Who can apply for asylum in Malta?
If you are unwilling or unable to return to your country of origin (or country of previous residence in case you are stateless) because you fear you are in danger of suffering serious harm for reasons related to your race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership of a particular social group or you flee war, torture, or inhumane and degrading treatment, you can apply for international protection (asylum) in Malta.
ATTENTION! Access to the international protection procedure is FREE OF CHARGE.
Please note that:
- You can only apply for asylum in Malta if you are present in Maltese territory. You cannot apply for asylum in Malta from abroad.
- You can also apply for asylum on behalf of your children under 18 years old, or your children older than 18 years old who, due to mental or physical disability, are unable to submit an application on their own, if they are currently in Malta with you.
- During the asylum procedure you must stay in Malta. If you leave without permission to another European country while your asylum application is still pending in Malta, the authorities of that country have the right to return you to Malta under the Dublin Regulation procedure, and your asylum application may be treated as withdrawn. If your application is withdrawn, you may ask to re-open it. However, you will join the back of the queue and must wait longer for your application to be processed. In addition, leaving Malta on false documents leaves you at risk of being prosecuted and imprisoned as this is a crime.
Who receives international protection applications in Malta?
Applications for international protection in Malta are processed by the International Protection Agency (IPA).
- Please note that in Malta, UNHCR does not register or process applications for international protection, nor does it issue refugee-related documents. Please see About UNHCR in Malta for more information about our work in the country.
