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OnAsylum

Europe

Malta

A small island nation that has historically received a high number of asylum claims relative to its population, given its location on Mediterranean crossing routes.

At a glance, for someone deciding whether to come here

Not tourist facts — the things that actually shape daily life while your case is pending and after it's decided.

Right to workGenerally allowed once an asylum application is lodged.
Cost of living High Higher than most Southern European neighbors, reflecting its small, tourism-driven economy.
Healthcare while pendingAccess to public healthcare is generally available once registered.
LanguageMaltese and English are both official — English fluency is unusually widespread for this list.
Family reunificationAvailable for recognized refugees through a standard process.
After you're granted statusRefugee status typically leads to a renewable residence permit.
ClimateMediterranean — hot, dry summers, mild winters.
Existing communityEstablished communities from Libya, Syria, and Somalia given Malta's position on Mediterranean routes.
Starter content, pending expert review. This page describes general, publicly known information about how this country's asylum system works. It is not legal advice and may be out of date — policies change often. Last drafted 2026-09-04.
EU-wide system change, June 2026

Since 12 June 2026, the EU has operated under a new system — the Pact on Migration and Asylum — that replaced the old Dublin Regulation across all 27 member states. Three things changed that are worth understanding: new arrivals at an EU external border now go through mandatory screening (identity, biometrics, security and health checks) within days of arrival; if you're from a country with a low EU-wide recognition rate (under 20%), your claim may go through an accelerated border procedure — which can mean months held at or near the border rather than the standard process described elsewhere on this page; and which EU country ultimately handles your claim is now decided under new responsibility rules that replaced Dublin, though the basic idea — usually the country where you first arrived or registered — is similar. This is a genuinely new system as of mid-2026 and still settling in practice — treat anything you read that predates June 2026 about "the Dublin system" as out of date.

How you could qualify to enter this system

  • In-land asylum application to the International Protection Agency

How the process generally works

Applicants register, often after a sea arrival, and are interviewed as part of the International Protection Agency's assessment.

Step by step

  1. Register

    You're issued a unique IPA number and an Asylum-seeker Document (ASD).

  2. Single-procedure assessment

    The International Protection Agency (IPA) considers refugee status, subsidiary protection, and Temporary Humanitarian Protection together, in one process.

  3. Decision

    By the IPA.

  4. Appeal, if refused

    To the International Protection Appeals Tribunal.

What you'll typically need

  • Passport or ID if available
  • Evidence supporting the claim

Support available while your case is decided

  • JRS Malta and other independent organizations provide legal and practical support

Malta's small size means reception capacity is limited in absolute terms, even when policy is welcoming in principle. Malta runs a single procedure: refugee status, subsidiary protection, and Temporary Humanitarian Protection are all assessed together by the same agency at the same time, rather than as separate applications.

Common pitfalls

  • Assuming a refusal of refugee status also closes off subsidiary protection or Temporary Humanitarian Protection — Malta's single procedure considers all three together, but they remain distinct outcomes worth understanding individually.
  • Expecting reception capacity to match demand — Malta's small size means absolute capacity is limited even when the policy stance is welcoming.
  • Underestimating how selective the appeals tribunal has been — in recent data it overturned only 10% of negative decisions to grant refugee status, and granted no subsidiary protection on appeal.

Sources checked for this page