Yes, you can study English and work in Malta, but with conditions. If you don't hold an EU passport, you need a course longer than 90 days (national D visa), and you can only work up to 20 hours a week after your first 3 months of study, subject to Jobsplus conditions. If you are an EU citizen, you can work without a permit. Below are the official requirements, the money you must show and the mistakes that sink most applications.
1. Who can work, and from when
| Your situation | Can you work? | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| EU/EEA citizen | Yes, from day one | No permit. Staying over 3 months: register your residence with Identità |
| Non-EU, course of up to 90 days | No | Schengen C visa (or visa-free if your country is exempt) |
| Non-EU, course over 90 days | Yes, with limits | Max. 20 h/week, after your first 3 months of study in Malta, under Jobsplus conditions (including permitted sectors) |
| Non-EU, recognised higher education (MQF level 5+) | Yes, from the first year | Max. 20 h/week, with a student residence permit |
In practice, on an English course: the first three months you only study; after that you can work part-time. That is why courses of 6 months or longer are the ones that make sense if you want to work.
2. The student D visa: official requirements
Courses longer than 90 days need a national long-stay (D) visa, even if your country is visa-exempt for short stays. What the Central Visa Unit's official checklist asks for:
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Passport | At least 10 months validity |
| Appointment | Apply at least 9 weeks before the course starts, through the authorised service provider (VFS) |
| School letter | Institution registered with the MFHEA, course, weekly hours, dates and proof of payment |
| Funds | Last 3 months of bank statements: at least 75% of the minimum wage for every month of study |
| Health insurance | Valid in Schengen, minimum cover €30,000, valid for study |
| Flights | Arrival max. 2 weeks before the course; return ticket if the course is under 6 months |
| Accommodation | Proof for the first 14 nights, in your name |
| Fee | €100 (standard appointment) or €150 (next-day appointment), age 12+ |
How much is 75% of the minimum wage? With Malta's 2026 minimum wage (€994 a month, according to Eurostat), it comes to about €745 per month of course, so roughly €4,470 for 6 months. Check the figure with your school before booking the appointment: the minimum wage is updated every year.
The full process is in our student visa guide, and what the policy must cover is in health insurance for students in Malta.
3. How long the visa lasts and how to extend it
- The D visa covers your course up to a maximum of 365 days counted from your entry into the Schengen area.
- To extend, you contact the Central Visa Unit between 30 and 21 days before it expires, with proof of satisfactory attendance and performance.
- Skipping class is not a detail: attendance is one of the documents you need to stay.
4. What a course that lets you work costs
Since you can only work after 3 months, the sensible minimum is a 6-month course. Official 2026 prices from two schools, course only:
| School | General English (20 lessons/week), 24 weeks | Source |
|---|---|---|
| IH Malta | €3,720 (long-term offer) | IH Malta 2026 price list |
| Maltalingua | €4,968 | Maltalingua 2026 price list |
Add accommodation, insurance, flights and the funds you must show. The full breakdown is in how much it costs to study English in Malta and in our 3-month budget.
5. Mistakes that most often derail the visa
- Booking the appointment late. Less than 9 weeks before the course no longer meets the rule.
- A passport that expires soon. It needs 10 months of validity.
- Funds that appear all at once. They ask for 3 months of statements, not a one-off balance.
- Planning to work from arrival. You can't for the first 3 months, so your budget must cover them in full.
- Choosing a 12-week course to work. With 90 days or less there is no access to employment.
6. What if I have an EU passport?
If you are a citizen of an EU country (including by descent, as many Latin Americans with Italian or Spanish passports are), you need neither a visa nor a work permit. If you stay longer than 3 months, you register your residence with Identità. You can take a General English course in the morning and work the rest of the day from the start.
Conclusion
Malta lets you study English and work, but not from day one if you are not an EU citizen: a course longer than 90 days, 3 months of study only, and then a maximum of 20 hours a week. Plan around those numbers and it works. If you want to know which schools offer 6-month courses that fit the D visa and what it would cost you, request free advice and we'll reply with concrete options.
Information checked on 2026-10-05. Sources: Identità – Central Visa Unit (student employment, courses over and under 90 days, extension of stay, D visa document checklist v2.1 of 13-08-2025), Identità – EU nationals, Eurostat (2026 minimum wage) and the 2026 price lists of IH Malta and Maltalingua.