Malta English course visa: Schengen 90 days or national D visa (2026)

Identità says third-country nationals on courses not exceeding 90 days receive a Schengen short-stay C visa. The visa covers the course plus a 7-day grace period, still inside 90 days. Visa-exempt nationals skip that C visa for the first 90 days in each 180-day Schengen period. A 90-day English course still counts as a Schengen stay, not a student residence.

Identità's student FAQ says all students except EU nationals must apply for a D national visa before travel if the course is at least 105 days. Visa-exempt passports still need that D visa for a long course. Book the Identità extended service through VFS and submit at least 8 weeks before the start date. A Schengen C visa is the wrong stamp for a 15-week course.

Identità allows a visa extension only after a short course of at least 8 weeks. The student must then extend that course by a further 8 weeks. Both letters of acceptance must be in the extension file. Arriving for a 4-week taster and hoping to stay 6 months fails that test. Plan the real length before you pay.

Get a letter of acceptance with course dates, hours, and proof of fees paid. Ask whether the Malta language school files Identità paperwork or only hands you a checklist. Confirm whether your passport is visa-exempt for 90 days, then still check the 105-day D-visa rule. Malta is easy for short stays and expensive, crowded, and paperwork-heavy once you pass 90 days.

Cape Town is usually cheaper than Malta for a 6–12 month English stay because rand pricing undercuts euro tuition and housing. EnglishHubSA's Cape Town cost guide puts living costs, excluding tuition, around USD 700–1,100 a month. South Africa uses its own 90-day visitor line, then a study visa, not Schengen. Cape Town's limits are crime concentration by suburb, a long-haul flight from Europe, and weak work rights on a language visa.