Malta
Work permit in Malta.
To work in Malta without EU, EEA or Swiss citizenship you need a residence and work permit from Identità: Expatriates Unit (Identità (Malta's identity agency), Expatriates Unit). The main routes are Single permit (residence and employment licence) (Single Permit), EU Blue Card, ICT permit, Seasonal work permit. EU long-term residence is possible after 5 years on most routes.
Permit types
The permits Malta issues
- Single permit (residence and employment licence) (Single Permit)
- EU Blue Card
- ICT permit
- Seasonal work permit
- Self-employment permit
- Family member permit
- Residence permit
- Visa
- Residence card
- Social-security certificate (A1 or similar)
Staying longer
Faster routes and settling
EU long-term residence: after 5 years
- Stable and regular resources
- Sickness insurance
- Integration conditions where national law sets them
Authorities
Who does what in Malta
Identità: Expatriates Unit (Identità (Malta's identity agency), Expatriates Unit)
Decides single permits and other residence permits for non-EU nationals, takes the biometrics and issues the residence card
Official websiteMalta Tax and Customs Administration (MTCA) (Malta Tax and Customs Administration, under the Commissioner for Tax and Customs)
Administers income tax and the employer's payroll tax
Official websiteJobsplus (Jobsplus, Malta's public employment service)
Runs the labour market test inside the single permit procedure, issues employment licences outside it and records the employer's engagement and termination forms
Official websiteOther countries
- Sweden
- Germany
- France
- Netherlands
- Denmark
- Portugal
- Spain
- Belgium
- Norway
- Austria
- Czech Republic
- Poland
- Slovakia
- Hungary
- Slovenia
- Finland
- Estonia
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Greece
- Cyprus
- Croatia
- Bulgaria
- Romania
- Luxembourg
- Liechtenstein
- Switzerland
- United Arab Emirates
Official sources
- Identità: Single Permit (Subsidiary Legislation 217.17: residence and employment licence in one procedure)
- Identità: Single Permit, who is eligible (the employer applies online; the employer is registered with Jobsplus; a visa within 180 days of the approval in principle)
- Identità: Single Permit application (only by the employer, on the Single Permit Online Portal; the employee confirms the data by link)
- Identità: Single Permit processing period (four months under SL 217.17)
- Identità: Renewal of Single Permit (start 90 days before expiry; only while the permit is valid)
- Identità: Pre-Departure Course for first-time Single Permit applicants (verified from 1 March 2026)
- Identità: Change of Employer (a new employer's application within 60 days of the termination)
- Identità: Key Employee Initiative, who is eligible (fast track; one job advert for two weeks)
- Identità: Non-EU nationals, right of appeal (Immigration Appeals Board, three working days)
- Identità: EU nationals, registration certificate and eResidence document (stays longer than three months)
- Identità: Central Visa Unit, Schengen visa
- legislation.mt: Immigration Act, Cap. 217 (art. 25A: Immigration Appeals Board, appeal within three working days)
- legislation.mt: Commissioner for Tax and Customs Act, Cap. 517 (the Malta Tax and Customs Administration)
- Jobsplus: employing non-EU nationals (labour market test, engagement form after the single permit, posted workers notified to DIER within 24 hours)
- EU Immigration Portal: employed worker in Malta (unemployment reported to Jobsplus cancels the permit)
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Who issues work permits in Malta?
Identità: Expatriates Unit (Identità (Malta's identity agency), Expatriates Unit): Decides single permits and other residence permits for non-EU nationals, takes the biometrics and issues the residence card.
When can someone get eu long-term residence in Malta?
After 5 years on most routes. Stable and regular resources. Sickness insurance. Integration conditions where national law sets them.
Which software can an agency or HR team use to manage work permits in Malta?
Settio is relocation management and work permit software with a plan for Malta: the main route (Single permit (residence and employment licence) (Single Permit)), the steps with the Identità (Malta's identity agency), Expatriates Unit, the documents, the deadlines and the registrations after arrival, with client and employee portals, quotes and milestone invoices. It runs every EU country in the same workspace, and each case shows only Malta's own rules and sources.
How does Settio help with work permits in Malta?
Settio builds the step-by-step plan for each person moving to Malta, checks documents before filing, tracks deadlines and gives the person a portal in their own language.
More
- Relocating to Malta: the first weeks
- Relocation and immigration across Europe
- AI immigration compliance
Informational only. This guide is not legal advice. Always verify requirements with official government sources before acting. Reviewed by the Settio team. Facts checked 3 October 2026. About this information