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INTERNATIONAL
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS MOVING TO MALTA
By Ingrid Ciontescu | International Officer | 2022/2023
ACCOMMODATION
For Erasmus Students
I would suggest that if you plan on staying for one semester only as part of the Erasmus student exchange, you should go for the Campus Hub building next to the University entrance. The prices are a bit high compared to the other apartments you can rent around the island, but for one semester, it is the best option as you are not tied down to any contracts.
For International UM Students
If you plan to stay here for more than one year, I suggest renting an apartment. Prices vary depending on the location you choose and whether you would like to share the apartment with some other people or not. The best place where you can find apartments is the Facebook marketplace, where you can rent directly from the owner or from the agencies.
What to keep in mind
If you rent from the owner you will sign a contract for a period of time and you will have to pay the rent for the first month plus a deposit. At the end of your contract if you wish to move places the deposit is given back to you if you didn’t damage the property in any way.
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If you rent from an agency you will have to pay the first month of rent, the deposit, and half a month's rent to the agent.
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You should also note if utility bills are included in the rental price or not.
TRANSPORT
Taxis
The fastest way to get around from one place to another is obviously a taxi. There are plenty of apps such as Uber, Bolt, eCabs, Ryde, Heetch, and my personal favourite COOL.
COOL is the cheapest one because you can share the cab with other people that go to the same destination as you. The prices are usually half of what you would pay if you were to catch a private cab.
Public Transport
Another way is the bus. You can install the Tallinja app where you can create an account and order a student bus card. The initial payment is 20 euros but after that, it is free of charge. What I mean by this is that students use public transport for free in Malta.
MEMBERSHIPS
Network Providers
If your accommodation does not provide you with Internet there are plenty of network providers such as Melita, Epic, and Go Mobile.
They even have a lot of discounts for students, so keep in mind that.
SUPERMARKETS
Shopping Trips
For large grocery trips, I would suggest Lidl since it’s the cheapest one out of all of them, but there might be times when you can’t find everything you need at Lidl.
Other options are Greens, Pama, Pavi, Scott, and Chain, but all these are pricer than Lidl.
Last Minute Buys
If you need to buy something really fast, then you should definitely go to the Convenience Shop or Maypole, but do keep in mind that even though these shops are really close to everyone’s home, they are the most expensive out of all of them, even more than the ones mentioned above. These are the popular ‘corner’ shops where you can buy only the essentials.
STUDENT DISCOUNTS
KSU's Student Card
Students have plenty of discounts in Malta, such as the ones mentioned above (Tallinja card and network provider discounts), but also many more. For even more discounts you can email KSU to issue you a student card. You just need to provide them with a document that shows you are a student at the University of Malta.
Student App - FreeHour
For more discounts, there is this app called FreeHour which serves as an informative app for students regarding job offers and discounts to certain shops, restaurants, and coffee shops. Through this app, you can also view your friend's timetable and vice versa and you can check each other's available hours when you can hang out.