Stage 1 ended on 15 June 2026. Where to start now, how to reach Stage 2, your certificate for Long-Term Residence, and what to do if you get no reply.
Direct answer
Where do I start now that Stage 1 has ended?
Stage 1 ended on 15 June 2026. It was discontinued, not paused. To start now, take the New Course on Maltese Language and Culture. You need it, or an old Stage 1 certificate, for the 100-hour Cultural Orientation course (Stage 2). For your own case, contact the Human Rights Directorate.
This guide cannot enrol you, issue certificates or check your file. Keep your residence document and any course reference ready when you write to the Directorate.
First: Stage 1 has ended
The old I Belong Stage 1 Cultural Orientation course was discontinued on 15 June 2026. It is not paused. If you are starting for the first time, the Directorate encourages you to enrol in the New Course on Maltese Language and Culture. See what changed and the Stage 1 page.
Already finished the old Stage 1 course, or looking for Stage 2? Read on.
If you were already enrolled in the old Stage 1 course
The Directorate's programme page does not say what happens to courses that were stopped partway. Ask the Directorate about your case through its contact page. Include:
- Your full name and residence details
- The course name and the provider you were enrolled with
- How far through the course you were (hours completed, if known)
- Any enrolment reference number or documents you received
Stage 2 access
To apply for Stage 2 you need both:
- a valid residence permit, asylum seeker document or CIO document issued by the Maltese authorities, and
- either an I Belong Stage 1 Cultural Orientation certificate or a New Course on Maltese Language and Culture certificate.
Apply on the official registration form. Sending it does not guarantee eligibility, acceptance, enrolment or access. No intake dates are published, and the Directorate does not say whether places are available now. See the Stage 2 guide and the full course table.
Certificate for Long-Term Residence
Identità’s Long-Term Residence FAQ (read 2026-09-29) asks for:
- the 100-hour I Belong integration course, with at least 75% in the final exam
- a certificate issued no more than one year before you apply
- a separate Maltese test at MQF Level 2, with at least 65%
These pass marks are Identità’s figures, and rules can change. Confirm them on Identità’s page before you apply.
The Directorate describes a 100-hour Cultural Orientation course and gives no pass mark. It says applications received before 15 June 2026 may take both the MQF Level 2 Maltese course and the Cultural Orientation course. It gives no combined hours total. More on the Long-Term Residence page.
To get or confirm your certificate, ask the Directorate which documents it needs. This guide cannot issue, find or check certificates.
Course dates
The Directorate's programme page links to an updated list of delivering institutions for the New Course on Maltese Language and Culture. It does not publish a course calendar or Stage 2 dates. Ask the institutions on the list about their next course.
No reply from the Directorate
- Email not answered. Try another contact listed on the Directorate's contact page, such as its telephone number.
- Writing again. Give the date of your first message and repeat your name, residence details and any course reference.
- Keep a copy of every message you send and every reply.
This guide cannot contact the Directorate for you or speed up a reply.
Common questions
Is Stage 1 still paused, or has something changed?
It has ended. I Belong Stage 1 Cultural Orientation is on the Directorate's list of courses discontinued on 15 June 2026. It is not paused. New participants are encouraged to enrol in the New Course on Maltese Language and Culture, developed under the Malta Labour Migration Policy framework. That course is still a requirement for the 100-hour Cultural Orientation course. No reopening date is given, and the Directorate says further changes may be announced later. See the updates page and the Stage 1 page for more.
I was partway through the old Stage 1 course when it ended on 15 June 2026. What happens to my progress?
The Directorate's programme page does not say. Contact the Directorate through its contact page. Give your course, your provider and how far you got. This guide cannot tell how the change applies to your enrolment.
I completed Stage 1, or the New Course on Maltese Language and Culture. How do I apply for the current Stage 2 course?
Use the Stage 2 registration form linked from the Directorate's programme page. You need two things: a valid residence permit, asylum seeker document or CIO document issued by the Maltese authorities, and either an I Belong Stage 1 Cultural Orientation certificate or a New Course on Maltese Language and Culture certificate. Sending the form does not guarantee eligibility, acceptance, enrolment or access. No intake dates are published, and the page does not say whether places are available now. Contact the Directorate with questions about your case.
I need my I Belong certificate for a Long-Term Residence application. How do I get it?
Ask the Directorate through its contact page. Its programme page does not say how certificates are issued or reissued. For the application itself, Identità's Long-Term Residence FAQ (read 2026-09-29) asks for the 100-hour I Belong integration course with at least 75% in the final exam, a certificate issued no more than one year before you apply, and a separate Maltese test at MQF Level 2 with at least 65%. Confirm these on Identità's page before you apply. The Directorate's page gives no pass mark. It says Stage 2 applications received before 15 June 2026 can take both the MQF Level 2 Maltese course and the 100-hour course, but gives no combined hours total. See the Long-Term Residence page for details.
I wrote to the Directorate and got no reply. What can I do?
Use another contact listed on the Directorate's contact page, such as its telephone number. Mention the date of your first message and repeat your details. This guide cannot contact the Directorate for you.
Contact the Human Rights Directorate directly
For your own enrolment, certificate or Stage 2 access, contact the Human Rights Directorate through its contact page.
Official sources for this page
These are the official pages this guide depends on. Open them directly before acting on a time-sensitive requirement.
- 01Human Rights Directorate (opens in a new tab)
Official I Belong Programme overview: the current programme structure (as restructured from 15 June 2026), eligibility, registration conditions, and discontinued courses.
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- 02Identità (opens in a new tab)
Official Identità guidance on Long-Term Residence eligibility for non-EU nationals, including the documentation requirements that name the I Belong Integration Certificate.
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- 03Human Rights Directorate (opens in a new tab)
Published contact page for the Integration and Anti-Racism Unit, which the Directorate's I Belong Programme page names for further assistance.
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We never collect official login details, documents, or payment data. Use this guide for context, then take action only on the official portal. Full citations are listed at the end of this page.
Read the official I Belong Programme pageOpens the official website