English and Turkish moving to Malta...help please!

Hi, for you read this:

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=316705

Edited in light of Ricky's post.

Hi kbun,

your rights as an EU citizen entitle you to move to Malta with your turkish husband and take up residency here.

You will have to apply for residency right away and make sure that you follow the guidelines ( enough income and health insurance) for both of you.

If he travels with you and you have all documents he does not need a visa to enter the Schengen area and he will be allowed to work in Malta after you both receive your residence documents.

Cheers
Ricky

kbun22 wrote:

Hi everyone
I am English and planning to move to Malta within the next couple of months with my Turkish husband. I'd love some advice regarding visa's etc, as I understand it for me I can just turn up and then I'm good for 3 months until I need to get a residency card or something along them lines? But for my husband I'm not sure how it works as he is non EU, will it be OK without a visa as he is coming with me or if not which visa does he need to be able to work as I know you are not allowed to work on Schengen visa.
Any help would be much appreciated as I'm struggling to find much info!
Thanks

Malta is in Schengen territory but UK is not so your husband can't enter Malta without visa.
He should have Schengen visa from any Schengen territory agreement countries visa for example France, Germany, Netherlands or from Malta.

The best thing is to call the Maltese embassy in London and take all the info.

If your husband holds a resident card in UK and you have marriage certificate than it will take 3 working days to obtain a visa from any Schengen country embassy and only on a schengen visa he will be allowed to enter Malta.

If you require any info I will be glad to help.

redmik wrote:

Zidan your post is misleading. see what Ricky posted.
kbun - ignore zidan's response go by what Ricky has stated.

My dear she is asking if he can enter Malta????
and you guys are sending link if HE can work or not.
Work and residency comes later first she is asking if HE can enter with her without visa, which is not possible at all.

A non-Eu passport holder cannot enter any schengen territory even if the spouse is from EU country.

I believe you misunderstood the question. No hard feelings!!!

My dear!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
I think it is you that has misunderstood.
Perhaps your sources are out of date?
I assure you that Ricky - who lives here - will know.

Quote: Your family members, irrespective of their nationality, have the right to accompany or
join you in an EU country other than that of your nationality. This right applies regardless
of whether they have previously been residing in another EU country or with which visa
the family member entered the host EU country.

From: http://ec.europa.eu/justice/policies/ci … nt_low.pdf

Hi kbun,

you did not state which country you are travelling from to Malta and whether your husband already has residency in an EU country although it doesn't really make a difference.

Visa and residence questions can be difficult to answer but in this case it is quite easy.

The 'Freedom of Movement' in this form applies when you are travelling together to an EU country that is not your home country.

And Zidanin , work was part of the original question ! So no hard feelings for not understanding the original question.

Cheers
Ricky

'A non-Eu passport holder cannot enter any schengen territory even if the spouse is from EU country.'

To clarify further. If this couple were married in the UK then the Maltese Embassy in London will grant a visa that is linked to the UK spouse. There is no cost involved and the extensive paperwork for a Schengen visa is not required by the embassy. One of our sons visited us recently with his UK wife - he holds a nonEU passport.

ricky wrote:

Hi kbun,

you did not state which country you are travelling from to Malta and whether your husband already has residency in an EU country although it doesn't really make a difference.

Visa and residence questions can be difficult to answer but in this case it is quite easy.

The 'Freedom of Movement' in this form applies when you are travelling together to an EU country that is not your home country.

And Zidanin , work was part of the original question ! So no hard feelings for not understanding the original question.

Cheers
Ricky

Ricky, You, my dear and very helpful friend, have totally confused the girl and now the best thing for her is to call the Maltese embassy and talk to the visa counseller (Mr. Pierre Duq) and sort out all before making the move.

rooikat wrote:

'A non-Eu passport holder cannot enter any schengen territory even if the spouse is from EU country.'

To clarify further. If this couple were married in the UK then the Maltese Embassy in London will grant a visa that is linked to the UK spouse. There is no cost involved and the extensive paperwork for a Schengen visa is not required by the embassy. One of our sons visited us recently with his UK wife - he holds a nonEU passport.

