Work permits in Malta: single permit, KEI and SEI explained

Citizens of EU and EEA countries and Switzerland can live and work in Malta without a permit. They can accept a job before or after arriving, and within three months they register with Identità for a residence document, obtain a social security number and a tax number, and their employer files the engagement with Jobsplus.

Everyone else, including UK citizens since Brexit, needs a residence and work authorisation before starting work. Family members of EU citizens, holders of long-term residence in Malta and some students have their own rules, but for most people arriving for a job the choice is between the single permit, the Key Employee Initiative and the Specialist Employee Initiative.

The single permit combines the right to live and the right to work in one card and is the default route for most non-EU hires. The employer has to show the vacancy could not be filled locally, which in practice means advertising it to EU candidates through Jobsplus and EURES first, and then submits the application to Identità on your behalf.

Processing takes from several weeks to a few months depending on the sector and Identità workload. You must wait for approval before travelling to start work; arriving on a tourist visa and starting early is the most common way applications are refused. The permit is normally valid for one year and is renewed by the employer, and a change of employer requires a new application.

• Signed employment contract with the Malta employer and a job description.
• Passport, passport photos and a police conduct certificate from your country of residence.
• Proof of qualifications or experience relevant to the role.
• Health insurance covering Malta until you are enrolled in the public system.
• Proof of accommodation, often arranged by the employer for the first weeks.

The Key Employee Initiative is for senior, managerial and highly technical roles. Since August 2025 it requires a gross salary of at least €45,000 a year; after the vacancy has been advertised on Jobsplus and EURES for two weeks, Identità targets a decision within about five working days. It is the route most senior iGaming, tech and finance hires use, and the employer can usually quote a start date with confidence.

The Specialist Employee Initiative was introduced in 2024 for qualified professionals below that salary level, from around €25,000, where the candidate holds a relevant degree or several years of experience. It is faster than the standard single permit and is widely used for mid-level engineers, accountants, compliance analysts and multilingual specialists.

Non-EU workers taking hospitality roles need the Skills Pass introduced in 2024 before a permit is issued. It checks basic service skills, food safety and English through an online course and assessment, and the employer will usually tell you how to complete it. EU citizens do not need it.

Nurses, carers and other health professionals must register with the relevant Maltese council (for nurses, the Council for Nurses and Midwives) before they can practise, and the permit application runs alongside that registration. Qualification recognition can take time, so start it early.

Once Identità approves the application you receive an approval letter, enter Malta, give biometrics and collect the residence card. Your employer registers you with Jobsplus and you obtain a social security number and tax number; most employers that recruit from abroad walk new hires through all of it in the first week.

Renewal is the employer's job and should be started a couple of months before expiry. Since 2024 the government has tightened the rules on employers with high turnover of foreign staff, so established companies with good retention get approvals faster, which is worth knowing when choosing between offers.

Most refusals come down to a handful of causes: the salary is below the threshold for the route chosen, the role was not advertised locally for the required period, documents are missing or not apostilled, the candidate entered Malta or started work before approval, or the employer has a poor record. A reputable employer will tell you up front which route they are using and what the realistic timeline is; treat vague answers as a warning.