Malta is set to join the majority of Europe by dropping all COVID-19 entry restrictions before the end of the month. The country recently announced that starting July 25, they will end all COVID-19 vaccination, testing, booster, and quarantine requirements. Travelers to Malta after July 25, 2022 will be able to enter the country with no proof of vaccination, and with no requirement to provide a negative pre-departure or post-arrival coronavirus test.

This should come as welcome news to scores of travelers around the world. Malta has long been a tourist hotspot in the Mediterranean. As recently as 2019, some 3.52 million travelers vacationed in the sunny island nation.  

Up until this point, Malta has maintained some of the strictest COVID-19 entry restrictions in Europe. Visitors have been required to provide proof of COVID vaccination, and proof of booster doses every three months (later relaxed to every nine months). For those without the requisite vaccination and booster shots, a PCR test taken no more than 72 hours prior to arrival, or a rapid antigen test from no more than 24 hours before arrival has been required. 

These strict COVID-19 requirements will remain in place until July 25. If you are traveling to Malta prior to that date, be sure you are able to comply with all vaccination and testing mandates.

However, if you’re scheduled to arrive in Malta after July 25, all vaccination and testing measures will be defunct, and you will be able to enter the country just as you had prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The relaxation in restrictions seems to indicate that Malta is well on its way to classifying COVID-19 as an endemic disease, like many countries in Europe already have. 

Do I Need Travel Insurance to Go to Malta?

Whether travel insurance is required for you to visit Malta depends upon your country of residence, or the length of your stay. Malta joined the Schengen area nearly two decades ago, and assumes the same insurance requirements as other Schengen nations.

Essentially, if you require a Schengen visa to visit Malta, then you are also required to have Schengen visa medical insurance. 

Citizens or residents of many countries (including the USA, South Korea, New Zealand, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates) are permitted to travel to Schengen nations for up to 90 days without a visa, and are thus exempt from the Schengen insurance requirement. 

However, even if you are not legally required to have travel medical insurance to visit Malta, you should still highly consider it. Your domestic health insurance is unlikely to be accepted or provide sufficient coverage abroad. This means that any illness or injury you suffer that requires treatment could result in a massive medical bill that you would be solely responsible for. Avoid the financial headache and look after your health abroad with proper travel medical insurance, and enjoy your time in Malta.