# Visa requirements for Maltese citizens

Visa requirements for Maltese citizens are administrative entry restrictions imposed by the authorities of foreign states on citizens of Malta. As of 2025, Maltese citizens have visa-free or visa on arrival access (including eTAs) to 188 countries and territories, ranking the Maltese passport 7th in the world (tied with Polish, and Canadian passport in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index.

## Visa requirements

| Country | Visa requirement | Allowed stay | Notes (excluding departure fees) |
| Afghanistan | Visa required | | |
| Albania | Visa not required | 90 days | ID card valid |
| Algeria | Visa required | | |
| Andorra | Visa not required | | ID card valid |
| Angola | Visa not required | 30 days | International Certificate of Vaccination required |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Visa not required | 6 months | |
| Argentina | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Armenia | Visa not required | 180 days | |
| Australia | eVisitor | 90 days | 90 days on each visit in 12-month period if granted |
| Austria | Visa not required | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Azerbaijan | eVisa | 30 days | |
| Bahamas | Visa not required | 3 months | |
| Bahrain | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 14 days | |
| Bangladesh | Visa on arrival | 30 days | |
| Barbados | Visa not required | 3 months | |
| Belarus | Visa not required | 30 days | Visa-free until 31 December 2024. |
| Belgium | Visa not required | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Belize | Visa not required | 1 month | |
| Benin | eVisa | 30 days | Must have an international vaccination certificate. |
| Bhutan | eVisa | 90 days | |
| Bolivia | Visa on arrival | 90 days | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 6-month period ID card valid |
| Botswana | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Brazil | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Brunei | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Bulgaria | Visa not required | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Burkina Faso | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 1 month | |
| Burundi | Visa on arrival | 30 days | It is mandatory for those who want to get a visa on arrival to complete the form online prior to boarding. |
| Cambodia | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 30 days | Visa is also obtainable online. |
| Cameroon | eVisa | | |
| Canada | Visa not required | 6 months | eTA required if arriving by air. |
| Cape Verde | Visa not required | 30 days | Must register online at least five days prior to arrival. |
| Central African Republic | Visa required | | |
| Chad | Visa required | | |
| Chile | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| China | Visa not required | 30 days | Visa-free from November 30, 2024 to December 31, 2025. 24-hour visa-free transit through any international airports of China, allows domestic travel through different airports. 72-hour visa-free transit through Changsha, Guilin and Harbin airports, or Beihai port. 144-hour visa-free transit through Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Jieyang, Kunming, Nanjing, Ningbo, Qingdao, Shanghai, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Shijiazhuang, Tianjin, Wuhan, Xiamen and Xi'an airports, or Dalian, Guangzhou, Lianyungang, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Wenzhou, Xiamen and Zhoushan ports. Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan count as third countries under the 24, 72 and 144-hours transit without visa (TWOV) policies. |
| Colombia | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days - extendable up to 180-days stay within a one-year period |
| Comoros | Visa on arrival | 45 days | |
| Republic of the Congo | Visa required | | |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | eVisa | 7 days | |
| Costa Rica | Visa not required | 180 days | |
| Côte d'Ivoire | eVisa | 3 months | eVisa holders must arrive via Port Bouet Airport. |
| Croatia | Visa not required | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Cuba | eVisa | 90 days | Can be extended up to 90 days with a fee. |
| Cyprus | Visa not required | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Czech Republic | Visa not required | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Denmark | Visa not required | Freedom of movement (DK) ID card valid | Freedom of movement (DK) ID card valid |
| Djibouti | eVisa | 31 days | |
| Dominica | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Dominican Republic | Visa not required | 30 days | |
| Ecuador | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Egypt | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 30 days | |
| El Salvador | Visa not required | 6 months | |
| Equatorial Guinea | eVisa | 90 days | |
| Eritrea | Visa required | | |
| Estonia | Visa not required | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Eswatini | Visa not required | 30 days | |
| Ethiopia | eVisa / Visa on arrival | up to 90 days | eVisa holders must arrive via Addis Ababa Bole International Airport |
| Fiji | Visa not required | 4 months | |
| Finland | Visa not required | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| France | Visa not required | Freedom of movement (in Regions of France) ID card valid | Freedom of movement (in Regions of France) ID card valid |
