Summer is a peak enrollment season in Malta’s education calendar. Whether you’re a local student planning your next move or an international student preparing to relocate to the island, one crucial decision can determine your academic success: selecting a licensed and accredited institution.
Choosing the wrong education provider can affect students’ futures. In 2025, the MFHEA withdrew the licenses of two providers following external quality assurance audits, resulting in many students facing visa issues and academic disruptions.
The lesson is clear: verifying your provider before enrolling is mandatory and not optional.
Why Does MFHEA Accreditation Matter?
The Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA) is the national regulatory body responsible for licensing, accrediting, and maintaining quality assurance for all further and higher education providers in Malta. Established under Chapter 607 of the Laws of Malta, the Further and Higher Education Authority Act, the MFHEA ensures that providers and their programmes meet rigorous national and European standards.
The MFHEA’s core functions include:
- Licensing further and higher education providers
- Accrediting programmes of study across all MQF Levels 1–8
- Performing External Quality Assurance (EQA) audits
- Recognising qualifications from both national and international bodies (MQRIC)
- Validating non-formal and informal learning
- Providing research and policy guidance
Every provider offering further or higher education programmes in or from Malta is required by law to hold a valid MFHEA license.
Verify Your Institution in 3 Steps
Step 1 — Access the Malta Qualifications Database
The MFHEA maintains the Malta Qualifications Database, an official, publicly accessible register of all licensed providers and accredited programmes in Malta.
This database is regularly updated and contains:
- The full name of the provider (as officially registered)
- The license number and category
- The license status (active, suspended, or revoked)
- The license validity period (start and end dates)
- The office address of the provider
- The list of accredited programmes, including MQF level and ECTS credits
To search, utilises the Advanced Search feature to find a provider by its name. Check the license status carefully and ensure that the license validity period covers your entire study duration. An expired license is just as problematic as lacking a license altogether.
Step 2 — Cross-Check Your Enrolment Letter Against MFHEA Records
Compare the details in your official enrolment letter with those listed in the MFHEA database. According to Identità a valid school enrolment letter for visa and residence permit purposes must include all of the following:
- Provider name exactly as registered with MFHEA
- Full course name exactly as listed on the MFHEA website
- MQF level of the programme
- Number of ECTS credits
- Duration of the course in months, and whether it is full-time or part-time
- Contact hours per week
- Address where lectures will take place
- Whether the programme will be delivered face-to-face, online, or through blended learning.
- Proof of payment (receipt or invoice)
If any of these details are missing, inconsistent with MFHEA records, or unclear, contact the provider to request clarification before making any payment or submitting a visa application.
Step 3 — Verify the Programme Accreditation Separately
A provider may hold a licence, but this does not mean that all of its programmes are automatically accredited. Each programme must be individually accredited by the MFHEA. The Malta Qualifications Database lists all accredited programmes and shows which ones are linked to a licensed provider.
Good to know: The MFHEA’s Further Education Unit manages programmes at MQF Levels 1–4, while the Higher Education Unit oversees those at Levels 5–8. For student visas and residence permits, MQF Level 5 and above make you eligible for a study residence permit in Malta.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming “licensed” means everything is in order
A licence allows a provider to operate, but each programme must still be accredited separately. Always check both the provider’s licence and the programme’s accreditation, and do not assume that accreditation of one course applies to all courses offered by the institution.
- Not checking the license expiry date
An expired licence is no longer valid, regardless of how recently it expired. You should ensure that the provider’s licence remains valid for the entire duration of your studies. Using an expired licence may lead to visa issues and could result in your qualification not being recognised.
- Paying fees before verification
Some students have lost money after paying tuition fees in advance to providers whose licences were later revoked or had expired. Always verify the provider’s status before making any financial commitment. You should also request a formal invoice or receipt in each case.
- Relying on the institution’s own website
A provider’s promotional website might appear professional and credible, showcasing impressive testimonials and appropriate terminology, but its actual licence status could be absent, expired, or suspended. Always verify this information with the official MFHEA database rather than relying solely on the provider’s marketing materials.
- Ignoring the MQF level
Your programme’s MQF level affects your eligibility for a student visa, a residence permit, further studies, employment recognition across the EU, and funding options such as the Get Qualified tax credit. Do not enrol in a programme if its MQF level is unclear or not assigned.
- Overlooking updated online delivery standards
From 2026 onwards, online and blended programmes at MQF Levels 5–8 are subject to new MFHEA regulations governing contact hours, synchronous delivery ratios, and instructional design requirements. If you are enrolling in an online or blended programme, ask your provider directly how it complies with these updated standards before committing.
How to Report Concerns
If you have encountered any irregularities during your enrolment process, contact the MFHEA :
- 🌐 Website: mt
- 📧 Email: [email protected]
- 📞 Phone: +356 2598 1489