Blue Lagoon booking and the QR code

Do you need a landing pass for the Blue Lagoon in Malta?

Yes, if you want to set foot on Comino at the Blue Lagoon. Since 1 May 2025 everyone arriving by private or commercial boat books a free time slot in advance (Malta Tourism Authority).

The rule is about stepping ashore, not about sailing in. Boats still anchor in the lagoon, and the booking covers the people who get off them to swim from the beach, sit on the rocks or walk up the island. The Malta Tourism Authority launched it with a group of public bodies it calls Team Blue Lagoon: the tourism ministry, the Ministry for Gozo, Transport Malta, the Environment and Resources Authority, the Police, LESA and the Civil Protection Department.

The listings say the same thing in their own words. The sunset cruise from Bugibba: "All visitors wishing to get off the boat in the Blue Lagoon must present a landing QR code access pass with a designated time slot." The trip from Gozo calls it a ticket that is required to go on the island "but cost nothing". Summer 2026 was the second season with the system in place.

Is the Blue Lagoon booking free?

Yes. The landing booking costs nothing. You pay only for the boat that takes you there.

The free part is the slot. The paid part is the crossing, which starts at $17 per person on the round-trip ferry from Marfa or Cirkewwa. Because the booking is free and run by the Malta Tourism Authority, no tour sells it: the classic cruise lists "Blue Lagoon pass" under Not included, and the ferry lists the "Government-issued pass to step ashore" the same way. Plan on making your own booking for every boat on this site.

What the whole day costs, extras included, is in the Blue Lagoon cost guide.

Can you just show up to the Blue Lagoon?

You can sail in without a booking, but you cannot go ashore without one. The Malta Tourism Authority says access without a valid booking is not permitted and may be fined.

Officials check QR codes at the coastal and land access points round the lagoon. No fine amount has been published by the authority; the rule itself is the point, and it is easy to keep. The booking takes a couple of minutes on a phone, so the simplest habit is to book your slot the moment your boat is confirmed.

Booked the boat on the day? You can still book the slot on your phone on the quay, as long as the slot has room. Each slot is capped, so in July and August the earlier you book, the better.

How do you book the Blue Lagoon time slot, step by step?

Open the official booking (your boat's confirmation or listing gives the link), pick the day and the slot, enter basic details and an email address, and the QR code arrives at once.

1. Book your boat first. The slot should match when your boat is at the lagoon, so you need its times.
2. Open the free online booking run by the Malta Tourism Authority. The listings on this site point to it, and the trip from Marfa sends the link after you book.
3. Choose the date and one of the three slots: morning, afternoon or evening.
4. Enter basic details and an email address. The system generates a unique QR code straight away.
5. Keep the QR code on your phone. The trip from Marfa asks guests to have it ready before boarding.
6. Swap it for a wristband at the access point when you step ashore. It lets you stay for the length of your slot.

Every person going ashore needs to be covered, so book for the whole group before you leave the hotel.

Which Blue Lagoon time slot should you book?

The one that covers the time your boat spends at the lagoon. The slots are 08:00 to 13:00, 13:30 to 17:30 and 18:00 to 22:00, and the sunset cruise needs the evening one.

How the slots line up with each boat on this site:

Two things help. The slots do not run back to back: there is a half-hour gap at midday and another before the evening slot. And when your time at the lagoon crosses from one slot into the next, ask the operator which to book. Another listing on GetYourGuide puts it simply: "book the correct time slot based on your tour schedule".

The classic day from Sliema: the north coast, a swim stop at the Crystal Lagoon (May to October), free time at the Blue Lagoon and the Santa Maria caves on the way back.

★ 4.5 · 5.5 to 7.5 hours · from $39

Explore the classic Blue Lagoon cruise → Tour details

Can you stay on the boat without a Blue Lagoon booking?

Yes. The booking is for stepping ashore. If you are happy to swim off the boat and stay on deck, the listings say you may remain on board.

The sunset cruise says it plainly: during the stop "you may choose to either remain on board or disembark and explore the island". The trip from Marfa lists the walk on Comino as optional and says guests who want it "may disembark with a pre-booked landing permit"; the rest can swim from the boat or relax on board.

On a boat with slides and a sun deck, staying aboard is a perfectly good afternoon. Nicole took the evening cruise in Sep 2026: "Very good experience amazing to see the sunset. We had plenty of time to explore the blue lagoon". If you want the sand, the paths or the view from above, book the slot. It is free, after all.

Why is the Blue Lagoon limited to 4,000 people at a time?

To protect a fragile Natura 2000 site. In summer 2024 up to 12,000 people were counted at the lagoon at once; the booking caps it at 4,000 people.

The first season worked. Figures the Malta Tourism Authority released in October 2025 showed peak crowding down 68%, an average of 1,979 visitors per time slot, and only 34 of the 189 slots in July and August going over 3,000 people. The swimming zone was made 12% larger in May 2025, and two small inlets beside the jetty were roped off for swimmers only, according to GuideMeMalta.

For you, that means more room on the sand and more clear water round you. The authority's Blue Lagoon plan also lists more toilets, better waste collection and a redesign of the facilities, with the work scheduled to be complete by summer 2026.

Where can you get help with the Blue Lagoon booking?

At the information booths the Malta Tourism Authority set up in summer 2026: three in Sliema, and one each in Bugibba, Mellieha, Cirkewwa, Marfa and Mgarr on Gozo.

GuideMeMalta reported the eight booths in June 2026, installed by the authority with Team Blue Lagoon to help visitors with the booking. They stand where the boats leave: the Sliema seafront for the day cruises, Bugibba for the evening boat, Marfa and Cirkewwa for the short crossings, and Mgarr for boats from Gozo. Officials at the lagoon also guide visitors on the spot.

Still not sure which harbour suits you? Sliema, Bugibba or Gozo compares them, and how long to stay at the Blue Lagoon covers the time each boat gives you.

The short crossing from Marfa Jetty, about 1.5 hours at the lagoon, and a Crystal Lagoon or Gozo option. The link for the landing booking comes after you book.

★ 4.5 · 3 to 5 hours · from $26

Explore the trip from Marfa → Tour details

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