Malta Visa Cover Letter for Indians: Sample and Format

The rules below are as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For fees, centres and the full application process, see our Malta visa guide for Indians.

What does Malta's checklist say the cover letter must contain?

The common document list on the VFS Global Malta page names the cover letter as a required item and spells out five points: purpose, duration, accompanying persons, transport and accommodation. Applications from India are lodged at VFS Global and decided by the High Commission of Malta in New Delhi, which handles Schengen short-stay visas for residents of all of India. Visa queries go to VFS, not to the High Commission.

The letter does not replace any document. Each statement in it should point to a paper in your file. The table maps each point to the evidence the 2026 VFS tourism checklist asks for.

Sample Malta tourist visa cover letter

Replace every bracketed item with your own details. Keep the letter to one page, sign it, and check that every date matches your bookings.

To,
The Visa Section
High Commission of the Republic of Malta, New Delhi
(submitted through VFS Global, [city])

Subject: Application for a Schengen short-stay (C) visa for tourism to Malta, [arrival date] to [departure date]

Dear Sir or Madam,

I, [full name as in passport], holder of Indian passport number [number], apply for a short-stay tourist visa to visit Malta from [arrival date] to [departure date], a stay of [number] days.

Purpose: I am travelling for a holiday and plan to visit [the places you have actually planned]. My day-by-day itinerary is attached.

Accompanying persons: I will travel with [name, relationship, passport number], who is applying separately. [Or: I am travelling alone.]

Transport: I hold a return flight reservation from [city] to Malta on [date], returning on [date]. [Add any travel to other Schengen countries.]

Accommodation: I will stay at [hotel name and address] for the full stay. The confirmed booking is attached.

Funding and employment: I have worked as [designation] at [employer] since [year]. My employer has approved my leave from [date] to [date]. I will pay for the trip from my own savings. I attach my bank statement for the last three months, three months' payslips, my employment contract, my leave approval and ITR acknowledgments for the last two assessment years.

I will return to India on [date] and resume work on [date]. I request you to consider my application.

Yours faithfully,
[Signature]
[Name, address, phone, email]

How should you change the letter if you are self-employed, sponsored or retired?

Only the funding paragraph changes with your profile. The 2026 tourism checklist asks for different proof in each case, so name the matching papers in your letter.

• Company owner or self-employed: describe your business and attach a 3-month bank statement, company registration including your GST number, ITR acknowledgments for the last two years and a business bank account statement.
• Sponsored: name the sponsor and your relationship, and attach their 3-month bank statement, proof of sponsorship and your own ITR acknowledgments for the last two years.
• Retired: mention your pension and attach pension statements for the last three months and/or proof of regular income.
• Minors: a parent writes the letter; attach notarised parental consent and copies of the parents' passports or ID.

Which other documents should your letter list as enclosures?

Close the letter with a short list of enclosures. The VFS common checklist for Malta includes:

• Application form filled in and signed (both parents sign for minors)
• One colour photograph, 3.5cm x 4.5cm, white background, not stapled
• Passport valid at least 3 months after the stay, issued within the previous 10 years, plus your old passport
• Overseas travel medical insurance valid for all Schengen countries, minimum EUR 30,000, bought from one of 16 Schengen-recognised insurance companies in India
• Original and photocopy of the passport biodata page, last page and previous Schengen stamps
• Aadhaar card with photocopy, and a copy of your PAN card

Documents must not be printed back-to-back, and every application needs its own set of photocopies.

Why does a precise letter matter for Malta?

European Commission data show a refusal rate of 32.1% for Schengen visa applications lodged at Maltese consulates in India in 2025 (2,720 visas not issued; 8,587 applications lodged). In 2024 the figure was 44.9%. These numbers describe past refusals across all applicants; they do not predict any single result. They do show that Malta files are read closely, and a letter that contradicts your bookings or bank statements gives the officer a reason to doubt the trip.

Malta's foreign ministry also notes that multiple-entry visas are generally granted to applicants who have previously held and used Schengen visas on multiple occasions. If you have that history, mention your previous Schengen visas in one line and attach the copies.

Mistakes to avoid in a Malta cover letter

• Dates that differ from the flight reservation or the hotel booking.
• Leaving out accompanying persons, even when they apply separately.
• Claiming a hotel stay while attaching a host's declaration, or the reverse.
• Applying too late: Malta's Ministry for Foreign Affairs says to apply no later than 15 calendar days before travel, and VFS recommends at least 4 weeks.
• Copying a sample word for word. The letter must describe your own trip.

Once the file is lodged, the standard processing time is 15 days, and it may take up to three weeks for applicants from Indian states outside Delhi. Applications from Cochin and Lucknow need up to 3 extra days in transit to reach the High Commission. The adult visa fee is INR 9994 / EUR 90, plus the VFS service fee of INR 2931 per application, and the visa fee is non-refundable if the visa is refused.

If you would rather not draft it yourself, Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares cover letters, flight reservations, hotel bookings and travel itineraries for visa files. Packages run from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for a reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or contact us.

Frequently asked questions

Who should a Malta visa cover letter be addressed to?

Address it to the visa section of the High Commission of the Republic of Malta in New Delhi, which processes Schengen short-stay visas for Indian residents. You hand it in with your file at a VFS Global centre, and any visa queries go to VFS rather than the High Commission.

Is a hotel booking compulsory for a Malta tourist visa?

You need proof of accommodation for the stay. The 2026 VFS tourism checklist accepts a confirmed hotel booking, or a 'Declaration of Proof' signed by your host and witnessed by a Maltese Public Notary, with the host's ID, proof of residence and income.

How long can I stay in Malta on a Schengen visa?

A Schengen short-stay (C) visa allows stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, according to VFS India. Your cover letter should give exact dates within the period you request.

Is the Malta visa fee refunded if my visa is refused?

No. The adult fee of INR 9994 / EUR 90 is non-refundable if the visa is refused, and optional VFS services are also non-refundable. Check every document before you submit.