A Malta passport renewal replaces an expiring or expired Maltese passport with a new biometric passport, and every applicant applies in person at the Passport Office in Malta or at a Maltese embassy or consulate abroad. Identità, the government agency that runs identity and passport services, issues the new document after fresh biometrics are captured. This guide covers passport renewal Malta fees, validity periods by age, the exact Form A sections, photo and biometric rules, standard and urgent processing times, child renewals, the embassy route for citizens living abroad, and the emergency document that covers a lost passport. A Valletta resident with a passport expiring in September 2026, a parent renewing a child’s passport in Birkirkara, and a Maltese nurse working in London all follow the same core rules with different fees.
What Is a Malta Passport Renewal?
A Malta passport renewal is a fresh passport application filed by an existing Maltese passport holder, and the Passport Office issues a brand new passport booklet rather than extending the old one. The expiry date printed in the old passport never moves. Renewal therefore means new biometrics, a new photograph, a new document number, and a full new validity period that starts on the issue date. A passport that expired two years ago renews under the same procedure as a passport expiring next month, because Identità treats both cases as a renewal application on Form A. The holder surrenders the previous passport with the application, and the Passport Office cancels the old booklet. One detail surprises many applicants: a renewal in Malta needs no recommender for adults, since the valid Maltese identity card (ID card) proves identity at the counter.
How Long Is a Maltese Passport Valid?
A Maltese passport stays valid for 10 years for holders aged 16 and over, 5 years for children aged 10 to 15, and 2 years for children under 10. Age on the application date decides the band, and the band decides both the validity period and the fee. A child who turns 10 one week before the appointment falls into the 5-year band and pays the higher child fee. Frequent travellers should also watch destination rules, because many countries demand 3 to 6 months of remaining validity at entry even though the passport itself remains legally valid. The United States, for example, requires a passport valid for the full stay for Maltese citizens under the Six-Month Club exemption, while several Asian destinations enforce a strict 6-month rule. Renewing 9 months before expiry protects a booking against both problems.
How Much Does a Passport Renewal in Malta Cost?
The passport renewal Malta fee for an adult is €70 (EUR, euros) from September to March and €80 from April to August, and the seasonal price jump applies only to applicants aged 16 and over. Child fees stay flat across the year. Urgent processing costs more at every age and delivers the passport in 4 working hours. The Passport Office accepts cash and card, and cheques are not accepted. One family example shows the seasonal effect clearly: two parents and a 12-year-old renewing in February pay €70 + €70 + €40, a €180 total, while the same family renewing in June pays €80 + €80 + €40, a €200 total. A lost passport that was still valid adds a €15 charge on top of the standard fee.
| Applicant age | Validity | Standard fee, September to March | Standard fee, April to August | Urgent fee, ready in 4 working hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 years and over | 10 years | €70 | €80 | €160 |
| 10 to 15 years | 5 years | €40 | €40 | €80 |
| Under 10 years | 2 years | €16 | €16 | €60 |
What Documents Do You Need to Renew a Maltese Passport?
An adult renewal in Malta needs exactly three items: Form A with sections 1, 2, 5 and 9 completed, the original valid Maltese ID card with a copy of the front and back, and the previous passport. Form A is the standard Maltese passport application form, and the renewal sections differ from the first-time sections, so an applicant who downloads the form should fill in only the renewal parts. Documents follow one consistent pattern at the counter:
- Form A, sections 1, 2, 5 and 9 completed in full
- Original and valid Maltese ID card
- Copy of the ID card, front and back
- Previous Maltese passport
- Police report and solemn declaration, for a lost or stolen passport only
Missing paperwork stops the application on the spot. Identità states that the process halts immediately if a required document is absent, and the applicant restarts the visit with a complete file. A name change adds one more document to the list: the marriage certificate or court deed that proves the new name, because the new passport prints the legal name exactly as the civil registry records it.
How to Renew a Passport in Malta: Step by Step
Passport renewal in Malta takes five steps: book the appointment, complete Form A, attend the Passport Office in person, hand over the documents and fee while staff capture biometrics, and collect the new passport in person after 4 working days. The full sequence runs as follows:
- Book an appointment with the Passport Office through the Identità website.
- Complete Form A, sections 1, 2, 5 and 9, and copy both sides of the ID card.
- Attend the appointment in person with the form, the ID card, the copy, and the previous passport.
- Pay the fee by cash or card while staff capture a live facial image, fingerprints, and a signature.
- Return after 4 working days and collect the passport in person, presenting the original ID card while staff confirm the fingerprints again.
Collection cannot be delegated. The applicant collects the passport personally because the fingerprint check at pickup matches the prints stored at application, and no courier or family member can pass that check on the applicant’s behalf. Booking early matters in summer, since appointment slots fill fast during the April to August peak that also carries the higher adult fee.
Photo and Biometric Rules for a Maltese Passport
Applicants renewing in Malta need no printed photographs, because Passport Office staff capture the facial image live at the appointment. Biometric capture covers three elements at every renewal: a live facial photograph, fingerprints, and a signature. Fingerprints are taken again even if the previous passport already stored them, since each new passport records a fresh biometric set. Children under 6 skip the office visit entirely because no live biometrics are captured at that age, and a parent submits the application with two recent identical colour photographs of the child instead. Minors aged 10 and over attend in person for live facial biometrics, and minors aged 16 and 17 also give fingerprints and a signature. Glasses come off for the live photograph, and the image must show the full face against the office backdrop under standard International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) photo rules.
