Can You Get Your PADI Certification on a Digital Nomad Visa in the EU? (Malta & Spain)

Can You Get Your PADI Certification on a Digital Nomad Visa in the EU? (Malta & Spain)

Yes—and it's one of the smartest moves a digital nomad can make. If you're planning to stack a Malta nomad visa (1 year) with a Spain nomad visa (waiting for approval), those 4 months in Malta are the perfect window to get your PADI Open Water certification. You'll earn a globally portable credential, and Malta is one of the top 10 diving destinations in Europe. By the time your Spain visa is approved, you'll have an entry point into the European dive community.

Here's what you need to know: EU digital nomad visas don't restrict training or certification activities. Malta and Spain are both Schengen members, so there's no residency conflict. Your nomad visa status doesn't prevent you from enrolling in courses. The timing actually works in your favour—PADI Open Water takes 3–4 days of intensive training (or 4–6 days spread across weekends), leaving you plenty of time to continue remote work between courses. Cost is typically €400–€550 for the full certification in Malta, significantly cheaper than most Western European dive shops. And when you transition to Spain, your credentials transfer seamlessly; Spain has dive shops in every major coastal city (Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante) if you want to continue learning.

The one caveat: check your visa paperwork. Most EU digital nomad visas explicitly allow activities like education, training, and sports. Malta and Spain's visas do—but confirm in writing before enrolling. Once confirmed, you're free to start.

The Malta Advantage: Why Get Certified There

Malta isn't just a visa holding pattern—it's one of the best places to learn diving in the Mediterranean. The island is surrounded by reef and wreck dives, with average visibility of 30+ metres during summer and autumn. When you take your Open Water course in Malta, your confined-water training happens in sheltered coves, but your open-water dives are on real wrecks and reef systems. You're not drilling in a quarry; you're diving the Um El Faroud, a 130-metre oil tanker sunk in 1995, on your certification dives. That experience shapes how you dive for life.

The dive shops in Malta (Mellieha, Sliema, Marsaxlokk) are accustomed to working with transient divers on short timelines. Most run back-to-back PADI courses, especially during summer months. Class sizes average 4–6 students per instructor, small enough that you get real attention. Instructors in Malta tend to be experienced—many are working toward Divemaster certifications or running their own operations—so the quality is solid without premium pricing.