Every autumn, a particular kind of student arrives at our school in St Julian’s: German professionals who have discovered that their employment rights include something wonderful — paid leave to learn. Bildungsurlaub, or educational leave, lets many employees in Germany take extra days off work for recognised training, on top of their normal holiday allowance.
An intensive English course in Malta can qualify. Which means the week you spend improving your English by the Mediterranean can be, quite officially, educational leave rather than annual leave.
Here is how Bildungsurlaub works for an English course in Malta, and how to organise it without drowning in paperwork.
What Bildungsurlaub Actually Is
Bildungsurlaub is a legal entitlement to educational leave that exists in most German federal states. The core idea is simple: employees may take paid days away from work for structured learning — languages, professional skills, health education — provided the course is recognised by their state.
The details are set at state level, which is why your colleague in Hamburg and your cousin in Munich may have different experiences: how many days you receive, and whether they can be combined across two years, differs from state to state — and a small number of states have no general entitlement at all. Your own state’s rules are the ones that matter, so checking them is always step one.
The key point for language students: the course must be intensive enough to count as serious training, and it must hold recognition from your federal state. A casual holiday course does not qualify. A properly structured intensive programme can.
Why Malta Works So Well for It
If you are going to spend your educational leave on English, the environment matters as much as the classroom. Malta offers something Germany cannot: English as an official language, spoken everywhere, wrapped in Mediterranean weather.
Your training does not stop when the lesson ends. You continue it ordering dinner, asking for directions in Valletta, and talking with classmates from around the world — because English is the only language you share. For a one or two week intensive course, that immersion is exactly what turns concentrated classroom hours into confident, usable English.
There is also the honest, human argument: educational leave you genuinely enjoy is educational leave you will actually take. A focused morning of lessons followed by an afternoon of Mediterranean light beats a fluorescent seminar room in November.
How the Process Works, Step by Step
The paperwork looks more intimidating than it is. In practice, the process runs like this:
Check your state’s rules. Confirm your entitlement and how far in advance you must apply — several weeks’ notice to your employer is typical, so start early.
Choose a recognised course. The course needs recognition for your federal state. Maltalingua runs intensive courses used by Bildungsurlaub students, and our team will confirm the current recognition status for your state before you commit. You can read more on our Bildungsurlaub course page.
Request the paperwork from the school. You will need course documentation for your application — timetable, hours and confirmation of recognition. We prepare this routinely; just ask.
Apply to your employer within your state’s notice period, attaching the course documents.
After approval, book properly — course, flights, accommodation. We can arrange host family or apartment accommodation alongside the course.
Collect your attendance certificate at the end of the course; some employers ask for it afterwards.
None of these steps is difficult. The only genuinely important one is starting early enough to respect the notice period.
What Your Week Actually Looks Like
Bildungsurlaub students at Maltalingua join intensive programmes — full mornings of structured lessons in small groups of maximum 12 adults, taught by qualified teachers at an EAQUALS-accredited school, with afternoons that continue the learning less formally.
Most combine the course with our afternoon and evening programme: cultural visits, harbour cruises, conversation over dinner. By Friday, the progress is tangible — not because a week works miracles, but because a week of concentrated English, in class and out of it, is more practice than many people get in a year at home.
Many students bring a partner along, or extend the trip with a private holiday week afterwards. Educational leave for the course days, annual leave for the extra ones — the combination is popular for a reason.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to be German to use this? Bildungsurlaub is a German employment right, though Austria has comparable arrangements for educational leave. If you are unsure what your contract allows, your HR department or works council can tell you quickly.
Which Maltalingua courses qualify? Recognition applies to intensive-format courses and depends on your federal state. Tell us where you work and we will confirm exactly what is currently recognised for you — states update their lists, so we always check against the current status rather than assume.
Can my employer refuse? Employers can raise objections in limited circumstances (usually timing), which is another reason to apply early and be flexible about dates.
What level do I need? None in particular. You take a placement test before arrival and join a group at your level, from beginner through advanced.
Turn Your Entitlement Into English
Thousands of German employees let their Bildungsurlaub days quietly expire every year. If yours are sitting unused, a recognised intensive English course in Malta is one of the most enjoyable ways to claim them.
Tell us your federal state and preferred dates, and we will confirm recognition, reserve your place and prepare every document your application needs — along with a free, no-obligation quote.