| Gabon | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 90 days | Electronic visa holders must arrive via Libreville International Airport. |
| Gambia | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Georgia | Visa not required | 1 year | ID card valid |
| Germany | Visa not required | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Ghana | Visa required | | |
| Greece | Visa not required | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Grenada | Visa not required | 3 months | |
| Guatemala | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Guinea | eVisa | 90 days | |
| Guinea-Bissau | Visa on arrival | 90 days | |
| Guyana | Visa required | | |
| Haiti | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Honduras | Visa not required | 3 months | |
| Hungary | Visa not required | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Iceland | Visa not required | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| India | e-Visa | 30 days | e-Visa holders must arrive via 31 designated airports or 5 designated seaports. An Indian e-Tourist Visa may only be obtained twice within 1 calendar year. Foreigners of Pakistani origin or who hold a Pakistani Passport are not eligible for an e-Visa. Foreigners who are not Pakistani nationals, but whose parents or grandparents (either paternal or maternal) were born in, or were permanent residents in Pakistan, are also not eligible for an e-Visa. |
| Indonesia | e-VOA / Visa on arrival | 30 days | Not available at all entry points. |
| Iran | eVisa | 30 days | |
| Iraq | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 60 days | |
| Ireland | Visa not required | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Israel | Visa not required | 3 months | |
| Italy | Visa not required | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Jamaica | Visa not required | | |
| Japan | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Jordan | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 30 days | Conditions apply |
| Kazakhstan | Visa not required | 30 days | |
| Kenya | Electronic Travel Authorisation | 90 days | |
| Kiribati | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| North Korea | Visa required | | |
| South Korea | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Kuwait | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 3 months | |
| Kyrgyzstan | Visa not required | 60 days | |
| Laos | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 30 days | 17 of the 31 border crossings are only open to visa holders. e-Visa may be used to enter Laos through Luang Prabang, Pakse and Vientiane international airports, 3 Thai-Lao Friendship Bridges and in Boten (road and railroad). Visa on arrival is available at Luang Prabang, Pakse and Vientiane international airports, the 4 Thai-Lao Friendship Bridges and 6 border crossings. Visa on arrival is extendable for an additional 60 days at the Department of Immigration in Vientiane. |
| Latvia | Visa not required | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Lebanon | Visa on arrival | 1 month | Extendable for 2 additional months Granted free of charge at Beirut International Airport or any other port of entry if there is no Israeli visa or seal, holding a telephone number, an address in Lebanon, and a non refundable return or circle trip ticket. |
| Lesotho | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Liberia | Visa required | | |
| Libya | eVisa | 30 days | |
| Liechtenstein | Visa not required | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Lithuania | Visa not required | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Luxembourg | Visa not required | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Madagascar | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 90 days | |
| Malawi | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Malaysia | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Maldives | Visa on arrival | 30 days | |
| Mali | Visa required | | |
| Marshall Islands | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Mauritania | Visa on arrival | | Available at Nouakchott–Oumtounsy International Airport. |
| Mauritius | Visa not required | 180 days | |
| Mexico | Visa not required | 180 days | |
| Micronesia | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Moldova | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Monaco | Visa not required | | ID card valid |
| Mongolia | Visa not required | 30 days | Visa-free from January 4, 2023 to December 31, 2025. |
| Montenegro | Visa not required | 90 days | ID card valid for 30 days |
| Morocco | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Mozambique | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 30 days | |
| Myanmar | eVisa | 28 days | eVisa holders must arrive via Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw or Mandalay airports or via land border crossings with Thailand — Tachileik, Myawaddy and Kawthaung or India — Rih Khaw Dar and Tamu. eVisa available for both tourism (allowed stay is 28 days) or business (allowed stay is 70 days) purposes. |
| Namibia | Visa required | | |
| Nauru | Visa required | | |
| Nepal | Online Visa / Visa on arrival | 90 days | |
| Netherlands | Visa not required | Freedom of movement (European Netherlands) ID card valid | Freedom of movement (European Netherlands) ID card valid |
