Work visa for Malta

A work visa for Malta (Work Permit Malta) combines a work permit and a residence permit in a single document known as the Single Permit. You are granted the right to be formally employed in the country on a contract basis and will be able to travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days within a six-month period. Provided you meet the basic eligibility criteria regarding income, integration into society, language proficiency, accommodation, insurance and certain other requirements, after five years of continuous and lawful residence you will be entitled to apply for Long-Term Residence or citizenship.

A Maltese work residence permit is tied to the employer. The application is submitted for a specific company and position. This is done by your employer via the immigration service (Identità). Simplified routes are available for certain categories of foreign nationals. These are the KEI (Key Employee Initiative) and SEI (Specialist Employee Initiative) programmes. Their main advantages are shorter waiting times for a decision and less stringent eligibility criteria.

From 2026, additional employment conditions will apply: a Maltese employer may only submit a Single Permit application after offering the vacancy to Maltese or EU citizens via the Jobsplus agency.

This means that, by law, they are only entitled to enter into an employment contract with a foreign national if they can prove that they have been unable to find a suitable candidate within the country. This approach is known as the ‘Labour Market Test’. However, even taking into account all the potential difficulties, a work and residence permit remains a viable and practical immigration route. You will be able to find a suitable job in Malta, start earning money and, if you wish, plan your next steps towards naturalisation.

Who needs a Malta Work Permit

Not all foreign nationals interested in formal employment require a Maltese work permit. Citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland may live and work in the country for up to three months without a separate permit. This right is guaranteed by the principle of freedom of movement and employment. If the stay is longer, you will need to apply for a standard residence permit (eResidence Document) through the EU Section of the Identità agency. All you need for this is an employment contract (Engagement Form from Jobsplus). A Maltese employer may hire such specialists directly.

Third-country nationals must follow the standard immigration route by applying for a Single Permit Malta or a Work Permit Malta. An exception applies to short-term or seasonal work lasting up to 6 months. In this case, a separate Employment Licence is processed through Jobsplus, but without the grant of a long-term residence permit.

Who most commonly applies for work and residence permits:

• Highly qualified professionals in the fields of IT, iGaming, fintech, engineering and pharmaceuticals. Generally speaking, this applies to virtually any sector with high added value, particularly where there is a skills shortage in Malta in that field. Professionals with an annual income of €30,000 or more are eligible for the KEI and SEI fast-track work visa programmes in Malta.
• Medical and social care staff. For many years now, the country has been experiencing a shortage of specialist and general practitioners, nurses, paramedics, carers and social workers.
• Workers in the HoReCa sector (Hotels, Restaurants, Catering / Cafés). A major source of immigration with pronounced seasonality. Chefs of various specialisms, waiters, bar staff, managers, chambermaids and service staff have good prospects of finding work. Passing the sector-specific Skills Pass test is mandatory for HoReCa sector workers. It is now incorporated into the Pre-Departure Course, although its scope is limited to the HoReCa sector.
• Construction workers, logistics specialists and technical specialists. These are professions in short supply in Malta, requiring practical knowledge, work experience in a specific field or the appropriate physical attributes. These include civil engineers, site managers, technical supervisors, general labourers, commercial vehicle drivers, couriers, welders, electricians and other specialists.
• Graduates of Maltese universities and colleges, as well as foreign nationals changing their immigration route. Obtaining a work and residence permit is a typical scenario for foreign graduates of accredited educational institutions who already have a job offer from a local employer. Work visas for Malta are also frequently sought by holders of the Digital Nomad visa who have opted for formal employment or plan to apply for permanent residence and/or citizenship in the future.

Regardless of the immigration route chosen, even if you plan to obtain a work visa for Malta via the fast-track KEI/SEI options, compliance with the eligibility criteria is mandatory. Status is not granted automatically — even where the formal requirements are met.

Key requirements

Standard employment conditions apply only to third-country nationals. These mainly concern age, the required documentation, proof of professional suitability, and language and integration requirements. Additional conditions apply to the employer, the employment contract and the work schedule. Requirements may change, so please ensure the information is up to date before submitting your application.

