Complete guide for Pakistani students — Type D Visa & Residence Permit, Post-Study Permit and Family Reunification, including fees, processing time, financial proof and documents. Content last verified July 2026.
National Long-Stay Type D visa before travel, then Residence Permit (e-Residence Card) from Identity Malta within 90 days of arrival
Letter of Acceptance from an NCFHE-licensed institution, tuition payment, proof of funds, insurance and accommodation; no nationality-based restriction
Sources cluster around €9,000–10,000 for the first year (some cite €6,000–7,000) — confirm via the specific mission
Type D visa ~€100 (up to €180 cited) plus VFS charge; Residence Permit ~€55 (some sources cite €80–100)
Type D visa typically 4–8 weeks; Residence Permit 4–8 weeks after submission at Identity Malta
Up to 20 hrs/week during term after 90 days — job offer first, then JobsPlus employment licence
Post-study residence permit — duration unresolved across sources (6 vs 12 months); EU Blue Card possible
Spouse and minor children — timing of eligibility (during study vs after graduation) is unresolved; confirm with Identity Malta
Malta combines full Schengen and Eurozone membership with English-medium teaching (no language-test hurdle for most Pakistani applicants) and living costs reported as 28–36% lower than the UK or Ireland. 7 Continents Migration Experts guides Pakistani applicants through the category that matches their circumstances.
This page covers three core categories: Type D Visa & Residence Permit / e-Residence Card (Main Study Visa), Post-Study Residence Permit, and Family Reunification. Each includes General Eligibility (any nationality) and Eligibility for Pakistani Nationals, plus HEC/IBCC attestation and scholarship guidance.
⚠ GENUINE, SIGNIFICANT CONFLICT — POST-STUDY PERMIT DURATION: sources reviewed range from 6 months to 12 months for Malta’s post-study residence permit. This is not a minor variance — confirm the exact current duration directly via Identity Malta before advising a client on realistic post-study planning.
🔴 GENUINE, DIRECT CONFLICT — FAMILY REUNIFICATION TIMING: sources directly disagree on WHEN family can join a student in Malta. One source states that once a student holds a residence permit, family members can apply for a family visa DURING study. Another states explicitly that you can only apply for family reunification once you secure a job and get a work permit AFTER completing studies. Confirm the current exact position directly via Identity Malta before advising any client on family plans, as these are fundamentally different answers, not just a timing nuance.
✓ MASTER GUIDELINES: this page includes both General Eligibility (any nationality) and Eligibility for Pakistani Nationals (country-specific) for every category, plus the HEC/IBCC attestation and scholarship guidance required for Phase 2.
Explore the three categories covered for Pakistani students applying to Malta — select one to see full eligibility, fees and documents.
Malta’s two-stage route — Type D visa before travel, e-Residence Card after arrival.
Job-search bridge for graduates — duration (6 vs 12 months) must be confirmed with Identity Malta.
Spouse and minor children — timing of eligibility is a genuine, unresolved conflict.
Malta’s two-stage process for non-EU/EEA/Swiss students: a National Long-Stay Type D visa obtained before travel (for programmes exceeding 90 days), followed by a Residence Permit (commonly called the e-Residence Card) obtained from Identity Malta after arrival, which authorises the full study period and also serves as an ID card allowing Schengen-area travel.
Malta’s post-study bridge allowing graduates to remain to seek employment — sources reviewed show a genuine, significant conflict on the exact duration, ranging from 6 to 12 months.
A pathway for a student’s spouse and minor children — sources reviewed show a direct, significant conflict on WHEN this becomes available, ranging from ‘possible once you hold your own residence permit during study’ to ‘only available after graduating and securing a work permit.’
FAMILY REUNIFICATION TIMING: the direct conflict on family reunification timing is the single most important open question for this page — two sources describe fundamentally different eligibility windows, and it must be resolved via Identity Malta before advising any client on family plans.
POST-STUDY PERMIT DURATION: the conflict on post-study permit duration (6 vs 12 months) is the second most important open question — resolving it directly with Identity Malta materially affects how confidently a graduate can plan their job search timeline.POST-STUDY PERMIT DURATION: the conflict on post-study permit duration (6 vs 12 months) is the second most important open question — resolving it directly with Identity Malta materially affects how confidently a graduate can plan their job search timeline.
JOB OFFER BEFORE JOBSPLUS LICENCE: the requirement for a job offer BEFORE a JobsPlus employment licence — even for ordinary student part-time work, not just post-study employment — is a distinctive Malta-specific process detail worth explaining clearly to clients expecting to simply start casual work once they arrive.
Academic transcripts and degree certificates should be HEC/IBCC attested and translated as required. Names and dates must match exactly across all submissions — inconsistency is a common rejection trigger. Confirm current document requirements.
HEC Attestation
IBCC Attestation
Translation (as required)
Consistent Names & Dates
Relevant scholarship options for Pakistani students include Malta government-affiliated scholarships and institution-specific tuition support, alongside Fulbright and HEC scholarships.Relevant scholarship options for Pakistani students include Malta government-affiliated scholarships and institution-specific tuition support, alongside Fulbright and HEC scholarships.
Malta Government Scholarships
Institution Tuition Support
Fulbright
HEC Scholarships
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