Moving to Malta as a Third-Country National

If you are not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, a job offer does not by itself let you live or work in Malta. For an ordinary job lasting more than six months, the prospective employer normally applies for your Single Permit. You must not start work until you have the document that expressly authorises it.

The first application costs €600 and Identità may take up to four months from a complete application, although a straightforward case may finish sooner. Do not book a non-refundable move or resign from a current job on the assumption that approval is automatic.

Who does what for a first Single Permit

Stage	Responsible party	What happens
Genuine job and contract	You and employer	Agree the role, gross pay, hours, location, duration and permit dependency in writing.
Vacancy and labour-market steps	Employer	Complete any required Jobsplus/EURES advertising and sector requirements.
Online application and €600 fee	Employer	Submit through the Single Permit portal. You cannot file the standard employment application alone.
Applicant confirmation	You	Check the email link, verify the information and upload or confirm anything requested.
Health screening	You and employer	Use the current automated health-screening process; paper submissions are no longer accepted for work permits from 4 May 2026.
Decision and entry	Identità and, if needed, visa authorities	If you are abroad, follow the Approval in Principle and any national D-visa instructions.
Biometrics and authority to work	You and Identità	Attend when instructed. An Approval in Principle alone is not authority to work.

New first-time applicants covered by the rule must also complete the mandatory pre-departure course. Check the current exemptions before paying.

The normal first-application file

The live checklist for the specific job always controls. A normal file commonly includes:

• A passport valid for at least eight months, plus the required full passport copy
• Completed and signed application and GDPR forms
• A recent compliant passport photograph
• A signed employment contract stating the approved role, pay and conditions
• Proof of suitable Malta accommodation, such as the lease and Housing Authority registration evidence
• Health-insurance evidence for the period required by the checklist
• Automated health-screening clearance
• Qualifications, experience evidence, licences or recognition where the occupation requires them
• The pre-departure course certificate and any sector Skills Pass where applicable
• Employer records, vacancy evidence and declarations required by the application type

Documents issued outside Malta may need apostille or legalisation and an official translation. Use Identità's current documents page immediately before submission; do not recycle a checklist from another occupation.

When can you start working?

For a first application, wait until Identità issues an Interim Receipt with Temporary Authorisation to Work or the residence card authorising the employment. An application receipt or Approval in Principle without that work authorisation is not enough.

For renewals and accepted change-of-employer applications, the interim receipt is normally issued with temporary work authorisation. Read every receipt: it states what it authorises and for whom.

Changing employer or job designation

A Single Permit is tied to the approved employer, role and duration. It does not transfer automatically.

1. Get a written offer from the new employer.
2. The new employer submits a change-of-employer application; the current fee is €600.
3. If the previous job has already ended, submit within 60 days of termination. Identità says an application in that window may be considered, but your immigration position may already be irregular—obtain route-specific advice immediately.
4. Do not work for the new employer until the interim receipt expressly gives temporary authorisation for that employer or the new permit is issued.
5. A change of designation with the same employer also needs the appropriate application before doing the new role.

Renewals currently cost €150 per year and should normally begin 90 days before expiry; health-screening cases can have a different submission window. Calendar the date shown on your card.

Other non-EU routes

Your purpose	Usual route	Practical starting point
Full-time study	Study residence permit, normally supported by an education-purpose visa where required	Secure acceptance from a licensed institution, funds, accommodation, insurance and health evidence. Current residence application fee is €50. Student work is limited and needs a Jobsplus employment licence.
Join a non-EU spouse or parent in Malta	Family Reunification or the separate Family Members Policy	The sponsor applies from Malta; eligibility, income and work rights differ. Read Non-EU family reunification in Malta.
Work remotely for foreign clients or employer	Nomad Residence Permit, if eligible	TCN-only route with a €42,000 gross annual income threshold. Read Remote work and Malta's Nomad Residence Permit.
Start a local business or work for yourself	No general automatic self-employed residence right	Business registration and tax registration do not create immigration permission. TCN self-employment permission is restricted and must be resolved with Jobsplus and Identità before trading. Read Self-employment in Malta.
Live from savings without employment	A specific residence or investment route must apply	Malta does not offer a generic self-sufficient TCN permit equivalent to EU free-movement registration. Check the programme's eligibility, tax, health-cover and property conditions before moving.

Questions to ask the employer before relocating

• Which permit category and exact occupation will you submit?
• Who pays the €600 fee, health screening, course, translations and visa costs?
• Has the vacancy advertising requirement been completed?
• Which documents must I obtain in my country and have apostilled?
• What happens to the offer, salary start date and accommodation if processing lasts four months?
• Who will send me the complete submitted application and official receipt?
• What happens to my permit if the role changes or employment ends?

Keep the contract, submitted file, receipts and all Identità messages. A recruiter cannot guarantee approval, and a short-stay Schengen visit never substitutes for work permission.

Related guides

• Malta visas and residence permits: the difference
• Finding a legitimate job in Malta
• Employment rights in Malta
• Malta residence card and e-ID

Last reviewed: 9 August 2026. Permit fees, checklists and labour-migration measures change; recheck the linked Identità pages before submitting or changing employment.