| New Zealand | Electronic Travel Authority | 3 months | International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy must be paid upon requesting an Electronic Travel Authority. Holders of an Australian Permanent Resident Visa or Resident Return Visa may be granted a New Zealand Resident Visa on arrival permitting indefinite stay (pursuant to the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement), subject to meeting character requirements and obtaining an Electronic Travel Authority prior to departure. Such travellers are not required to pay the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy. |
| Nicaragua | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Niger | Visa required | | |
| Nigeria | eVisa | | Holders of written e-Visa approval issued by the Immigration Authority can obtain a visa on arrival, provided they hold a visa application form and e-Visa application payment receipt and have an invitation letter from a Nigerian company accepting immigration responsibilities. |
| North Macedonia | Visa not required | 90 days | ID card valid |
| Norway | Visa not required | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Oman | Visa not required / eVisa | 14 days / 30 days | |
| Pakistan | eVisa | 90 days | Issued free of charge. |
| Palau | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Panama | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Papua New Guinea | eVisa | 60 days | |
| Paraguay | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Peru | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 6-month period |
| Philippines | Visa not required | 30 days | |
| Poland | Visa not required | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Portugal | Visa not required | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Qatar | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Romania | Visa not required | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Russia | eVisa | 16 days | e-Visa holders must arrive and departure via 29 checkpoints |
| Rwanda | Visa not required | 30 days | |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Visa not required | 3 months | |
| Saint Lucia | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Samoa | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| San Marino | Visa not required | | ID card valid |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | Visa not required | 15 days | |
| Saudi Arabia | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 90 days | |
| Senegal | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Serbia | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 6-month period ID card valid |
| Seychelles | Visa not required | 3 months | |
| Sierra Leone | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 1 month | |
| Singapore | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Slovakia | Visa not required | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Slovenia | Visa not required | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Solomon Islands | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Somalia | Visa on arrival | | Available at Berbera, Borama, Burao, Erigavo and Hargeisa airports. 30 days, available at Bosaso Airport, Galcaio Airport and Mogadishu Airport. |
| South Africa | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| South Sudan | Electronic Visa | | Obtainable online Printed visa authorization must be presented at the time of travel |
| Spain | Visa not required | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Sri Lanka | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 30 days | |
| Sudan | Visa required | | |
| Suriname | Visa not required | 90 days | An entrance fee of USD 50 or EUR 50 must be paid online prior to arrival. Multiple entry eVisa is also available. |
| Sweden | Visa not required | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Switzerland | Visa not required | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Syria | eVisa | | |
| Tajikistan | Visa not required | 30 days | Visa also available online. |
| Tanzania | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Thailand | Visa not required | 60 days | |
| Timor-Leste | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Togo | eVisa | 15 days | |
| Tonga | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Tunisia | Visa not required | 3 months | ID card valid on organized tours |
| Turkey | Visa not required | 90 days | ID card valid |
| Turkmenistan | Visa required | | |
| Tuvalu | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Uganda | Visa not required | 3 months | May apply online. |
| Ukraine | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| United Arab Emirates | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| United Kingdom | Visa not required | 6 months | ETA UK (valid for 2 years when issued) required from 2 April 2025. ID card valid for subjects with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme until at least 31 December 2025. Adults can use ePassport gates. |
| United States | Visa Waiver Program | 90 days | On arrival from overseas; ESTA (valid for 2 years when issued) required if arriving by air or cruise ship. |
| Uruguay | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Uzbekistan | Visa not required | 30 days | |
| Vanuatu | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Vatican City | Visa not required | | ID card valid |
| Venezuela | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Vietnam | eVisa | 30 days | |
| Yemen | Visa required | | |
| Zambia | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Zimbabwe | Visa not required | 3 months | |

