NON EU - CITIZEN coming to Malta for study purposes

Hi all!

I just wanted to confirm a few things as I will be coming to Malta in September for the duration of a year for study purposes. The visa I will be applying for is a long stay visa, and I understand that once I arrive I will need to drop off my application for a student residence permit and identity registration form at the Department for Citizenship and Expatriate Affairs. Does anyone know how long this process will take? And following that, when/if granted the permit can I then register with the ETC?

I also wanted to ask about healthcare, I received a quotation from Cigna global health and for the basic core coverage it is about 52/month without any added benefits. Are there any cheaper alternatives as I will be on a student budget, or is that the average going rate? Thank you for your help!!

http://www.foreign.gov.mt/Default.aspx?MDIS=539
as from what i read above you wouldnt be able to work in your first year of study , although i hope someone more knowlegeable comes along soon

Thanks Rob! That was my understanding, but being that the duration of the course is only a year my question was do such regulations still apply? I have been in contact with the ETC numerous times about this matter, and they have not given me a straight forward answer and made it seem like I can work the allowed 10hrs/week as long as I hold a residence permit. I have stressed that if I cannot work then I will not follow through with my plans to study there as it is essential that I have some sort of income.

You need to apply for a student visa. When you arrive and start the studies, your school give you a letter with all information about the course (length, dates, etc). With this letter, your insurance and your documents (also the study form application filled), you should go to Foreigner Affairs and in "one or two months" the process is done.

Until the last week when I've checked the info for a friend, students cannot work legally but, you know, some people do and it's up to you. You can have problems? Sure. You have problems? I really don't know.

About the healthcare, I've signed an insurance last week and where I pay  212,00/year. It's not a "top choice" but solve my residence and give me some tranquility if I hit my head :)

Thank you for your input, I will however contact the ETC yet again to get confirmation. If that is the case then I guess I won't be coming to Malta. Thank you!

am i reading right ,  212,00 .. i could buy a house for that .. lol

Wow, where you can buy a house with that? Give me 3, please ;)

I thinks its that your mean to get support from elsewhere , as in family or friends, to prevent people using a education course to come to malta and work .
however i am pretty sure there are many who circumnavigate this and with the amount of cash in hand jobs going it wouldnt suprise me in the slightest.

Romaana wrote:

Thank you for your input, I will however contact the ETC yet again to get confirmation. If that is the case then I guess I won't be coming to Malta. I have been told that I can still work - as you said people do it. But I would not want to get into that and risk being deported. But thank you!


Yes, make a double check. What I know is some friends change their plans to Ireland because they can work there and not here. But, things change ;)

Lucky!

that is two hundred and twelve thousand ? its early in the morning and my eyesight is terrible lol but if thats the case i can buy some for about 60,000 euro  lol

robpw2 wrote:

I thinks its that your mean to get support from elsewhere , as in family or friends, to prevent people using a education course to come to malta and work .
however i am pretty sure there are many who circumnavigate this and with the amount of cash in hand jobs going it wouldnt suprise me in the slightest.


Rob, believe me, 212,00 euros for 1 year insurance is cheap (for me). In Brazil I had a private healthcare where I pay around 100 euros/month and in every assistance or emergency, I need to pay a little bit more (they call it "sharing plan").

When the insurance guy give me the price for a full insurance I just smiled. Is what my mother pay for 2 months in a poor plan there.

I don't know if I'm living in the clouds but, for me, is cheap.

robpw2 wrote:

that is two hundred and twelve thousand ? its early in the morning and my eyesight is terrible lol but if thats the case i can buy some for about 60,000 euro  lol


Hahahaha, you forget the comma :)

two hundred and twelve euros/year :)

im shocked lol , i guess i am lucky i was born in a country with a national health service and have never had to worry about insurance for health

lol that makes more sense thats very good value  we would use a . so £212.00 .... a comma would signify the 00 are important like 212,00. i thought i may be misreading it

robpw2 wrote:

im shocked lol , i guess i am lucky i was born in a country with a national health service and have never had to worry about insurance for health


I'm not a lucky man  :sosad:

no houses for 212  euros a year though .. maybe a tent ,lol

212 is cheaper than what I've been quoted. And yes, I understand that, but I guess to ease things on my parents it would be ideal that I am earning something as well. Anyway, thank you for your help. As much as I was set on Malta, maybe it's not for me, as you said things change. Thanks again!

Hi Romaana,

what is your nationality ? I presume non- EU ?

In that case you are definitly not allowed to work during your first year of study. What are you going to study at the University of Malta? Language schools do not qualify to be allowed to work, even after one year.

Apart from the deposit you will be required to show your financial means for the duration of your stay/studies. That is around 50 /day and does not allow you to earn part of that in Malta.

Thanks Ricky.

And it's useless to contact ETC.
The employer should actually do it, not employee.

And as from 21/07/14, there is no need to contact even from employer side - you just go to Evans Building with work contract and apply for single residence permit.

But in your case you have a great chance for rejection.