Malta Vatican City

Vatican City Visa Requirements for Malta Citizens

Visa-free

Malta passport holders do not need a visa to visit Vatican City.

Source: Passport Index dataset — not yet confirmed against an official source.

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What the Vatican City visa rules mean for Malta travellers

Malta citizens can enter Vatican City without a visa. You only need a valid Malta passport at the border; immigration officers may still ask for a return or onward ticket, proof of accommodation and enough money for your stay.

Documents to prepare

Whatever your visa status, Vatican City applies the same entry conditions to every traveller:

Passport validity: The U.S. State Department says there is no passport control at Vatican City's border with Rome. Under the Schengen Borders Code, a third-country national's travel document must be valid for at least three months after t…
Travel insurance: Under the EU Visa Code, applicants for a Schengen visa must prove that they hold adequate and valid travel medical insurance, with a minimum coverage of EUR 30,000. No official source we could read states an insurance r…
Return or onward ticket: No official source we could read states that a return or onward ticket is required to enter Italy. The Schengen Borders Code says Annex I contains a non-exhaustive list of supporting documents a border guard may request…
Proof of funds: Under the Schengen Borders Code, third-country nationals entering the Schengen Area must have sufficient means of subsistence, both for the duration of the intended stay and for the return to their country of origin or …

Vatican City entry rules compared

Vatican City lets 93 passports in without a visa and requires an embassy visa from 105. Malta citizens are treated the same way as Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Overall the Malta passport ranks #14 in the world with 123 visa-free destinations.

More travel options

Planning a longer trip in Europe? With a Malta passport you can also visit 44 countries in the region without a visa, including Andorra, Albania, Armenia, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium, Bulgaria and Belarus.

In the other direction, Vatican City citizens can visit Malta visa-free for up to 90 days.

Entry requirements for Vatican City

Passport validity

10 years

The U.S. State Department says there is no passport control at Vatican City's border with Rome. Under the Schengen Borders Code, a third-country national's travel document must be valid for at least three months after the intended date of departure from the territory of the Member States and must have been issued within the previous 10 years.

Schengen Borders Code (Regulation (EU) 2016/399), consolidated text — EUR-Lex✓ Checked 3 Oct 2026

Travel insurance

EUR 30,000.

Under the EU Visa Code, applicants for a Schengen visa must prove that they hold adequate and valid travel medical insurance, with a minimum coverage of EUR 30,000. No official source we could read states an insurance requirement for visa-exempt visitors.

Visa Code (Regulation (EC) No 810/2009), consolidated text — EUR-Lex✓ Checked 3 Oct 2026

Return or onward ticket

No official source we could read states that a return or onward ticket is required to enter Italy. The Schengen Borders Code says Annex I contains a non-exhaustive list of supporting documents a border guard may request from a third-country national, and that list includes a return or round-trip ticket.

Schengen Borders Code (Regulation (EU) 2016/399), consolidated text — EUR-Lex✓ Checked 6 Oct 2026

Proof of funds

Under the Schengen Borders Code, third-country nationals entering the Schengen Area must have sufficient means of subsistence, both for the duration of the intended stay and for the return to their country of origin or transit to a third country into which they are certain to be admitted, or be in a position to acquire such means lawfully.

Schengen Borders Code (Regulation (EU) 2016/399), consolidated text — EUR-Lex✓ Checked 6 Oct 2026

Arrival cards and declarations: EES — Entry/Exit System (at the Schengen external border)

The EU's Entry/Exit System website says that when you arrive at a border crossing point for the first time since the EES started, passport control officers will take a photo of your face and/or scan your fingerprints. The U.S. State Department says there is no passport control at Vatican City's border with Rome. The UK government's travel advice for Italy says there is no cost for EES registration.

UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office — Italy travel advice: entry requirements✓ Checked 7 Oct 2026

Arrival cards and declarations: ETIAS — European Travel Information and Authorization System (Italy)

The EU's official ETIAS website lists the 30 European countries that require visa-exempt travellers to have an ETIAS travel authorisation; Italy is on the list and Vatican City is not. It says ETIAS is currently not in operation and no applications are collected, and that the EU will inform about the start date several months before its launch.

ETIAS — Official EU website✓ Checked 8 Oct 2026

Customs allowances

The EU says that if you plan to enter or leave the EU with €10,000 in cash (or its equivalent in other currencies), you must declare it to the customs authorities in the EU country you are entering or leaving.

Your Europe (EU) — travelling with cash✓ Checked 3 Oct 2026

Frequently asked questions

Do Maltese citizens need a visa for Vatican City?