Essential Employment Paperwork in Malta

Seeking a job abroad starts with taking care of the paperwork. It can be quite overwhelming, but nonetheless necessary. Expats who have decided to pursue their careers in Malta should first obtain a visa and work permit or also known as the Employment License.

Not all foreigners are required to secure a visa when entering Malta. Citizens from member states of the European Union, European Economic Area, Schengen Agreement and Switzerland are allowed work in this country without a visa. Expats coming from third countries need to obtain an employment license with the help of their future employer in Malta. In other words, the most important step for foreign nationals to be able to work in this country is to secure a potential employer who will take care of the employment license application on their behalf.

Employment License

Expats must expect that the process of obtaining this permit can be quite tedious because the government of Malta implements a limited job pool for third country nationals or TCN and the employer must first advertise the vacancy for locals and citizens of the EU and the EEA. An employment license will only be granted once it has been proven that there is no EU/EEA, Swiss or Maltese national is capable or qualified to fill the job post. An application letter must be sent to the Employment License Unit along with the documents listed below.

  • Curriculum Vitae
  • One Passport-sized photo
  • Professional and Educational Certificates of the expat
  • A detailed vacancy report showing that EU,EEA, Swiss and Maltese nationals were first sought to fill the vacancy
  • Position description
  • Cover Letter from the employer indicating the location where the work will take place

If the request for the employment license is rejected, the employer will receive a letter within 15 days of the application. Approved licenses, on the other hand, take about four to six weeks to be processed and once it has been issued, the expat will be immediately informed regarding the date of its validity. Employment licenses for Malta are usually valid for 12 months with an option for renewal.

Schengen Type D (National)/Long-Stay Visa

After getting an employment license, the next step for a foreign national is to apply for a long-stay visa at the Embassy/Consulate of Malta in their home country or forward their applications directly to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This type of visa allows a foreign national from non-EU/EEA and Switzerland to stay or work in Malta for more than 90 days. Some of the documents that must be presented or passed during the application are:

  • Passport that is valid for at least three months
  • Two Passport-sized photos
  • Proof of Payment of the visa application fee which is around €60
  • Document stating the purpose of visit to Malta (Employment Contract or License)
  • Proof of Health Insurance

Once in Malta, the expat must go to the Department for Citizenship and Expatriate Affairs to apply for a residence permit which will allow them to legally stay and work in this country for more than three months.