This is what I wrote in my previous post.

For crying out gently!!! Poor woman must be totally confused now.
It seems there are two issues here which are confusing.

1. Malta is EU as is UK.
2. Malta is Schengen but UK is not.

I would suggest the EU takes priority over Schengen.
(Otherwise we ex UK people would need visas.)

http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/tr … eu-family/

zidaninpoland - you wrote as follows:-

'If your husband holds a resident card in UK and you have marriage certificate than it will take 3 working days to obtain a visa from any Schengen country embassy and only on a schengen visa he will be allowed to enter Malta.'

I wrote:-  'If this couple were married in the UK'  That's the difference between your post and mine.

My point you did not grasp in my post is that if they were married out of the UK then he would have to go apply for a full Schengen visa and pay the relevent costs. However, if they were married in the UK and they are travelling from the UK to Malta then he links to his UK spouse's passport and doesn't
have to fill in all the extra paper work and also doesn't have to pay for the visa - that's a big difference in the bureaucracy and costs involved.

Thanks for your replies, we were married in Turkey and will be travelling from Turkey. We have never lived in the UK together.
Ricky you said if he travels with me and we have all the documents he would not need a visa, which documents would these be?

.

What this thread illustrates is the need for people, when asking questions, to provide as much relevant information as possible and provide essential information in their descriptions in their profiles.

redmik wrote:

What this thread illustrates is the need for people, when asking questions, to provide as much relevant information as possible and provide essential information in their descriptions in their profiles.

absolutely - I've been criticised in the past on this forum for asking questions which people said weren't relevant (and normally proved to not be relevant) - this is why I ask them

georgeingozo wrote:

redmik wrote:

What this thread illustrates is the need for people, when asking questions, to provide as much relevant information as possible and provide essential information in their descriptions in their profiles.

absolutely - I've been criticised in the past on this forum for asking questions which people said weren't relevant (and normally proved to not be relevant) - this is why I ask them

Agreed, sometimes it's like pulling teeth to get what is needed so as to be able to try to help.

Hi kbun,

passports (valid for at least another 6 months) and your marriage certificate ( with certified translation into the language of your country of entry into the EU or Schengen area).

After all the backwards and forwards on the visa issue contact the Turkish consulate in Istanbul to make sure that they will apply EU law (no visa required for your husband) or national law (visa needed for Turkish citizens).

There are direct flights to Malta from Turkey.

Cheers
Ricky

PS And of course all the documents you need to apply for residency in Malta!

ricky wrote:

Hi kbun,

passports (valid for at least another 6 months) and your marriage certificate ( with certified translation into the language of your country of entry into the EU or Schengen area).

After all the backwards and forwards on the visa issue contact the Turkish consulate in Istanbul to make sure that they will apply EU law (no visa required for your husband) or national law (visa needed for Turkish citizens).

There are direct flights to Malta from Turkey.

Cheers
Ricky

PS And of course all the documents you need to apply for residency in Malta!

To Ricky,
Are you still suggesting that there is no visa required for the Turkish husband and he can enter Malta without any visa stamp on his passport????

zidaninpoland wrote:

To Ricky,
Are you still suggesting that there is no visa required for the Turkish husband and he can enter Malta without any visa stamp on his passport????

If accompanied by their EU wife

georgeingozo wrote:

zidaninpoland wrote:

To Ricky,
Are you still suggesting that there is no visa required for the Turkish husband and he can enter Malta without any visa stamp on his passport????

If accompanied by their EU wife

So, first of all your input is not correct.
I just had a 5 minute conversation with the Maltese cousellor, Ms. Carruanna, here and she explained me clearly that there can be no entry allowed into Malta for a non-EU passport holder without a schengen visa stamp on his/her passport even if he/she is married to EU passport holder.

Maybe, the info you have is before Malta entering into Schengen treaty.

And marraiage does'nt count anything even if married in UK or Turkey or MARS.

