We route a UK training provider or academy to an EU-recognised qualification level through MFHEA accreditation in Malta. Malta is an EU member state and the Malta Qualifications Framework is referenced to the European Qualifications Framework, so an accredited programme carries a level a European employer, regulator or learner can read from inside the EU. This concerns the recognition and level of a qualification, not an automatic licence to practise a regulated profession.
The gap Brexit left
Before Brexit, a UK qualification sat inside a system European buyers already understood. It no longer does. A UK regulated qualification is not automatically readable against the European Qualifications Framework, and for a provider selling training into the EU, or recruiting learners from it, that is a commercial problem rather than a paperwork one. The level a European employer or ministry can read at a glance is the thing that makes your qualification buyable across the single market.
Accreditation through Malta puts that reference back. It does not move your business, change your awarding arrangements in the UK, or require you to abandon a UK route. It adds an EU-recognised level to a programme, issued from inside the Union.
How the route works
Malta is a full EU member state. Its national qualifications framework, the Malta Qualifications Framework (MQF), has eight levels and is formally referenced to the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), most recently in the referencing report published in August 2025. When the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA) accredits a programme, that programme is placed on the MQF and, through the referencing, carries an EQF-readable level.
The practical effect is threefold.
- An EU-recognised level. Your programme is rated on the MQF and, through it, the EQF, so a European buyer or employer reads its level without translation.
- Issued from inside the EU. Accreditation sits with the national authority of an EU member state, not a framework the UK has stepped outside of.
- Portable to European learners. Learners hold a qualification that travels across the single market, which matters when you sell training into the EU or recruit students from it.
What we actually do
EU market access is an outcome, not a single form. We deliver it as one joined-up engagement rather than a set of line items you have to coordinate yourself.
- A readiness review and self-assessment, so you find the gaps before a regulator does.
- Mapping of your learning outcomes to MQF and EQF levels and credit values, so the programme sits at the level you intend to claim and can evidence it.
- Preparation and management of the MFHEA submission, from gap analysis through to the accreditation decision.
- Where the route requires a Maltese legal entity, formation and administration of that company alongside licensed Maltese corporate service providers.
You get one route from where you are now to an accredited, EQF-referenced programme, with a single point of contact, rather than three suppliers who never speak to each other.
This concerns the recognition and level of your qualification, not an automatic licence to practise a regulated profession. Access to regulated professions such as law, accountancy or healthcare runs through separate EU rules on professional qualifications, and we will tell you plainly where your programme sits before you commit.
Who this is for
UK training providers, private academies and CPD or short-course businesses that sell into the European market, or want to, and providers recruiting learners from the EU who need a qualification those learners and their employers can read. It also fits UK organisations that want a defensible, EU-readable level on a flagship qualification, rather than relying on a buyer to interpret a UK framework the EU no longer maps automatically.
Pricing
There is no published rate card, because scope varies. The work depends on how close your existing provision is to the level you want to claim, whether a Maltese entity is already in place, and how many programmes are in view. We quote by scope after a short scoping call, and tell you the realistic timeline at the same time.
Common questions
Does this give my learners the right to practise a regulated profession in the EU?
No. This route establishes the recognition and level of a qualification against the EQF. The right to practise a regulated profession such as law, accountancy, nursing or teaching is governed by separate EU rules on professional qualifications and by each member state. We will tell you where your programme sits before you commit.
Do we need a Maltese company for this?
In practice, yes. MFHEA licenses providers and accredits programmes in Malta, and that requires a legal entity established in Malta. We form and administer that company alongside licensed Maltese corporate service providers, then take the same programme through accreditation. See Malta company formation.
How long does it take?
MFHEA states that provider licensing takes approximately 6 to 12 months, and a new entity applying for programme accreditation applies for provider accreditation at the same time. Timelines depend on how ready your provision is when we start. We confirm current requirements and turnaround with the authority before any submission.
What does EQF referencing actually mean?
The European Qualifications Framework is an eight-level scale that lets qualifications from different countries be compared by level. Malta has formally referenced its national framework to the EQF, so a level on the MQF maps to a level on the EQF. That is what makes an MFHEA-accredited programme readable to European employers and regulators without translation.
Does accreditation through Malta replace our UK route?
No. It adds an EU-recognised level. Many providers keep a UK route, whether Ofqual-regulated, CPD or another, and add Malta accreditation for the EU-facing part of their market. We map both so you are not paying for overlap.
Explore the route for your programme
Book a 30 minute scoping call. We will map the route, the standards that apply and a realistic timeline. No preparation needed.
Book a 30 minute scoping call