How Long Does Passport Renewal in Malta Take?
Standard passport renewal Malta processing takes 4 working days, and the urgent service delivers the passport in 4 working hours. The clock starts when a complete application is accepted at the counter. An incomplete file pauses everything: Identità notifies the applicant, and the 4-day count effectively restarts once the missing item arrives. Urgent processing suits a traveller with a flight inside the same week, and the urgent fee of €160 for adults replaces the standard fee rather than stacking on top of it. Timing examples make the choice concrete: a consultant flying to Frankfurt on Friday who applies on Monday morning holds the new passport on Thursday under standard processing, while a passenger flying on Tuesday evening needs the urgent counter on Monday. Applications filed abroad follow a different clock, because the file travels between the embassy and Malta.
Renewing a Child’s Passport in Malta
A child passport renewal needs both parents’ consent, a completed Form A signed by both parents, and a recommender who completes and signs the recommender section of the form. The recommender must be a Maltese, European Union (EU), or Commonwealth national holding a university degree who has known the child for at least 2 years. Parents bring their own ID cards to the appointment, and one parent attends in person to submit the file. Validity follows the age bands: 2 years under age 10 at €16, 5 years from age 10 to 15 at €40, and 10 years from age 16 at the adult seasonal fee of €70 or €80. Consent disputes change the timeline. Care orders, court warrants, and separation agreements can delay or block a minor’s passport until the legal position is settled, so a separated parent should resolve consent before booking the appointment. A 7-year-old in Mosta, for example, receives a 2-year passport, and the parents should expect renewal again before the child turns 10.
Passport Renewal Malta for Citizens Living Abroad
Yes, Maltese citizens living abroad can renew at a Maltese embassy, high commission, or consulate, and the mission captures the biometrics locally and forwards the application to the Passport Office in Malta. A passport renewal Malta embassy application follows the same Form A, and one extra safeguard applies to residents abroad who hold no valid Maltese ID card: a recommender endorses one passport photograph and completes, signs, and stamps section 7 of Form A. The recommender for an applicant abroad must be a Maltese national with a university degree who has known the applicant for 2 years or more. A Maltese teacher living in Toronto, for example, renews through the Maltese consulate there instead of flying to Malta. Processing abroad runs longer than the 4 working days in Malta because the application and the finished passport travel between the mission and Malta, and courier fees for passports sent abroad vary by country. The old passport stays with the application, so a resident abroad should time the renewal between trips.
Lost, Stolen or Damaged Passports and Emergency Travel Documents
A lost or stolen passport in Malta must be reported at a police station first, and the replacement application needs the police report plus a solemn declaration. The extra €15 fee applies when the lost passport was still valid. A traveller who loses a passport overseas reports the loss to the nearest Maltese embassy or consulate, and the mission issues an Emergency Travel Document (ETD) that covers a single journey back to Malta for a €10 fee. The emergency document solves the trip home only; the traveller then files a full replacement application in Malta with the police report and declaration. Damage follows the replacement route as well, since a passport with a torn data page or water damage fails border checks. Two smaller services sit on the same fee list: a second passport for work purposes costs €135 standard or €295 urgent, and an Arabic translation of passport details costs €15 with collection after 2 working days.
FAQs
Can passport renewal Malta be completed online?
No. Every renewal happens in person, because the Passport Office or a Maltese mission abroad must capture a live facial image, fingerprints, and a signature before the new passport is produced.
How much does it cost to renew a Maltese passport?
Adults pay €70 from September to March and €80 from April to August. Children aged 10 to 15 pay €40, children under 10 pay €16, and urgent processing costs €160, €80, or €60 by the same age bands.
How long does a Malta passport renewal take?
Standard processing in Malta takes 4 working days. Urgent processing takes 4 working hours. Applications filed at embassies abroad take longer, because the file and the finished passport travel between the mission and Malta.
Do I need a recommender to renew my passport in Malta?
No. An adult renewing in Malta with a valid Maltese ID card needs no recommender. A recommender becomes necessary for child applications and for citizens abroad who hold no valid Maltese ID card.
When should I renew my Maltese passport?
Renew about 9 months before expiry. Many countries refuse entry with under 6 months of validity remaining, and a February application also avoids the €10 seasonal fee increase that starts each April for adults.
Can I keep my old Maltese passport after renewal?
No. The previous passport goes in with the renewal application and is cancelled. Applicants who need visas inside the old booklet should copy every page before the appointment, because the new passport starts blank.
What happens if my Malta passport expires while I am abroad?
Visit the nearest Maltese embassy or consulate. The mission accepts a renewal application locally, or issues a €10 Emergency Travel Document for the journey home if travel cannot wait for full processing.
Conclusion
Passport renewal Malta runs on fixed numbers: €70 or €80 for adults by season, 4 working days for standard processing, 4 working hours at the urgent counter, and a 10-year validity period from age 16. Book the appointment before the April fee rise, carry Form A sections 1, 2, 5 and 9 with the ID card and the old passport, and the new Maltese passport is ready for collection at the Passport Office within the same week.
