Malta Publishes 2026 Visa Exemption List; Only Two African Nations Included
Malta's government, through its identity and border management agency Identità, has released the official list of countries whose citizens can enter Malta without a visa in 2026. The list grants visa-free access to only two fully African nations: Mauritius and Seychelles. Trinidad and Tobago, though not geographically African, is also listed and has a significant population of African descent.
The rest of the continent, including major nations like Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, and Egypt, is excluded. Travellers from these countries must apply for a visa through official Maltese or Schengen channels before visiting Malta, a European Union member state and part of the Schengen Area.
Details of the Exemption List
The full list includes a wide range of countries from the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe. Among them are the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan, Brazil, and the United Arab Emirates. Several non-EU European countries such as Albania, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, and Ukraine are also included, but with conditions: exemptions for Albania and Serbia apply only to biometric passport holders, and Serbia excludes passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate.
Special Administrative Regions of China—Hong Kong and Macao—are listed under separate conditions tied to specific passport types. Taiwan is included only for passport holders whose documents carry an identity card number.
Impact on African Travellers
For the overwhelming majority of African passport holders, the only route to Malta remains a visa application. The exclusion of populous and economically significant nations underscores the limited visa-free access African citizens have to the Schengen zone. According to the published document, the two African island nations—Mauritius and Seychelles—are the sole beneficiaries from the continent. The list highlights a broader trend of restricted mobility for African travellers compared to those from other regions.
