Malta regulates its English language schools by law. A school that teaches English to foreign students needs a licence, its teachers need permits, and the ELT Council, the body under the Ministry for Education that oversees the sector, publishes the official list of licensed schools. Checking a school against that list takes five minutes and protects you from the most expensive mistake a student makes: paying a deposit to a provider that is not licensed.
How many schools hold a licence
The ELT Council’s list, in its version uploaded in July 2026, states that there are currently 33 licensed ELT schools in Malta and Gozo. The National Statistics Office counted 34 licensed schools across 2025 in its annual release on English language teaching. The small difference is normal: schools open, merge or close during a year, and the list reflects the date it was updated.
Those schools taught 76,063 foreign students in 2025, according to the NSO, with an average stay of 3.4 weeks.
What the licence covers
The ELT Council describes Malta’s framework as practically the only national legislation in the world governing quality standards at a language-learning destination. In practice, for you:
- The school holds a licence that is renewed, not granted once for ever.
- The teachers hold ELT permits issued by the Council, either full or temporary.
- The accommodation the school offers falls under its own rules, separate from the school licence. See our guide to homestay with a host family.
The licence matters for your paperwork too. EU nationals staying more than three months on a study basis must prove they are enrolled in a licensed and accredited establishment when they register with Identità. Our guide to registering as an EU student walks through that step.
How to check a school, step by step
- Open the official list. The ELT Council publishes it on its website, in a standard and a printable version: list of licensed ELT schools.
- Search for the legal name, not the brand. Some schools trade under a brand that differs from the name on the list, or belong to an international group. If the name you know is missing, ask the school for the exact name under which it holds its licence.
- Match the address. The list gives the address, phone, email and website of each school. A school that teaches in a building that does not appear on the list deserves a question.
- Check the date of the list. Look at when the version you are reading was published, and compare it with the date of your booking.
- Ask the school directly. A licensed school answers the question in one line and expects it.
Situations that need a second look
- Booking through an agent. Agents sell courses from several schools. Check the school that will teach you, not the agent’s name on the invoice.
- Private tutors and home tuition. The ELT Council runs a separate licence for home tuition providers. A tutor teaching from a flat is not the same thing as a licensed school.
- Online courses sold as “in Malta”. In 2025, according to the NSO, 99.7 per cent of student weeks at licensed schools were taught in person. An online-only offer from a Maltese address is a different product.
- Prices far below the market. A cheap course is not a sign of fraud on its own. Combined with an unclear school name and pressure to pay quickly, it is.
Licensed is the floor, not the choice
The licence tells you a school meets the national standard. It does not tell you which school suits you. Once you have a shortlist of licensed schools, compare what matters for your stay:
- Class size and the number of lessons per week.
- The type of course. The NSO counted 72.9 per cent of 2025 students on a standard General English course and 19.2 per cent on intensive courses.
- Exam preparation, if you need a certificate. The guide to English exams in Malta compares IELTS, Cambridge and TOLES.
- The nationality mix in summer. Ask what share of students in your course period share your first language.
- Location and bus access from your accommodation.
Our page on English schools in Malta describes several schools and their accreditations, and is a useful starting point once you have checked them against the official list.
Questions to ask before you pay a deposit
- Under which exact name does the school hold its ELT licence?
- What happens to the deposit if your visa is refused or the course is cancelled?
- How long is a lesson, in minutes, and how many lessons make up a week?
- How many students sit in a class at most, during your dates?
- Who is your contact at the school for accommodation and welfare?
Ask for the answers by email. A written reply is worth more than a promise on the phone if something goes wrong later.
Where to complain
Start with the school: licensed schools have a director of studies and a student welfare contact. If the problem concerns the licence itself, the ELT Council publishes its contact details on its website. Keep your booking confirmation, invoices and emails. They are what any complaint will rest on.
