Travel insurance for Malta
Compare travel insurance for your holiday to Malta
Do I need travel insurance for Malta?
Travel insurance isn’t compulsory when you’re travelling to Malta but taking out cover will protect you against something unexpected happening that might affect your trip.
It can give you financial protection against extra expenses that could be caused by anything from emergency medical costs to lost luggage.
Having travel insurance in place means you won’t be left paying out large sums if things on your trip don’t go to plan.
What should my travel insurance policy cover?
Travel insurance is there to protect you against various situations that might affect your travel plans.
A good European travel policy should include cover for:
- Emergency medical and hospital expenses, up to a limit of at least £5 million
- 24-hour assistance helplines for medical cover
- Repatriation to the UK for ongoing medical treatment
- Cancelling or cutting short your trip for reasons beyond your control
- Missed flights or delayed departure for reasons out of your control
- Lost or stolen baggage and cash
- Lost or stolen passports and travel documents
- Personal liability - covering you for legal costs in case you’re sued for damaging property or causing injury
What won’t my travel insurance policy cover?
The situations and events travel insurance policies cover vary depending on the insurer and the type of cover you take out.
Standard travel policies typically don’t include cover for
- Adventure sports, winter sports and more risky activities like white water rafting and bungee jumping (you’ll need a policy add-on for this)
- Accidents and situations that happen while you’re under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Delays or flight cancellations caused by industrial strike action
- Medical treatment for existing medical conditions that you fail to declare
- Travelling to destinations against government foreign travel advice
- Cancelling your holiday because you're unsure about the region’s safety, even though there’s no official advice against travelling to that area
- Being late for a flight or departure because you were stuck in traffic
- Missing or stolen baggage when you’ve left them unattended
Will an EHIC or GHIC cover me in Malta?
As Malta is part of the European Union, you can use a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).
Both cards let you access emergency healthcare in Malta for free or at a reduced cost - it means you’ll be required to pay the same as locals would for the same treatment.
But these cards shouldn't be seen as an alternative to travel insurance cover. They won’t cover the costs of repatriation or any private healthcare.
They also won’t help with situations like cancellations or lost luggage that travel insurance will protect you against.
Need-to-knows when travelling to Malta
Small but mighty, Malta and its islands of Gozo and Comino offer beautiful coastlines, as well as a huge range of activities and sights for visitors throughout the year.
Read our top tips on how to make the most of your trip:
-
Relax in safety
Malta is one of the safest places to travel in Europe so you can relax and enjoy the sights, but you should still use common sense and keep your valuables close to you
-
Pick your festival
The Maltese have a year-round schedule of fiestas and cultural events you can enjoy, usually accompanied by music, fireworks, and delicious street food
-
Fill up at the pastizzerias
These grab-and-go eateries are all over the island serving their delicious, warm savoury pastries to keep you going as you take in the sights
-
Understand the beach flags
Coloured safety flags warn you about everything from choppy waters to jellyfish, as well as showing where the lifeguards are stationed. There’s also plenty of beaches that have been awarded a blue flag
-
Converse with the locals
English is the second language in Malta so it’s easy to enjoy conversation with inquisitive locals, but it’s always nice to learn a few Maltese words too
-
Bask in history
Immerse yourself in Malta’s ancient heritage, from Neolithic temples to its famous St John’s Co-Cathedral - just remember to dress appropriately when you visit
Covid-19 and travelling to Malta
As travel health advice can change, you should check the TravelHealthPro website at least eight weeks before you travel to Malta.
Generally, if you’re travelling to Malta, you should make sure you’re up to date with the routine vaccinations and boosters that are recommended in the UK.
When it comes to regulations around Covid-19, you’ll need to check the UK government’s specific travel advice for Malta before you travel.
Currently, when you arrive in Malta you’ll need to show one of the below:
- A valid Covid-19 vaccination certificate
- A certificate for a negative PCR test taken in the last 72 hours
- A certificate for a negative rapid antigen test taken in the last 24 hours
You won't need to quarantine in Malta as long as you can provide one of these documents. But if you don’t have the proof needed, you’ll need to quarantine for up to 10 days.
You can find up-to-date entry requirements by visiting the Maltese government website.
Frequently asked questions
-
This will depend on how long you’re planning to stay. The country of Malta is part of the Schengen area - 26 European countries that allow unrestricted travel.
You can travel to Malta and the other countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa.
If you’re travelling to work or study in Malta you’ll need to check with the Maltese High Commission on what type of visa or work permit is required.
-
Yes, you’ll need to check that your passport is stamped when you enter or leave the Schengen area through Malta.
Border guards will look at the passport stamps in your passport to check that you’re sticking to the 90-day visa-free limit.
If your passport hasn’t been stamped, the guards are likely to presume you’ve stayed longer than the allowed limit.
But you can show evidence, including border passes and tickets, to the guards and ask that they update your passport.
-
Malta has a good standard of healthcare with a health system that’s paid for by the public, as well as having a range of private hospitals and clinics.
The care you’ll receive in Malta is very similar to the UK and, through the GHIC and EHIC, you can get free medical treatment and hospital stays.
You can also find pharmacies throughout Malta that are open during normal shopping hours and most medicine packaging will have information written in English.
-
Most standard travel insurance policies won’t pay out for claims that are caused by or related to acts of terrorism, including things like cancelled trips or loss of belongings.
Instead, you can usually buy a separate add-on to your policy to provide you with terrorism insurance.
But you still won’t be covered if you’re travelling to a country or area that the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has advised against.
-
If you’re injured in a car or motoring accident in Malta, your travel insurance will cover your medical costs up to the amount listed on your policy.
But this won’t cover any liability costs if you’re the one that caused the accident.
For this reason, when you’re hiring a car you’ll need to ask about car insurance from the rental company.
Most car rental agreements will include cover for damage, theft and third-party liability. But you should always read the terms and conditions so you’re clear on what’s included.
-
Worldwide travel insurance covers you for trips to most places in the world, including countries in Europe, like Malta.
But if you’re only planning to travel to Europe then European travel insurance for a single-trip, or an annual multi-trip policy if you’ll be going more than once, may be cheaper than taking out worldwide cover.
Compare policies to find the cheapest travel insurance with the right cover easily.