Studying and working in Malta: things to know

Studying and working in Malta: if you’d like to improve your level of English but you don’t know where ow to start, don’t miss this article in which I tell you how to live, study and work on an island with a lot of charm.

How to move to Malta?

If your passport belongs to the EU, then moving to Malta will be as simple as buying a plane ticket and going on the “adventure” without much worries, except for the normal ones that anyone can have when leaving their comfort zone and to go to live in another country.

But if you’re not from the EU, then you’ll have to plan it in advance, cautiously and patiently (for bureaucratic issues). Here are a few options to choose the one that best suits your case, as it all depends on your country’s agreement with Malta.

Travelling as a tourist to Malta to stay

Many countries outside the EU, specifically Central America and Latin America, have agreements with Malta on the free transition in the country for tourist purposes, i.e. you will most likely be able to travel to the island without a visa, just with your passport (usually for a maximum of 90 days).

Once on the island and for as long as you can stay there without any additional document (3 months) you can start the procedures to be able to stay either with the student visa (the easiest to process) or with a work visa.

Applying for a visa to study and work in Malta

If your country doesn’t have agreements with Malta on free movement for tourism reasons or you simply prefer to process everything before moving to Malta, there are several types of visa, but the most common are these ones:

• Applying for the Work Visa: for that you need a contract of employment with a company registered in Malta, you have to take out health insurance, show your movements of the last 6 months of your bank account to demonstrate that you can stay, etc.
• Applying for student visa: similar requirements, excluding the employment contract and adding a tuition of the center where you will study.
• Aupair Work Visa: There are families who help you with the visa process (work visa) to be able to work with them taking care of their children. You can also choose this option when you’re already in the country and thus save on accommodation expenses and study in your free hours.

Where to live in Malta?

When you arrive in Malta, the best option is to book an Airbnb while looking for a room or apartment to rent. Then choose the area where it suits you best, a good option would be to choose a flat near your new job and/or your study center.

Most popular areas to live in Malta

Although Malta is a not very large island, distances are quite long and public transport is not very efficient, so if your will is to stay no more than 2 years the best option is to opt for the most popular areas.

Living, studying and working in Valletta

Pros: Valletta is the capital of the island, it is well connected. You can go by bus or ferry to and from Sliema.

Cons: it is small, very touristy and prices can probably be high.

Studying and working in Malta: Sliema

Silema is a great geographical point that connects places to visit by ferry such as Valletta, St Julian’s, Golden Bay, Gozo, Comino, etc. It’s one of the most lively areas of the island (along with St. Julian’s) with a great offer of bars, restaurants, shops and walking areas.

Living, studying and working in St Julian’s

Pros: St. Julian’s is an area with a lot of atmosphere, with several English academies and also very touristic, but unlike Valletta you can find different prices.

Cons: being such a touristic area, the prices (as in much of the island) usually vary greatly depending on the season. Also its location, is somewhat far from the center of the island.

Studying and working in Malta: Gzira

Pros: Gzira is a little less touristy, therefore, the prices will be more affordable, it is about 10-15 minutes from Sliema and Valleta by bus. You can even walk from Gzira to Sliema.

Cons: the facades of the buildings are not very pleasant to see and some are quite old.

Other places to live in Malta: Mdina, Pembroke, Manoel Island, etc.

Where to study and work in Malta?

There are many academies on the island to study English, you can “get a good deal” from your country thanks to Facebook groups or you can wait to get to Malta to choose the one that best suits you. Remember not to base your choice solely on price, but also to look at other factors such as the location of the academy, its facilities, the maximum occupancy of each class (maximum number of students) etc.

• Maltalingua: they have a good customer service and their facilities are unbeatable. In terms of prices, they vary depending on the weeks, the hours (for example 240€ per week for 20 lessons) and the season (it’s cheaper from October to March). Location: St. Julian’s.
• Inlingua: is a simpler academy than the previous one and much more affordable. Prices start from 180€ per week for 20 lessons. It is located in Sliema.
• Atlas Language School Malta: prices start from 160€. This academy is located in the Pembroke area.
• ACE English Malta: this academy offers general courses (20h per week) and intensive courses. It also gives the possibility of accommodation (perfect for those who prefer to book everything in advance and only go to Malta to study). Location: St. Julian’s.
• Gateway School English: this academy located in San Julian offers general courses (20h per week) at 155€ (in low season) and 205€ (in high season)

Most requested jobs in Malta

The student visa allows you to work in Malta up to 20 hours. Malta is a very “seasonal” island, so, on one hand, arriving in high season will mean a great increase in rent, in the courses and even in some leisure things, but, at the same time, that will give you the possibility to find a job sooner and in tourist area where you don’t need to have a high level of English.

On the other hand arriving in low season mean low prices but also low demand. Therefore, I recommend you to travel a little before the high season (February or March) and have well “armored” your rental contract and your class reservation.

As for job offers, it will all depend on your profession and the time you plan to stay on the island, anyway I leave you a list of the most demanded professions:

• Hotels, foodservice and tourism: as in most countries, this sector in Malta has a high demand especially in high season.
• Cutomer care services: call centers’ offers are very common and they usually don’t require elevated language skills; companies are often looking for non-English-speaking natives such as Spanish and Portuguese.
• Cleaning services in different areas (offices, bars, locals, etc.)
• Online casinos: they are very fashionable in Malta and they usually require different languages, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, etc. You can search for deals in Spanish here

Studying and working in Malta: leisure

Another excellent option to learn English and meet new people is to go to language exchanges, there’s a very good one called English Café Malta. I also recommend you to join Facebook groups according to your nationality (for example Spaniards in Malta), where you can look for English academies, private language lessons, rental offers etc. The intention of these groups is to help new ones through the experience of those who have already been in the country for a while.

In short, Malta (to know the history of the island, I recommend always making a FREE TOUR) is a good option both to learn English and to live and work. Also if you want to enjoy not very harsh winters, paradise islands and multiculturalism, Malta is definitely your destination.

An excellent alternative to Malta to study English and work, is Ireland. If you’re curious, take a look HERE and learn about the experience of a Mexican girl on The Emerald Island.

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