A visa sticker in the passport from any Schengen treaty country is must if the person is travelling from Turkey or a resident card that too of a Schengen treaty country.

Hope this is clear enough.

Zidanin:- your post   And marraiage does'nt count anything even if married in UK or Turkey or MARS.
Bear in mind that at the stage I posted my reply none of us knew that they were departing from Turkey. However, it does make a difference if a UK citizen and a non-EU spouse were married in the UK and were departing from there.  If you read my post (again) I said that he would have to have a visa but the process is much simpler, in fact just one form to be filled in and no payment.
So, for the sake of another UK/NonEU couple reading this thread and departing from the UK they need to know that a marriage in the UK does make a difference to the visa timing, cost and process.

redmik wrote:

OK, lets try to make this simple for someone who is intent on being correct.
There are two laws.
One relates to Schengen Convention the other to EU.
It will depend upon which is applied.
Also, Zidan has it crossed your mind that your Maltese cousellor,(sic) Ms. Carruanna could be wrong!!!!!! Did you give her ALL the relevant information? I ask because, based upon your posts, you seem to have missed a lot of the relevant information in your interpretation of it.

You need to think more about the wider possibilities and not just serially in the pursuit of proving that you are correct; that is research bias and is no good to anyone.

Hope this is clear enough Zidan?

So eventually it turn out to be that this Expat.com site is not about giving right info but recognizing the hegemony of some seniors who are all over it.
No hard feelings and please do not I-incarcerate me as you guys have the power to block me out of this site.
I am trying to brush on my sense of humour!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The problem is that Turkey is one of the countries that Malta demands its citizens have a visa to enter Malta as a result I suspect zidan is correct. It's one of those areas left to individual Schengen countries if the person is entering from a non Schengen Zone country

georgeingozo wrote:

The problem is that Turkey is one of the countries that Malta demands its citizens have a visa to enter Malta as a result I suspect zidan is correct. It's one of those areas left to individual Schengen countries if the person is entering from a non Schengen Zone country

Yes, and thanks and salute.
Just working on my humourous skills.

So now you start calling me imposter and fraud. What right do you have to say that. You don't even know me.
Just because you posted wrong input and I pointed out.
Don't you have a real life. Go dancing or over-boozing.
Do you have that kind of idle time in hand? Better go to church and light up some candles and try to brighten up.

Certainly you are not decent at all to call fraud or imposter. Why?????
Write something when you sober up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi All,

Please note that Expat.com promotes the sharing of ideas and experiences for expatriates.

However, on the forum, personal attacks are not acceptable.

Whoever is posting should try to help kbun22 who is looking for some information.

So I encourage you all to concentrate on the original topic of this discussion.

Thank you for your understanding.

Hasnaa
Expat.com Team

In the current situation the easiest way will be to obtain the Maltese visa (type D) on the basis of marriage certificate in Turkey, enter Malta and apply for residence permit as 'EU family member'

If it doesn't work - obtain the UK visa on the basis of marriage certificate with UK citizen, fly to UK, and obtain the Malta visa (it would be easier than in Turkey). BTW, the second option can be even cheaper from tickets prices point of view.

As common answer: in case of any visa questions go to Timatic (here it's one of the doorway to it: http://www.skyteam.com/en/your-trip/Ser … nd-Health/) and check your destination.

For Turkey-Malta trip for Turkish citizen is the following:

------
Passport required.
- Passports and/or passport replacing documents must be valid
  for at least 3 months beyond the period of intended stay.

Visa required, except for A max. stay of 90 days for holders
of a valid "D" visa issued by another Schengen Member State
For details, click here .
- Information on Schengen visas For details, click here
Additional Information:

- Valid visas in full, invalidated travel documents are
  accepted provided accompanied by a new travel document.
- Visitors are required to hold proof of sufficient funds to
  cover their stay and documents required for their next
  destination.

