Malta entry requirements from the UK: passport rules, EES and the 90-day limit

Malta may feel a little like home, with English on every sign and traffic on the left, but at the border it’s a Schengen country, and since Brexit that’s the set of rules a British traveller follows. None of it is complicated. There are just two passport dates to check, a limit on days and a new biometric registration to allow time for, and all of it comes from gov.uk’s advice for Malta, last updated on 11 August 2026.

The two passport dates that matter

gov.uk sets out both clearly. The issue date on your passport has to fall within the 10 years before your arrival, and the expiry date at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area. The second rule is the one people know; the first is the one that trips them up. If you renewed before 1 October 2018, your passport may carry an issue date more than 10 years old, and that makes it invalid for Schengen even though it hasn’t expired.

The advice applies to full British citizen passports. If you’re a dual national, gov.uk notes that to get back into the UK you’ll still need your British passport, in date, or a certificate of entitlement.

How long can you stay?

Up to 90 days in any 180-day period, without a visa, for holidays, family visits, business meetings or a short course. The catch is that it’s a Schengen-wide allowance. Days spent in France, Spain or Italy in the previous 180 count towards your total, and overstaying can lead to a ban from Schengen countries for up to 3 years. At the border you may also be asked to show a return or onward ticket and prove you have enough money for your stay.

If you’re planning to study English for a term or work, the rules are different. gov.uk points you to the Maltese High Commission in the UK and Malta’s Central Visa Unit.

What is EES, and what happens at the airport?

The EU’s Entry/Exit System replaces the old passport stamps with a digital record. On your first trip into Schengen you may be sent to a special booth to give your fingerprints and a photo before passport control. It’s free, the record lasts 3 years and children aged 11 or under don’t have their fingerprints taken. Nothing needs doing in advance, but gov.uk suggests allowing extra time, including when you leave, as checks may happen before boarding. I cover the arrival itself in my page on Malta airport.

Healthcare, medicines and insurance

A GHIC, or an EHIC if you still qualify for one, gives you medically necessary state healthcare in Malta. gov.uk is firm that it’s not a substitute for travel insurance, which covers things the card won’t, such as changes to bookings or getting you home. Two other points I’d note. UK prescriptions aren’t recognised in Malta, so any medication you need there requires a local doctor, and most pharmacies can arrange for you to see a private GP.

If you’re flying in with children

The rules are the same for children as for adults, with each child needing their own passport that meets both date rules. The EES difference is the fingerprints, which aren’t taken from children aged 11 or younger, though they can still be photographed. gov.uk’s Malta page doesn’t set out any extra consent paperwork for a child travelling with one parent, so I’d ask the airline what it expects before you fly.

Driving, customs and cash

A UK photocard licence is accepted for driving in Malta, while holders of the old paper version may have to swap it or add the right international permit. Traffic is on the left, which will feel familiar, though gov.uk describes local driving standards as poor; more in driving in Malta.

At customs, you can’t bring meat, milk or products containing them into the EU, apart from exceptions like powdered baby milk and special medical foods. Cash or travellers’ cheques worth €10,000 or more must be declared, or you risk having the money seized when you leave.

Arriving by ferry from Sicily

If you’re combining Malta with Sicily, Virtu Ferries runs the crossing from Pozzallo and only accepts ID cards and passports as travel documents; driving licences and residence cards aren’t valid. Under-12s can’t travel alone. The details are in my Sicily to Malta ferry guide. For everything else about Malta’s place in Europe, see is Malta in the EU.