Malta's I Belong Programme: a plain-language, source-linked guide

What the I Belong Programme is, and who it’s for

Official information describes the programme directly: “The ‘I Belong’ programme is made up of two stages, which cater for Maltese, English and cultural orientation classes which provides a pathway for integration into Maltese society open to all migrants.” In plain terms, it is a structured route — split into two stages — for people settling in Malta to build basic English, Maltese, and cultural-orientation knowledge, with the later stage also counting toward a separate immigration status.

Stage 1 eligibility is described as open to foreign nationals aged 18 years and above. Beyond the age threshold, official wording adds an important caveat: “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.” That is an explicit signal that the rules can shift — which is exactly what appears to be happening with the current Stage 1 pause.

For the full breakdown of who can take each stage, and what official sources say about possible exemptions, see eligibility for Stage 1 and Stage 2.

How the two stages work

Official information describes the programme as two sequential stages, each with its own course set:

1. Stage 1 — Pre-Integration Course: entry-level classes described as covering English Language (MQF Level 1), Maltese Language (MQF Level 1), and Cultural Orientation (MQF Level 1), where, in official wording, “learners will obtain basic knowledge of English language, Maltese language, and an introduction to life and support services in Malta.”
2. Stage 2 — Integration Course: official wording is direct about the prerequisite — “Only individuals who graduated from Stage 1: Pre Integration Course can apply for Stage 2: Integration Course.” Stage 2 itself is described as consisting of “Maltese Language for Integration (MQF Level 2) – 50 hours, and Cultural Orientation (MQF Level 2) – 120 hours”, delivered by the University of Malta and MCAST.

See Stage 1 in detail, Stage 2 in detail, and a side-by-side look at every course across both stages — including the MQF levels, hours, and (where published) the pass marks each course requires.

How this connects to Long-Term Residence — and a figure that doesn’t add up cleanly

Official wording states that “Stage 2 is one of the requirements for Long Term Residence Status for Third Country Nationals” — note the word “one”: Long-Term Residence has its own separate eligibility conditions (including residence duration) that Identità administers, and this programme’s certificate is described as a part-requirement, not a stand-alone route to status.

We also found a figure that is genuinely hard to reconcile, and per AGENTS.md we are naming it plainly rather than guessing at an explanation: official Long-Term Residence guidance describes the I Belong certificate requirement in terms of 100 hours of attendance and a 75% exam pass mark (plus a separate Maltese-language certificate at MQF Level 2 with a 65% pass mark) — yet the Stage 2 course breakdown above totals 170 hours across two courses with different pass-mark figures (65% for the 50-hour Maltese course, 75% with 80% attendance for the 120-hour Cultural Orientation course). These two descriptions may be measuring different things — a simplified summary of what the certificate document must show, versus the underlying course structure — but neither official source explains the relationship directly, so we are not inventing one.

See the full breakdown of this discrepancy and what it means for anyone relying on this certificate as part of a Long-Term Residence application.