Entry rule for your passport
Schengen visa required for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Apply to the consulate of your main destination, which is Malta if you spend the longest there.
Official sources: European Union (EUR-Lex).
Who this covers: Ordinary Indian passports for short tourist visits to Malta under the common Schengen rules. Maltese-specific application steps, appointment routes and document lists could not be read and are not covered. Work, long stays and official passports need separate checks.
Check your circumstances
Read these conditions alongside the entry rule. Where official guidance does not state a condition, that is not confirmation that no condition applies.
- Passport type Not stated in the cited guidance
- The EU list requires a visa for Indian nationals. The pages read do not say how diplomatic, service or official passports are treated, so this guide covers ordinary passports only.
Official sources: European Union (EUR-Lex).
- Trip purpose Confirmed for this scope
- A Schengen visa is a short, temporary visit of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Tourists show supporting documents on the purpose of the stay, funds, accommodation and intention to return home.
Official sources: European Commission.
- Age Conditions to check
- The fee is EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 12 and EUR 90 for adults. Children under 12 do not give fingerprints. A minor who travels without a parent needs the consent of the parental authority or legal guardian.
Official sources: European Commission.
- Residence Conditions to check
- As a general rule you apply at the consulate with territorial responsibility for the country where you are legally resident.
Official sources: European Commission.
- Other visas or residence permits Not stated in the cited guidance
- The Visa Code exempts holders of a valid Schengen visa, national long-stay visa or residence permit from the airport transit visa requirement. The pages read do not say whether such a permit replaces a short-stay visa for a tourist stay, so ask the consulate before you rely on one.
Official sources: European Union (EUR-Lex).
- Carrier and arrival route Not stated in the cited guidance
- Some nationalities also need an airport transit visa, set out in a separate EU list. The pages read do not state whether Indian nationals are on it, so check before a stopover in a Schengen airport.
Official sources: European Commission.
- Stay and visa validity Conditions to check
- The visa allows a stay of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. It can be a single-entry or a multiple-entry visa, so stay only within the days your visa grants.
Official sources: European Commission.
Which country to apply to
You lodge the application at the consulate of the country you intend to visit. If you visit several Schengen countries, apply to the one where you will spend the longest; if the stays are equal, apply to the one you reach first. Malta issues Schengen (short stay) and national (long stay) visas through its Central Visa Unit, and the work is shared with its diplomatic missions abroad.
Malta's own list of countries it is represented by does not include India, but the Maltese mission pages for India could not be read. Check Malta's current instructions for Indian applicants before you book anything.
Official sources: European Commission; European Union (EUR-Lex); Identita Malta (identita.gov.mt), Central Visa Unit; Identita Malta (identita.gov.mt), Central Visa Unit.
When to apply and how long it takes
Apply no more than six months before your trip and, as a rule, at least 15 days before it. You may have to book an appointment. A decision normally takes 15 days, and can take up to 45 days if the consulate needs a closer look or extra documents. A visa does not give an automatic right of entry: border officers can still refuse entry if you cannot show funds or the details of your stay.
Official sources: European Commission; European Union (EUR-Lex); Identita Malta (identita.gov.mt), Central Visa Unit.
Documents and fingerprints
The EU's general list asks for a passport valid at least three months after you leave the Schengen area, a signed application form, a photo that meets ICAO standards, medical insurance covering emergency care, hospital treatment and repatriation, and documents on the purpose of your stay, your funds, your accommodation and your intention to return home. Your fingerprints are taken when you lodge the application, except for children under 12 and a few other exempt groups.
Consulates can ask for more documents or hold an interview in justified cases.
Official sources: European Commission; European Union (EUR-Lex).
Fees
The visa fee is EUR 90 for adults and EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 12. A visa service centre may add its own fee, and the fee can be waived for some categories of applicants. Check Malta's current fee notice before you pay.
Official sources: European Commission.
At the border
The EU Entry/Exit System has been fully operational since 10 April 2026 and replaces passport stamping, so you may be asked to register biometric details on arrival. ETIAS is not yet operating, and it would not replace the visa an Indian tourist needs.
Official sources: European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs; European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs.
Check the linked authorities again before travel; Malta makes the final entry decision.
Approved by TravPa Editors.