Malta

Do South Africans need a visa for Malta?

Yes — South Africans need a Schengen short-stay (Type C) visa, valid across all 29 Schengen countries for up to 90 days in any 180. ETIAS does not apply to you (it’s for visa-exempt nationalities) — the full Schengen visa is required, with mandatory travel insurance (all Schengen countries, min €30,000) — compare cover here. The adult fee is around €90. Apply through Malta’s appointed visa centre in South Africa with bookings, bank statements and an itinerary, a few weeks ahead; the EES biometric checks now apply at the border. Full details in our Schengen visa walkthrough for South Africans.

The bonus for a South African: English is an official language, so once the visa is done, Malta is about as easy as Europe gets. It also pairs naturally with Italy — Sicily is a short ferry away — on the same Schengen visa.

What it costs (in rand)

Malta is mid-range for Schengen — budget R900–1,500 a day, in the same band as Greece or Spain. It uses the euro. Valletta, Sliema and St Julian’s waterfronts carry a premium; a street or two back, and in Gozo, prices ease. Savers: pastizzi (the flaky, cheap national snack), the fantastic public bus network that reaches almost everywhere for a couple of euros, ferries instead of tours, and travelling in the shoulder months. Accommodation in high summer is the main cost.

When to go

April to June and September to October are ideal — warm enough to swim, not oppressively hot, and less crowded. July and August are very hot, very busy and priciest, though the sea is at its best. Winter (November–March) is mild, quiet and cheap, good for history and walking, less so for beaches. Malta’s village festas run through summer, with fireworks most weekends.

Getting around

Malta’s buses are cheap, frequent and cover both islands — no need for a car on the main island. Ferries link Valletta with Sliema and the Three Cities, and a regular ferry crosses to Gozo in about 25 minutes. Boats reach Comino and the Blue Lagoon. A hire car helps on Gozo if you want to explore; they drive on the left, which South Africans will appreciate. Distances are tiny — you’re never more than an hour from anywhere.

What to actually do

Valletta is a UNESCO-listed fortress city built by the Knights of St John — St John’s Co-Cathedral (with Caravaggio’s masterpiece) and the Upper Barrakka Gardens are essential. The silent walled city of Mdina and the megalithic temples of Ħaġar Qim and the Hypogeum (book months ahead) go back thousands of years before the knights. Swim at the Blue Lagoon on Comino (go early or late), take the ferry to slower, greener Gozo, and see the Sunday fish market at Marsaxlokk. Pre-book the Hypogeum and popular tours — they sell out.

Honest take

Malta packs an astonishing amount of history into a few small islands, in English, with good buses and swimmable sea — the Schengen visa is the only real hurdle for South Africans, and it’s the same process as anywhere else in the zone. Read the Schengen guide, go in the shoulder season, book the Hypogeum early, and land with a data eSIM for bus and ferry timetables.