Your First Week in Malta: A 7-Day Checklist for International Students

The first seven days after arriving in Malta involve a specific sequence of practical steps — recording your arrival date, getting connected, starting your eResidence Card paperwork, and completing your mandatory health screening. Getting these right in the first week protects your immigration timeline and means you can focus on your studies from day one. This checklist covers each task in order.

Your First Week at a Glance

Get Connected: Buy a Local SIM Card

Malta has three main mobile phone companies. They are monitored by the official Malta Communications Authority (MCA):

Things to keep in mind: 

• You must bring your physical passport to the store when buying or activating a SIM card.
• All three phone companies sell prepaid plans and monthly plans. Check their websites directly to find special student deals.
• You can find stores for these companies right inside the Malta International Airport and in the city of Valletta, so you can buy a SIM card as soon as you land.

Apply for a Tallinja Card

The personalized student Tallinja Card is your official pass to use Malta's bus network without spending cash.

Benefits include:

• Free rides on almost all local bus routes
• Free rides on harbor passenger ferry boats
• Access to the Tallinja mobile app to track buses live

Complete Health Screening

International students who are 18 or older and staying for more than three months must complete a medical checkup. This health safety check is run by the official Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate (HPDP).

The medical tests you need depend on where you are from and what subject you are studying:

Prepare Your Residence Permit Application

Students staying in Malta for long-term courses must apply for their official physical identity card after arrival.

Use your first week to start gathering these files:

• Your valid passport
• Your visa sticker documentation page
• Your official school registration letter
• Your house lease contract with an official notary signature
• Your €100,000 health insurance policy papers
• Your stamped bank statements proving stable money

Gathering these items early stops the government visa office from delaying your residence card.

Opening a Bank Account

Every bank has slightly different rules, but most ask international students to bring:

• Valid passport
• Your physical eResidence card or your temporary Interim Receipt paper
• Your registered house rental contract as proof of address
• Your official full-time school registration letter
• A reference support letter from the bank in your home country (Note: BNF Bank does not ask for this letter!)
• Stamps and records from your home bank showing transactions from the last 3 to 6 months.

Your First Week in Malta: What to Prioritise

The first week in Malta is largely administrative — but completing these steps early protects your 90-day eResidence Card deadline and ensures you have the phone, transport, banking, and health documentation in place before your academic program begins. Your institution's international student office is your first point of contact for any questions that arise after arrival.

Sources

• Malta Communications Authority: Certified Mobile Telecom Operators & Consumer Rights Registry
• Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate (HPDP): Health Screening Forms for Foreign Students
• University of Malta: International Student Guide to Private Clinic Medical Examinations and Chest X-Rays
• Malta Public Transport: Student Personalized Tallinja Card Rules & Application Portal