the 13th most applied-for Schengen state in the United Kingdom.

You apply to the Schengen state that is your main destination (the longest stay or the main purpose; the state of first entry only when there is none), so a lower rate elsewhere is no reason to apply there. The figures cover applications lodged in the United Kingdom, by any nationality: mostly citizens, but also residents from other countries.

For a trip from the United Kingdom to Malta, the published travel advice reads as follows: the US State Department rates Malta at Level 1, exercise normal precautions (updated 8 July 2026), the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office does not advise against travel to Malta (updated 11 August 2026) and the German Foreign Office has no travel warning for Malta (updated 13 October 2026).

How long British citizens can stay in Malta

British citizens may stay in Malta for up to 90 days. Days in Malta count towards the Schengen limit of 90 days in any 180-day period across all member states.

Malta and the Schengen area

Visa-free stays of British citizens in Malta count towards the Schengen limit of 90 days in any 180-day period, shared with every other member state.

Maltese citizens travelling to the United Kingdom

Maltese citizens do not need a visa for the United Kingdom, but they need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) before departure; it covers stays of up to 180 days.