Basic eligibility criteria for obtaining a Single Permit Malta / Work Permit Malta:

• For you. Age: 18 years or over. Citizenship of any third country. Documentary evidence of professional eligibility – qualifications and/or work experience. For diplomas and relevant certificates, an assessment from the MQRIC (Malta Qualifications Recognition and Information Centre) is often required. For a first-time application for a Maltese work residence permit — successful completion of the Pre-Departure Course. For work in the HoReCa sector — passing the Skills Pass. No criminal convictions or record of visa violations in any Schengen country.
• For your employer: Valid registration in Malta is mandatory. There must be no outstanding tax or social security contributions. Successful completion of the Labour Market Test. The purpose of this test is to prove that there are no suitable candidates for the vacancy amongst Maltese or EU/EEA nationals, with the exception of the KEI/SEI programmes. A completed Suitability Check declaration. Submission of an application for a Maltese work visa on your behalf via the Identità Expatriates Online Portal.
• For the contract and terms of employment. Permission is granted only for a specific employer and position. The Employment Contract / Position Description must clearly specify the post, duties, and employment arrangements / working week. Minimum wage requirements must be met — no less than the standard National Minimum Wage. For the Single Permit Malta / Work Permit Malta — from €11,931 per year / €229.44 per week; for SEI — from €30,000 per year; for KEI — from €45,000 per year. Payment must be made by bank transfer only — to a bank account held with a licensed financial institution.
• Regarding the application package: the list of requirements is basic. Additional documents may be requested by the state employment agency Jobsplus, the Police Immigration Office or Identità, which is responsible for making the final decision. The standard set of documents for a Malta Work Permit includes an application form, a valid passport, a CV signed by both the employee and the employer, an employment contract, a covering letter, evidence of qualifications / experience, health insurance with recommended cover of €100,000 valid for the entire duration of the planned stay in the country (usually at least one year), and, where necessary, certificates for the Pre-Departure Course / Skills Pass certificates, proof of accommodation and a certificate of no criminal convictions.

Refusals to grant work and residence permits are often due to an incomplete set of documents, rather than specific issues with the foreign national. However, such risks can be minimised by preparing thoroughly for the procedure and relying solely on the current requirements of immigration law.

Submitting the application

The procedure can only be initiated once the employer has carried out a labour market test (Labour Market Test), with the exception of the KEI / SEI routes. Furthermore, where necessary, you must obtain Pre-Departure Course / Skills Pass certificates and have your qualifications verified via MQRIC.

The next two stages are not dependent on your physical location. The first is the submission of an online application (Identità Online Portal). The employer initiates the procedure via the Identità portal (Expatriates Unit). The employer completes a standard application form, uploads company details and a draft employment contract. You will then receive an official invitation by email and online. Next, via your personal account on the Identità website, you must upload copies of all the necessary documents to the system and pay the administrative fee.

The second stage involves the assessment of your application for a Maltese work residence permit. Your application will be vetted by three agencies: Identità, Jobsplus and the Police Immigration Office. This usually takes between 2 and 4 months. For fast-track options: KEI – up to 5 working days; SEI – up to 15 working days. If the decision is positive, you and your employer will be sent an AIP (Approval in Principle) letter.

The order in which the final steps are taken depends on where you are physically located — in Malta itself or abroad:

• You are abroad. First, you need to obtain a Type D national visa through an embassy, consulate or an accredited VFS Global visa centre. The number of entries and the validity period are determined by the consulate. This is usually a single-entry visa, valid for between 90 and 180 days. During this time, you must enter the country and sign a tenancy agreement (Lease Agreement). The agreement must be registered with the Housing Authority. Usually, the landlord takes care of this, but you are also permitted to do it yourself. As a result, you should receive a ‘Declaration of Proof of Residence’ form from the landlord. Next, you must visit the Identità office in person, having made an appointment in advance, where your fingerprints will be taken and a digital photograph will be taken. Make sure you take the full set of documents with you.
• You are already in Malta. If you are already in the country legally, in most cases you will need to register your tenancy agreement with the Housing Authority and visit the Identità office in person. However, this process does not apply if you hold a standard tourist visa.

Once all these steps have been completed, you apply for an eResidence Card. Until it is ready, you will be issued with a temporary document called an Interim Receipt. It usually takes between 2 and 4 weeks to produce the card. After that, your employer submits a notification of commencement of employment (Engagement Form) to Jobsplus. You will be issued with a personal tax number and a social security/NI number.

Other important steps include opening a personal bank account and registering with social services. However, these do not directly affect the process of applying for a work visa for Malta.

The Single Permit Malta / Work Permit Malta is issued for a period of 1 year, with the right to annual renewal. For the KEI programme, the initial permit is also usually issued for 1 year, with subsequent renewals for longer periods (up to 3 years). For the SEI, the practical situation is similar to that of the Single Permit Malta / Work Permit Malta. The initial validity period is one year, with each renewal also being for one year.

This procedure must be initiated 90 days before the expiry of the current eResidence card. To do this, the employer must submit a new application via the Identità Online Portal. If the employer changes, the application process must be restarted. In most cases, the new employer must pass the Labour Market Test and submit a full set of documents to apply for another Maltese work permit.

You can request further information on this topic and advice tailored to your specific situation from our specialists.