Do I need a separate visa to transit through Malta if I’m not staying?

Whether you need any form of authorisation to transit through Malta generally depends on your specific nationality and whether you remain within the international transit area of the airport without passing through Maltese border control, since Malta, as part of the Schengen area, generally does not require a separate transit visa for passengers who remain airside and do not formally enter Maltese territory, though certain nationalities are specifically subject to an airport transit visa requirement even for this kind of layover, reflecting Schengen-wide rules on which nationalities require this additional authorisation. If your layover would require you to exit the international transit area, collect luggage, or otherwise pass through border control, for example due to how your connecting flights are booked, this would generally be treated as entering Malta and Schengen territory, requiring you to meet the normal entry requirements applicable to your nationality rather than simply transit rules. Given how much this depends on your specific nationality and the precise mechanics of your connecting flights, it would be worth checking the current requirements directly against official Schengen transit visa guidance for your specific nationality well before your trip, since being caught without a required transit visa can cause serious travel disruption.