Visa-free countries with a Maltese passport in 2026
185 visa-free destinations and the right to live and work anywhere in the European Union. The USA, Canada and Australia need an electronic authorisation, and since July 2025 Malta grants no passports for investment.
In short
With a Maltese passport you can enter 185 of 227 countries and territories without a prior visa: the EU and Schengen are open for living and working, Japan, China, Singapore, the UAE and all of Latin America are visa-free, and the USA, the UK, Canada and Australia need an electronic travel authorisation. Russia requires an e-visa.
| Without a prior visa | 185 of 227: 143 visa-free, 25 on arrival, 17 with an electronic travel authorisation |
|---|---|
| Visa needed in advance | 41, of which 28 by e-visa |
| Schengen and the UK | Schengen area - free movement, United Kingdom - electronic travel authorisation |
| USA and Canada | United States - electronic travel authorisation, Canada - electronic travel authorisation |
| How to get it | naturalisation after 5 of the last 7 years, marriage, descent or merit |
| Checked | October 2026 |
The Maltese passport opens 185 of 227 destinations without a prior visa: 143 fully visa-free, 25 with a visa on arrival and 17 with an electronic travel authorisation. Above all, a Maltese citizen is an EU citizen and lives, works and studies in any EU country without permits.
A Maltese passport can no longer be bought: on 29 April 2025 the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled the citizenship by investment programme unlawful, and it was abolished from 24 July 2025. Four routes now lead to the passport - naturalisation, marriage, descent and citizenship by merit at the Minister's discretion.
We will work out online when you can apply and what fees and documents will cost for your family.
Where you can go visa-free with a Maltese passport
Entry regimes differ in how much preparation the trip needs. Visa-free means the passport is enough and the permitted stay is set at the border. A visa on arrival means a fee and a stamp at the airport or checkpoint. An electronic travel authorisation is a short online form and fee before departure. An e-visa is also online but involves a check and a consular decision. A regular visa means a form, documents, often a personal visit to the consulate and waiting for a decision.
| Region | Visa-free or with an electronic authorisation | Visa on arrival or e-visa | Visa needed in advance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | Schengen area (live and work), United Kingdom (online authorisation), Ireland (live and work), Cyprus (live and work), Belarus, Moldova, Turkey, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, North Macedonia | Russia | - |
| Caucasus and Central Asia | Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan | Azerbaijan | - |
| Asia | China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea (online authorisation), Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines | Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Maldives | - |
| Middle East and Africa | UAE, Israel (online authorisation), Oman, Morocco, South Africa, Kenya (online authorisation), Tanzania | Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt | - |
| Americas | United States (online authorisation), Canada (online authorisation), Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Panama, Dominican Republic, Paraguay, Uruguay | - | - |
| Oceania | Australia (online authorisation), New Zealand (online authorisation) | - | - |
The strengths of the Maltese passport are freedom in the European Union and visa-free travel almost everywhere: the Balkans, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, China, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, the UAE, Oman, Morocco, South Africa and all of Latin America are visa-free, while the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Israel need an electronic authorisation. None of the main destinations requires a visa in advance, and Russia, Azerbaijan, Vietnam and India issue e-visas.
The table shows the main destinations for travel, living and business, not all 227 countries and territories. An electronic travel authorisation is issued online within minutes or days; an e-visa is also applied for online, but it is a separate consular decision. Entry rules change several times a year: check with an expert for your trip.
Schengen, the UK, the USA and Canada
The EU and Schengen. A Maltese citizen needs neither a visa nor a travel authorisation: they live in any EU country indefinitely, work without a work permit and register as residents under the general rules for EU citizens.
United Kingdom. No visa is needed, but since 2025 an electronic travel authorisation is obtained online before the trip.
USA. Malta is in the Visa Waiver Program: tourist and business trips of up to 90 days with an electronic travel authorisation.
Canada, Australia and New Zealand. With an electronic travel authorisation obtained online before departure.
Asia. China, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia are visa-free, and South Korea needs an electronic travel authorisation. India and Vietnam require an e-visa.
Let us check whether you qualify
Describe your situation in the chat and we will tell you right away whether you meet the requirements.
What else a Maltese passport gives
Life in the European Union. A Maltese citizen lives, works and studies in any of the 27 EU countries without residence or work permits, votes in European Parliament elections and gets consular protection from any EU country where Malta has no embassy.
Dual citizenship. Malta has allowed dual citizenship since 2000, so the previous passport is kept.
Taxes. Residents without a Maltese domicile pay tax only on Maltese income and on foreign income remitted to the island. Income tax runs from 0 to 35%, and VAT is 18%.
How to get a Maltese passport
Malta grants no passports for investment: on 29 April 2025 the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled the programme incompatible with EU law in case C-181/23, and Act XXI of 2025 abolished it from 24 July 2025. Passports issued earlier remain valid under the old rules.
Four routes now lead to the passport. Naturalisation requires 12 months of continuous residence before applying and at least 4 years in the previous 6, Maltese or English and good character, with the decision at the Minister's discretion. Marriage to a Maltese citizen requires at least 5 years of marriage and living together. Descent is open to descendants of Maltese citizens, including those born abroad. Citizenship by merit under Article 10(9) of the Act is at the Minister's discretion, with no fixed price.
The permanent residence programme lets you live in Malta before naturalisation.
Requirements, timelines and documents are on the page Maltese citizenship.
Malta no longer sells passports, and 5 years of residence have to count
Mistakes cost more than the fees: trips that break the 12 continuous months before applying, a residence status that does not count towards 4 of the 6 years, intermediaries selling a replacement for the abolished programme. We choose the route - naturalisation, marriage or descent - count the dates, gather the documents and handle the application up to the oath and the passport.
The cost of support depends on the route to the passport; our manager in the chat calculates it.
This topic in other countries
Visa-free travel with other passports:
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- What an Argentine passport gives
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More on this country:
Compare passports of different countries in our 2026 passport overview.
FAQ
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