### Territories and disputed areas

Visa requirements for Maltese citizens for visits to various territories, disputed areas, partially recognized countries and restricted zones:

#### Europe

* Abkhazia — Visa required.
* Monastic community of Mount Athos — Special permit required (4 days: 25 euro for Orthodox visitors, 35 euro for non-Orthodox visitors, 18 euro for students). There is a visitors' quota: maximum 100 Orthodox and 10 non-Orthodox per day and women are not allowed.
* Brest and Grodno — Visa not required for 10 days.
* Crimea — Visa issued by Russia is required.
* Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus — Visa free access for 3 months. Passport required.
* UN Buffer Zone in Cyprus — Access Permit is required for travelling inside the zone, except Civil Use Areas.
* Faroe Islands — Visa not required.
* Gibraltar — Visa not required.
* Guernsey – Visa not required.
* Alderney – Visa not required.
* Sark – Visa not required.
* Isle of Man — Visa not required.
* Jan Mayen — permit issued by the local police required for staying for less than 24 hours and permit issued by the Norwegian police for staying for more than 24 hours.
* Jersey – Visa not required.
* Kosovo — visa free for 90 days.
* Closed cities and regions in Russia — special authorization required.
* South Ossetia — Visa free. Multiple entry visa to Russia and three-day prior notification are required to enter South Ossetia.
* Transnistria — Visa free. Registration required after 24h.

#### Africa

* Eritrea (outside Asmara) — visa covers Asmara only; to travel in the rest of the country, a Travel Permit for Foreigners is required (20 Eritrean nakfa).
* Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (Western Sahara controlled territory) — Visa not required up to 3 months.
* Somaliland — Visa issued on arrival (30 days for 30 US dollars, payable on arrival).
* Sudan — All foreigners traveling more than 25 kilometers outside of Khartoum must obtain a travel permit.
* Darfur — Separate travel permit is required.

#### Asia

* Hong Kong — Visa not required for 90 days.
* India — Protected Area Permit (PAP) required for whole states of Nagaland and Sikkim and parts of states Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh. Restricted Area Permit (RAP) required for all of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and parts of Sikkim. Some of these requirements are occasionally lifted for a year.
* Iraqi Kurdistan — Visa on arrival for 15 days is available at Erbil and Sulaymaniyah airports.
* Kazakhstan — Special permission required for the town of Baikonur and surrounding areas in Kyzylorda Oblast, and the town of Gvardeyskiy near Almaty.
* Kish Island — Visitors to Kish Island do not require a visa.
* Macao — Visa not required for 90 days.
* Sabah and Sarawak — These states have their own immigration authorities and passport is required to travel to them, however the same visa applies.
* Maldives — With the exception of the capital Malé, tourists are generally prohibited from visiting non-resort islands without the express permission of the Government of Maldives.
* North Korea outside Pyongyang – People are not allowed to leave the capital city. Tourists may leave the capital only with a governmental tourist guide (no independent moving).
* Palestine — Visa not required. Arrival by sea to Gaza Strip not allowed.
* Taiwan — Visa not required for 90 days.
* Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province — OIVR permit required (15+5 Tajikistani Somoni) and another special permit (free of charge) is required for Lake Sarez.
* Turkmenistan — A special permit, issued prior to arrival by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is required if visiting the following places: Atamurat, Cheleken, Dashoguz, Serakhs and Serhetabat.
* Tibet Autonomous Region — Tibet Travel Permit required (10 US Dollars).
* Korean Demilitarized Zone — restricted zone.
* UNDOF Zone and Ghajar — restricted zones.
* Phú Quốc — can visit without a visa for up to 30 days.
* Yemen — Special permission needed for travel outside Sana’a or Aden.