- The max. stay is granted within 180 days.
Warning:
- Visitors not holding return/onward tickets could be refused

  entry.
--------------


The main point to check Timatic is the following: when you arrive to the airport, the clerk at the check-in counter checks the same  Timatic for information. They don't care about any information you obtained from the embassy, consulate, friends, whatever - they just check Timatic It should be the first point to check any restrictions.

rigid wrote:

No disrespect but this blog gives contradictory and confusing information.

Not always as we try to help as best we can and sometimes someone messes things up. We do our best.
People also have to bear in mind that this is Malta and there is very rarely a set way of doing anything! It depends upon who you speak to, what they know and when and that includes any 'authorities' and officials who often give contradictory advice and instructions. 'Luck of the draw' sometimes
Its all part of it's charm.

What you also have to remember that it is not necessarily just what nationality one is but also marital status, nationality of spouse, country of exit/entry and what rules are going to be applied.
Any mix of any of those factors can change a situation markedly.

Thanks for the help, I didn't mean to cause any conflict and I didn't realise when I originally posted that it made a difference where we were coming from or where we got married, otherwise I would have posted that information. I think I will call the embassy as my brain is all over the place from reading this! But thanks for the replies

kbun22 wrote:

Thanks for the help, I didn't mean to cause any conflict and I didn't realise when I originally posted that it made a difference where we were coming from or where we got married, otherwise I would have posted that information. I think I will call the embassy as my brain is all over the place from reading this! But thanks for the replies

That's the problem for so many of us, we don't always know which factors influence the relevant procedure - so it's good to post on a blog like and the question can be discussed, that's when all these 'variations' come to the fore.  You didn't cause any conflict, the only person that caused conflict was the one person with a know-all attitude that apparently doesn't even live in Malta!  Good luck and let us know the outcome

rooikat wrote:

kbun22 wrote:

Thanks for the help, I didn't mean to cause any conflict and I didn't realise when I originally posted that it made a difference where we were coming from or where we got married, otherwise I would have posted that information. I think I will call the embassy as my brain is all over the place from reading this! But thanks for the replies

That's the problem for so many of us, we don't always know which factors influence the relevant procedure - so it's good to post on a blog like and the question can be discussed, that's when all these 'variations' come to the fore.  You didn't cause any conflict, the only person that caused conflict was the one person with a know-all attitude that apparently doesn't even live in Malta!  Good luck and let us know the outcome

Thanks for your comment but I believe the confusion started when the people with no real experience started commenting. If you see zidanin first post was the only post correct and required and the later witch-hunt by everyone to have him banned was off topic and was not necessary at all.
I see that somehow all the post are somewhat with some hint of a know-all-attitude.
Thanks and good day and smile2all..............

smile2all wrote:

rooikat wrote:

kbun22 wrote:

Thanks for the help, I didn't mean to cause any conflict and I didn't realise when I originally posted that it made a difference where we were coming from or where we got married, otherwise I would have posted that information. I think I will call the embassy as my brain is all over the place from reading this! But thanks for the replies

That's the problem for so many of us, we don't always know which factors influence the relevant procedure - so it's good to post on a blog like and the question can be discussed, that's when all these 'variations' come to the fore.  You didn't cause any conflict, the only person that caused conflict was the one person with a know-all attitude that apparently doesn't even live in Malta!  Good luck and let us know the outcome

Thanks for your comment but I believe the confusion started when the people with no real experience started commenting. If you see zidanin first post was the only post correct and required and the later witch-hunt by everyone to have him banned was off topic and was not necessary at all.
I see that somehow all the post are somewhat with some hint of a know-all-attitude.
Thanks and good day and smile2all..............

Not another one? What experience do you have of life on Malta?
It was not the only correct answer. When you learn about Malta you will learn there is more than one correct answer.

smile2all wrote:

I believe the confusion started when the people with no real experience started commenting. If you see zidanin first post was the only post correct

Based on the info first received, I think you will find just about every post was potentially correct. As for us having no real experience, we've all been through the process in one way or another

smile2all wrote:

later witch-hunt by everyone to have him banned was off topic and was not necessary at all.

point out where I wanted him banned please