Updated with Info on Schengen Information System (SIS) and Entry/Exit System (EES)
Overstaying your authorised period of stay in Malta or elsewhere in the Schengen Area is a serious immigration violation that can have lasting consequences. Whether the overstay arises from a visa breach, loss of employment without timely renewal, or another situation, it is important to understand the risks and the legal options available to you.
At Sciberras Advocates, we regularly assist clients facing overstays, return decisions, and entry bans, helping them understand Maltese and EU immigration law.
What Happens If You Overstay in Malta?
Detection and Recording
- All overstays in Malta are recorded, and personal details of the individual are taken.
- Return decisions and removal orders are issued in most cases.
- An entry ban is systematically imposed, even if the overstay began in another Schengen country.
How Overstays Are Detected
- Immigration officials primarily check entry and exit stamps in passports, including counterfeit or altered stamps.
- Reports of overstayers may also come from hotels, airlines, or other institutions.
- Overstays are assessed based on the total time spent in the Schengen Area, not just in Malta.
Common Reasons Given by Overstayers
- Misunderstanding visa rules, confusing visa validity with the authorised period of stay.
- Lack of awareness of the Schengen 90/180-day rule.
- Delays in applying for new work permits after employment termination.
Consequences of Overstaying in the Schengen Area
An overstay never goes unnoticed. Sanctions apply whether the breach occurred in Malta or elsewhere in the Schengen Zone. If you overstay, you may face:
- Deportation
- Immediate return orders
- Difficulties returning to the Schengen Area in the future
- Fines
- A ban from re-entering the Schengen Zone
Entry bans are entered into the Schengen Information System (SIS), meaning the restriction applies across all Schengen Member States. The SIS is Europe’s largest and most widely used platform for sharing security and border management data. Since there are no internal borders between Schengen countries, SIS plays a crucial role in compensating for border controls, serving as a key cooperation tool for immigration, law enforcement, customs, and judicial authorities across the EU and Schengen-associated states.
Through SIS, authorised national authorities such as police and border guards can enter and access alerts on persons and objects in a single shared database; it is used as an enforcement tool. This enables the identification and location of individuals or items anywhere in the Schengen Area during border checks, police controls, or other lawful inspections.
From October, Europe will introduce the new Entry/Exit System (EES). This is a digital system that will register the entry and exit of non-EU nationals travelling for short stays (up to 90 days) in 29 European countries. It replaces the old system of manually stamping passports.
The EES will be used as a prevention tool. It automatically records when one enters and when one leaves, so authorities can see immediately if someone stays longer than they are allowed. This makes it much harder for overstays to go unnoticed. Once an overstay or violation is detected, an alert will be added to SIS. In simpler form, EES will catch overstays early by tracking movements in real time, while SIS ensures that any entry bans or immigration decisions are enforced across the whole Schengen Area.
Can You Appeal or Regularise Your Position?
Yes. If you are served with a return decision, deportation order, or entry ban, you have legal rights and options. In certain humanitarian or exceptional cases, the Principal Immigration Officer (PIO) may even regularise a person’s immigration position.
Appealing or challenging such decisions requires careful legal preparation. An immigration lawyer can:
- Evaluate your case and immigration history
- Explain your rights under Maltese and EU law
- Prepare and submit documentation on time
- Represent you before the Immigration Appeals Board
How Sciberras Advocates Can Help
At Sciberras Advocates, our immigration practice is dedicated to assisting third-country nationals with:
- Appeals before the Immigration Appeals Board
- Requests to the Principal Immigration Officer for regularisation of status
- Challenging removal orders
- Overturning entry bans
If you are facing an overstay issue in Malta, we strongly recommend seeking professional advice before taking any action. You can learn more about our immigration services on our dedicated webpage: https://sciberras.legal/practice-areas/immigration-law/. Alternatively, you can contact us directly to speak with one of our experienced immigration lawyers. We are committed to finding effective solutions to safeguard your rights.
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بقلم: السيدة شارلين سكيبرس، بكالوريوس (مع مرتبة الشرف)، كاتبة ضيفة، وهي متخصصة في التسويق وإدارة الأعمال مع تركيز خاص على الشؤون المؤسسية والمحاسبية والقانونية.
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