#### Caribbean and North Atlantic

* Anguilla — Visa not required for 3 months.
* Aruba — Visa not required for 180 days.
* Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba — Visa not required for 3 months.
* Bermuda — Visa not required for 21 days (extendable).
* British Virgin Islands — Visa not required for 1 month (extendable).
* Cayman Islands — Visa not required for 6 months.
* Colombia — Visitors arriving at San Andrés and Leticia must buy tourist cards on arrival.
* Curacao — Visa not required for 3 months.
* Montserrat — Visa not required for 6 months.
* Greenland — Visa not required.
* Margarita Island — All visitors are fingerprinted.
* Puerto Rico — Visa not required under the Visa Waiver Program, for 90 days on arrival from overseas for 2 years. ESTA required.
* Saint Pierre and Miquelon — Visa not required.
* Sint Maarten — Visa not required for 3 months.
* Turks and Caicos Islands — Visa not required for 90 days.
* U.S. Virgin Islands — Visa not required under the Visa Waiver Program, for 90 days on arrival from overseas for 2 years. ESTA required.

#### Oceania

* American Samoa — Electronic authorization for 30 days.
* Ashmore and Cartier Islands — special authorisation required.
* Clipperton Island — special permit required.
* Cook Islands — Visa free access for 31 days.
* Lau Province — Special permission required.
* French Polynesia — Visa not required.
* Guam — Visa not required under the Visa Waiver Program, for 90 days on arrival from overseas for 2 years. ESTA required.
* New Caledonia — Visa not required for 3 months.
* Niue — Visa on arrival valid for 30 days is issued free of charge.
* Northern Mariana Islands — Visa not required.
* Pitcairn Islands — 14 days visa free and landing fee US$35 or tax of US$5 if not going ashore.
* Tokelau — Entry permit required.
* United States Minor Outlying Islands — special permits required for Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Atoll, Palmyra Atoll and Wake Island.
* Wallis and Futuna — Visa not required.

#### South Atlantic and Antarctica

* Falkland Islands — Visitor Permit valid for 4 weeks is issued on arriva.
* Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
** Ascension Island — eVisa for 3 months within any year period.
** Saint Helena — Entry Permit (£25) for 183 days is issued on arrival.
** Tristan da Cunha — Permission to land required for 15/30 pounds sterling (yacht/ship passenger) for Tristan da Cunha Island or 20 pounds sterling for Gough Island, Inaccessible Island or Nightingale Islands.
* South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands — Pre-arrival permit from the Commissioner required (72 hours/1 month for 110/160 pounds sterling).
* Antarctica and adjacent islands — special permits required for French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Argentine Antarctica, Australian Antarctic Territory, Chilean Antarctic Territory, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Peter I Island, Queen Maud Land, Ross Dependency.

## Non-ordinary passports

Holders of various categories of official Maltese passports have additional visa-free access to the following countries - China (diplomatic or service passports), Libya (diplomatic, official or service passports) and Russia (diplomatic passports). Holders of diplomatic or service passports of any country have visa-free access to Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Mali and Zimbabwe.

## Non-visa restrictions
### Blank passport pages

Many countries require a minimum number of blank pages to be available in the passport being presented, typically one or two pages. Endorsement pages, which often appear after the visa pages, are not counted as being valid or available.

### Vaccination

Many African countries, including Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo, South Sudan, Uganda, and Zambia, require all incoming passengers older than nine months to one year to have a current International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, as does the South American territory of French Guiana.
Some other countries require vaccination only if the passenger is coming from an infected area or has visited one recently or has transited for 12 hours in those countries: Algeria, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Lesotho, Libya, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

