China → Malta
Short stays are counted under Schengen rules, normally up to 90 days in any 180-day period; ordinary Chinese passport holders need a Schengen visa before travelling to Malta for short tourist/business visits.
Passport must be a valid travel document, normally valid at least 3 months after intended departure from the Schengen Area and issued within the previous 10 years; border officials may also require purpose of stay, conditions of stay, sufficient means, return/onward travel and no refusal-of-entry alert.
Based on passport-specific data. · as of 2026-06-18
Official source ↗Documents that change the outcome
- Visa-free· schengen_visa · 90 days
A valid Schengen short-stay visa permits entry to Malta according to the visa validity, number of entries and authorised duration of stay; if the visa has limited territorial validity, it must include Malta. Schengen border-entry conditions still apply.
source ↗
Documents & how to apply
- Visa application form — One completed and signed application form, filled in legibly in English.
- Passport-size photographs — Two passport-size photos on a white background, no older than 6 months.
- Passport original and photocopy — Original passport and one photocopy; copy visa/stamp pages and extension page if applicable.
- Passport validity and blank pages — Passport must be valid at least 3 months after visa expiry, have at least 6 months remaining from departure from China, and contain at least 2 blank pages.
- Former travel documents · optional — If available, provide documents showing previous travel abroad, such as former passports.
- Household register copy — Chinese citizens must provide one full copy of the family book/household register.
- Round-trip flight reservation — Confirmed two-way air ticket reservation from an airline or authorized travel agency; checklist says tickets should only be bought after visa issuance.
- Proof of accommodation — Proof of accommodation for the whole duration of the intended stay.
- Travel medical insurance — Minimum coverage of EUR 30,000, valid throughout the Schengen area and for the entire stay; submit English and Chinese versions.
- Detailed itinerary · optional — Required if travelling to more than one Schengen country; provide the whole Schengen itinerary.
- Proof of solvency — Tourism: original bank statements with bank stamp for the last 3-6 months; no deposit certificate. Business: usually original stamped bank statements for the last 3 months.
- Employment/status proof — Employees provide stamped business licence copy and employer letter; retired persons provide pension or other regular income proof; unemployed adults provide spouse income/marriage documents or other regular income proof as listed.
- Original business invitation letter · optional — Required for business, conference or training visits; issued by the organizer and stating purpose, duration, program and cost responsibility.
- Documents for minors · optional — For applicants under 18: student card and school permission letter; if travelling alone or with one parent, notarized/legalized travel consent and family/guardianship proof.
⏱ No fixed processing time is stated; the VFS page says processing varies by case, the final decision/time is up to the Embassy/Consulate of Malta, and the visa centre cannot estimate it. 💳 90 EUR (government fee) 📍 Apply by appointment through the VFS Malta Visa Application Centres in China; the Embassy of Malta in Beijing accepts applications lodged through VFS.
Applications may be lodged no more than 6 months before travel and no later than 15 calendar days before travel; the checklist says to buy the ticket only after the visa is issued.
Requirements vary by consulate — verify with the official source. official ↗
Regional stay rules
Short stays are generally limited to up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counted across the Schengen Area as a shared area.
Common questions
No. China is on the Schengen visa-required list, and I found no Malta/Schengen rule treating a U.S. visa as a substitute for a Schengen visa. For a short tourist/business visit to Malta, obtain a valid Schengen visa first.
Yes, provided the visa is still valid and has sufficient entries and authorised duration; if it is a limited-territorial-validity visa, it must include Malta.
No visa waiver was found for Malta. The APEC Business Travel Card facilitates business travel among APEC member economies; Malta is not an APEC economy, so Schengen visa rules still apply.
Not as of 2026-06-18. British passport holders are visa-free for short Schengen visits; ETIAS is expected to start in Q4 2026 with a transitional period.
Verify with official sources
Visa policy changes without notice and this page is reference information that may contain errors. Before travel, verify via the official sources below or contact the destination country's embassy / consulate / immigration authority directly; final admission is at the destination government's discretion.