I Belong
Malta

The old Stage 1 courses no longer exist as before. As from 15 June 2026 the Human Rights Directorate discontinued the "I Belong Stage 1 Cultural Orientation" course (along with the Maltese Language and English Language courses at MQF Level 1) and replaced Stage 1 Cultural Orientation with the "New Course on Maltese Language and Culture" developed under the Malta Labour Migration Policy framework — now the prerequisite for the I Belong 100-hour Cultural Orientation course. See the current-status box above and the dedicated status page for what this means in practice.

Official information describes Stage 1 as open to foreign nationals aged 18 and over. The same official wording also notes that "eligibility, access, course delivery, and programme modalities are subject to the applicable legislation, availability of course places, and programme arrangements in force at the time of course delivery" — in plain terms, the exact rules can change, so confirm your own situation against the official page. Note that following the 15 June 2026 restructuring, the prerequisite for the 100-hour Cultural Orientation course is now the New Course on Maltese Language and Culture.

As from 15 June 2026 the Human Rights Directorate describes eligibility for the 100-hour Cultural Orientation course as needing a valid Residence Permit, Asylum Seeker Document, or CIO Document issued by the Maltese authorities, plus an "I Belong Stage 1 Cultural Orientation certificate or New Course on Maltese Language and Culture certificate." The New Course on Maltese Language and Culture is the current prerequisite course, having replaced the discontinued Stage 1 Cultural Orientation. See the eligibility page for the full picture.

No — official wording describes "successful completion of I Belong Cultural Orientation at 100-hours" as "one of the requirements for Long-Term Residence Status (LTR) in Malta", not the only one. Long-Term Residence has its own separate eligibility rules (including residence duration and other conditions) that Identità administers. See how the certificate fits into that wider picture, including how the 100-hour figure now aligns across the Directorate and Identità.

Directly from the Human Rights Directorate — the official I Belong Programme page is linked below, and official information lists a dedicated contact address for programme queries. This guide explains what official sources currently say in plain language; it cannot tell you how the rules apply to your individual case, and it does not collect any personal information to try.

Official information describes the programme as free of charge. The programme was restructured as from 15 June 2026 to focus on the single 100-hour Cultural Orientation course, so cost arrangements should still be confirmed against the official programme page, which is the authority for the current, restructured programme.

Since 15 June 2026 the programme focuses on the single I Belong 100-hour Cultural Orientation course (previously called Stage 2 Cultural Orientation); the Human Rights Directorate no longer publishes a numeric pass mark for it on its I Belong page. Applicants who applied before 15 June 2026 keep the opportunity to take the I Belong Maltese Language (MQF Level 2) course as well. Under the pre-15-June structure the stage was two courses — Maltese Language for Integration (50 hours, minimum 65%) and Cultural Orientation (120 hours, 80% attendance and minimum 75%), delivered by the University of Malta and MCAST; those figures no longer appear on the Directorate's page.

Identità's Long-Term Residence guidance describes the requirement as completing Malta's official I Belong Integration Course (100 hours) and achieving a minimum score of 75% in the final exam. The Human Rights Directorate's page now describes the course as the I Belong 100-hour Cultural Orientation course too, so the earlier 100-vs-170-hour discrepancy is largely resolved. Two nuances remain: the Directorate no longer publishes a numeric pass mark (the 75% comes only from Identità), and the MQF Level 2 Maltese Language course is now offered only to applicants who applied before 15 June 2026. We document the detail on the Long-Term Residence page.

The old Stage 1 courses are discontinued and Stage 1 Cultural Orientation is replaced by the New Course on Maltese Language and Culture, which is now the prerequisite for the 100-hour Cultural Orientation course. The most reliable approach is to bookmark the official I Belong Programme page, treat the New Course on Maltese Language and Culture as the current entry point, and contact the Human Rights Directorate directly using the contact details on that page if you have a time-sensitive need. The dedicated status page on this guide summarises what official information currently says about the restructuring.