Malta comes up again and again in UAE WhatsApp groups as the “easy” Schengen country: small, English-speaking, with shorter queues. The 2025 figures tell a different story. The Maltese consulate in Dubai received 6,915 applications from the UAE and did not issue a visa in 47% of them — nearly one in two, and the highest rate of any Schengen consulate in the UAE with more than 5,000 applications. Malta is a beautiful destination. It is not a shortcut.
Checked on 20 October 2026 against VFS Global Malta UAE, Malta’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the European Commission’s 2025 visa statistics. Sources at the end.
On this page
- Malta at a glance
- The “apply through Malta” myth
- Step by step
- Documents
- What the 2025 figures say
- Questions people ask
Malta at a glance
| Who decides | Consulate General of Malta, Dubai |
| Where you submit | Joint Visa Application Centre (VFS Global) — Dubai or Abu Dhabi |
| Visa fee | AED 360 from age 12, AED 180 ages 6–11, free under 6 |
| VFS service fee | AED 120 per application |
| Decision time | 15 days standard; up to 45 if reviewed further |
| Apply | No more than 6 months and no less than 15 days before travel |
| 2025 not-issued rate | 47% (UAE average 23.9%) |
| Multiple-entry share | 50% of issued visas |
VFS lists the fees in AED, including taxes, payable in cash or by card. They are not refunded if you are refused.
The “apply through Malta” myth
The idea is simple: book a few nights in Malta, apply there, then spend the trip in Italy or France. It does not work, for three reasons:
- The law decides your consulate. Under Article 5 of the EU Visa Code, you apply to the country of your main destination — the most nights, or the main purpose. Malta’s own VFS page repeats this rule.
- Consulates check. Your flights, hotels and itinerary show where you will really be.
- The numbers. Nearly half of Malta’s UAE applications in 2025 did not end in a visa. A refusal is recorded in the Schengen Visa Information System, where every future consulate can see it.
The Commission’s statistics do not give reasons for refusals, so we cannot say how many were main-destination cases. What is clear is that Malta is not easier. Read more in which Schengen country to apply to.
If Malta really is your trip — a week in Valletta, Gozo and Comino, or an English course — apply with confidence and a complete file.
Step by step
- Download the Malta Schengen C-visa checklist and the Declaration of Proof from VFS Malta UAE.
- Fill in and sign the application form (English or Arabic).
- Book an appointment at the joint centre in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
- Attend in person. For children under 18, both parents normally attend; if one cannot, they sign the parental consent form before a notary.
- Pay the visa fee and the AED 120 service fee.
- Track the application and collect your passport.
Documents
- Passport issued in the last 10 years, valid 3 months beyond your return, with two blank pages.
- UAE residence visa valid at least 3 months beyond your return, and Emirates ID.
- Signed application form, completed checklist and Declaration of Proof.
- Photo to Malta’s specification: taken in the last 6 months, white background.
- Return flight reservation and accommodation in Malta for the whole stay.
- Day-by-day itinerary — make it obvious Malta is the main destination.
- Employer letter or NOC, payslips and bank statements for 3 to 6 months.
- Travel insurance — mandatory, €30,000 minimum across Schengen.
Malta’s UAE checklist does not publish a fixed daily funds figure. Show a balance that comfortably covers the trip and regular income. See bank balance for a Schengen visa.
What the 2025 figures say
| Malta, Dubai (2025) | Figure |
|---|---|
| Applications | 6,915 |
| Visas issued | 3,654 |
| Not-issued rate | 47% |
| Multiple-entry share of issued visas | 50% |
The Commission also lists a tiny Malta line for Abu Dhabi: 164 applications, 155 issued. It is too small to draw conclusions from, and today the Consulate General in Dubai handles UAE visas. Compare every consulate in our Schengen statistics for the UAE.
If you are refused
The refusal letter states the reasons and the appeal route. If the reason is that your main destination is elsewhere, the answer is not an appeal — it is a new application to the right country. See our refusal and appeal guide.
Mistakes to avoid
- Applying to Malta for a trip that is really about Italy, France or Germany.
- Paying an agent who promises an “easy Malta visa”.
- Forgetting the Declaration of Proof.
- A photo that doesn’t meet the specification.
Questions people ask
Is a Malta visa easy to get from Dubai?
No. In 2025, 47% of UAE applications to Malta’s Dubai consulate did not end in a visa — about twice the UAE average.
Can I apply through Malta and travel to Italy?
Not if Italy is where you spend the most nights. You must apply to your main destination.
How much is the Malta visa fee in the UAE?
AED 360 for applicants aged 12 and over, plus AED 120 for VFS, according to VFS Malta UAE.
Related guides
- Which Schengen country to apply to from the UAE
- Italy Schengen visa from the UAE
- Schengen appointment scams in the UAE
- Schengen visa statistics for the UAE
Sources
- VFS Global — Malta visa information, UAE: visa.vfsglobal.com
- Malta Ministry for Foreign Affairs — Consulate General of Malta in Dubai: missions.foreign.gov.mt
- European Commission — Visa statistics for consulates, 2025 (published 28 May 2026)
- EU Visa Code, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 — Article 5
Written by Asad Waleed M, Dubai. Asad has lived in the UAE for nine years and researches visa rules from government sources. He is not an immigration lawyer or consultant, and Sifqa does not process applications. Read the editorial policy.
Last checked 20 October 2026. Rechecked quarterly. Found an error? Email [email protected] — it gets fixed and logged.