School in Malta: state, church or private, and compulsory schooling from age five

Yes, your children can simply go to school in Malta, and the Maltese education law gives every child of compulsory school age living there a right to education. What it costs depends on the school you choose: state schools are free, church schools usually ask for an annual contribution, and private schools charge fees. The find at EURES: you do not choose a state school, it belongs to the place where you live — and at church schools a lottery decides who gets a place. The trap is timing: at private schools you sometimes have to reserve a place months or even years ahead.

From what age to what age?

The education law sets the compulsory school age: from five up to and including fifteen, so until a child turns sixteen or has completed the last year of secondary school. Parents are obliged to register their child for the first school year and to make sure it attends school every school day. EURES adds that parents who do not send their child to school in those years can face legal action.

Stage	Age	What you should know
Childcare	0 to 3	free for parents who work or study
Nursery	3 to 5	not compulsory; state nurseries are free
Primary education	5 to 11	compulsory; school by locality
Secondary education	11 to 16	compulsory
After compulsory schooling	16 to 18	preparation for university or vocational training

State, church or private?

State schools are free. State primary schools are found in almost every town and village, including in Gozo; state secondary schools in a number of localities. The school your child goes to depends on the area where you live; there is no longer an entrance exam deciding which school it will be.

Church schools belong to the Catholic Church. Demand is high, admission is by lottery, and the schools usually ask for an annual donation to cover part of the teaching costs.

Private schools charge fees. Demand is high here too, and you reserve a place early — according to EURES sometimes months or years in advance.

Choose the school before you sign for the home. Because a state school belongs to your locality, the address of your rented home determines which school your child goes to. And whoever prefers a church or private school must reckon with a lottery or a waiting list. So first decide which kind of school you want, and only then look for a home — not the other way round.

How do I arrange the children's residence?

Children move along as family members and get their own residence card through Identità. For children under eighteen, EU parents do not need to submit a power of attorney to apply on their behalf. Bring the birth certificates; documents in a language other than English or Maltese must be officially translated. If the parents do not live at the same address, Identità asks for a custody arrangement.

EURES advises bringing your children's school reports and declarations of school attendance to Malta. When choosing a school, also ask which language it uses for teaching, and how it takes in a child who joins halfway through the year.

What comes after secondary school?

After sixteen come two years of preparation for university or vocational training. Higher education is mainly the University of Malta, where undergraduate courses are free, and MCAST for vocational education up to degree level. The Institute of Tourism Studies trains for tourism. Students at the university, MCAST or ITS do not need to show health insurance for their own residence registration.

How school fits into your sequence, with the home and the registration, is in the step-by-step plan for Malta. For the home itself, see living and renting in Malta.

In Vertrekklaar this is phase 5 of 5 of the journey, step 5.4: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Malta or go straight to step 5.4 in the open plan.