### Passport validity length

Very few countries, such as Paraguay, just require a valid passport on arrival.
However many countries and groupings now require only an identity card – especially from their neighbours. Other countries may have special bilateral arrangements that depart from the generality of their passport validity length policies to shorten the period of passport validity required for each other's citizens or even accept passports that have already expired (but not been cancelled).
Some countries, such as Japan, Ireland and the United Kingdom, require a passport valid throughout the period of the intended stay.
In the absence of specific bilateral agreements, countries requiring passports to be valid for at least 6 more months on arrival include Afghanistan, Algeria, Anguilla, Bahrain, Bhutan, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Curaçao, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Turkey, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu, Venezuela, and Vietnam.
Countries requiring passports valid for at least 4 months on arrival include Micronesia and Zambia.
Countries requiring passports with a validity of at least 3 months beyond the date of intended departure include Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Honduras, Montenegro, Nauru, Moldova and New Zealand. Similarly, the EEA countries of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, all European Union countries (except Ireland) together with Switzerland also require 3 months validity beyond the date of the bearer's intended departure unless the bearer is an EEA or Swiss national.
Countries requiring passports valid for at least 3 months on arrival include Albania, North Macedonia, Panama, and Senegal.
Bermuda requires passports to be valid for at least 45 days upon entry.
Countries that require a passport validity of at least one month beyond the date of intended departure include Eritrea, Hong Kong, Lebanon, Macau, the Maldives and South Africa.

#### Maximum passport age

Countries of the Schengen area require non-EU passports to be less than 10 years old upon entry. A number of holders of British passports, which until September 2018 could be issued with a validity period of up to 10 years and nine months if the previous passport was not expired, were unable to travel to the EU subsequent to Brexit due to this restriction.

### Criminal record

Some countries, including Australia, Canada, Fiji, New Zealand and the United States, routinely deny entry to non-citizens who have a criminal record, while others impose restrictions depending on the type of conviction and the length of the sentence.

### Persona non grata

The government of a country can declare a diplomat persona non grata, banning them from entering the country or expelling them if they have already entered. In non-diplomatic use, the authorities of a country may also declare a foreigner persona non grata permanently or temporarily, usually because of unlawful activity.

### Israeli stamps

Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, and Yemen do not allow entry to people with passport stamps from Israel or whose passports have either a used or an unused Israeli visa, or where there is evidence of previous travel to Israel such as entry or exit stamps from neighbouring border posts in transit countries such as Jordan and Egypt.
To circumvent this Arab League boycott of Israel, the Israeli immigration services have now mostly ceased to stamp foreign nationals' passports on either entry to or exit from Israel (unless the entry is for some work-related purposes). Since 15 January 2013, Israel no longer stamps foreign passports at Ben Gurion Airport. Passports are still (as of 22 June 2017) stamped at Erez when passing into and out of Gaza.
Iran refuses admission to holders of passports containing an Israeli visa or stamp that is less than 12 months old.

### Biometrics

Several countries mandate that all travellers, or all foreign travellers, be fingerprinted on arrival and will refuse admission to or even arrest travellers who refuse to comply. In some countries, such as the United States, this may apply even to transit passengers who merely wish to change planes rather than go landside.
Fingerprinting countries/regions include Afghanistan, Argentina, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, India, Japan, Kenya (both fingerprints and a photo are taken), Malaysia upon entry and departure, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Uganda, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
Many countries also require a photo be taken of people entering the country. The United States, which does not fully implement exit control formalities at its land frontiers (although long mandated by its own legislation), intends to implement facial recognition for passengers departing from international airports to identify people who overstay their visa.
Together with fingerprint and face recognition, iris scanning is one of three biometric identification technologies internationally standardised since 2006 by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for use in e-passports and the United Arab Emirates conducts iris scanning on visitors who need to apply for a visa. The United States Department of Homeland Security has announced plans to greatly increase the biometric data it collects at US borders. In 2018, Singapore began trials of iris scanning at three land and maritime immigration checkpoints.

## Right to consular protection in non-EU countries

When in a non-EU country where there is no Maltese embassy, Maltese citizens as EU citizens have the right to get consular protection from the embassy of any other EU country present in that country