Moving to Malta Checklist: Four Route-Specific Timelines

The safe Malta order is: prove the right to live/work → secure verifiable income → take temporary housing → sign/register a suitable address → complete residence/employment records → verify tax, social security and healthcare → add bank, utilities, phone and school. The actor changes by route, so use the matching checklist below.

Keep bookings flexible until the permit/job dependency is cleared. Hold a cash buffer of three months of essential Malta costs plus setup cash; a TCN awaiting a first permit or a one-income family should aim for four to six months because work or school timing can slip.

Before departure: everyone

• Calculate rent, deposit, first rent, agency fee, temporary stay, shipping, insurance and a return/emergency ticket separately.
• Carry—do not ship—passports, civil certificates, contracts, permits, school/medical records, prescriptions and apostilled/translations.
• Book temporary accommodation for enough time to inspect a long-let home in person.
• Keep an overseas payment card/phone number active until Malta banking and two-factor access work.
• Obtain interim health cover and a medication transition plan.
• Test actual home-to-work/school journeys before signing the lease.

Route 1: EU/EEA/Swiss employee

Order	Owner	Action and evidence
1	Worker + employer	Sign written offer/contract: legal employer, role, gross pay, hours, start, location and WRO.
2	Worker	Enter with valid passport/ID; use temporary housing while viewing.
3	Worker + landlord	Sign long lease, inventory and meter record. Landlord registers it with Housing Authority within 30 days; obtain confirmation.
4	Employer	Submit Jobsplus engagement as soon as employment starts. Worker keeps the record.
5	Worker	For a stay beyond three months, submit Identità EU employment residence application from Malta with Form A, passport/ID, contract plus Jobsplus evidence (or recent payslip/history where applicable) and GDPR form. No application fee.
6	System/worker	If Malta residence number ends A, the Jobsplus engagement normally triggers SSN issuance. Otherwise use the SSN service.
7	Employer + worker	Complete FS4; verify Maltese tax/SSN on first payslip. EU SSN registration commonly transmits to MTCA, so avoid a duplicate tax number.
8	Worker	Confirm public-health entitlement with the Entitlement Unit; register dependants separately.
9	Worker	Activate/test e-ID, open bank/payment account, register ARMS residents, choose Malta SIM/internet.

Route 2: non-EU employee

Order	Owner	Action and evidence
1	Employer	Complete vacancy/eligibility steps and submit the first Single Permit through the portal; current fee €600.
2	Applicant	Confirm application details; supply passport, contract, accommodation/insurance, health-screening, qualifications, pre-departure/Skills Pass and authenticated documents from the live checklist.
3	Identità/visa authorities	Issue decision/Approval in Principle and, if needed, national D-visa instructions. Allow up to four months from a complete application.
4	Applicant	Travel only within the approval/visa conditions, complete biometrics and wait for Interim Receipt with Temporary Authorisation to Work. AIP alone is not work permission.
5	Employer	Start the worker only when authorised; file/confirm Jobsplus engagement and payroll.
6	Worker + landlord	Finalise registered long-term accommodation and keep registration evidence for the residence file/renewal.
7	System/worker	Verify SSN triggered from the Malta ID/Jobsplus record; complete FS4 and check tax/SSN on first payslip.
8	Worker	Confirm public-health entitlement from contribution start; keep required/private cover until written confirmation and while the permit requires it.
9	Worker	Test e-ID, bank/payments, ARMS, mobile/internet; calendar renewal 90 days before expiry.

Never start on a tourist/short-stay basis. If employer, role or designation changes, a new application is needed before doing that work.

Route 3: EU/EEA/Swiss self-employed person

Order	Owner	Action and evidence
1	Person	Define activity, clients/turnover and sector licences; keep interim insurance/resources.
2	Person	Register sole trade/activity through Business First and file Jobsplus self-employed engagement.
3	Person + MTCA	Verify tax number and choose VAT Article 10/11/12 position before invoicing, especially for EU services.
4	Person + Social Security	Verify SSN and Class 2 contribution basis; keep registration/receipts.
5	Person + landlord	Secure registered Malta address, inventory/meters and resident declaration.
6	Person	If staying beyond three months, apply to Identità using EU self-employed evidence: Jobsplus engagement, VAT/tax/NI certificates plus Form A, ID and GDPR form.
7	Person	Confirm healthcare entitlement from the insured basis; activate e-ID/bank/bookkeeping and calendar VAT/tax/SSC filings.

Read the complete self-employment guide; forming or registering a business does not cure a missing immigration basis.

Route 4: family with school-age children

Layer these steps over the adult's EU or non-EU route:

1. Before housing: shortlist state/Church/independent schools, confirm admissions windows, language/support and commute. Do not assume the nearest state school is assigned.
2. Civil file: passports, full birth certificates, marriage/custody/consent, school reports, vaccination/medical/SEN records, certified Maltese/English translations and apostilles/legalisation where requested.
3. Residence route: EU family members use the sponsor/family application; TCN families identify statutory Family Reunification versus Family Members Policy before travel.
4. Temporary address first: confirm school availability and transport, then sign/register the long lease.
5. School application: use the state-school admissions service or the chosen Church/independent calendar with address and documents.
6. Healthcare: register every dependant's entitlement/insurance, choose GP/paediatric route and give the school written allergy/medication plans.
7. Care around school: separately apply for childcare, Breakfast Club, Klabb 3-16 or SkolaSajf; places are not created by school enrolment.

First-bill and first-payslip audit

Within the first month, verify:

• Housing Authority registration matches the signed lease and occupants;
• ARMS meter readings, residential status and resident count are correct;
• Jobsplus employer/role/start date match the contract;
• Tax status, tax number and SSN on the first payslip are correct;
• Entitlement Unit has recorded the worker and each dependant;
• e-ID login/recovery, bank and Malta phone two-factor authentication work;
• every permit, lease, insurance and school renewal/notice date is on one calendar.

If the move is delayed

Do not use the emergency fund to preserve a plan that no longer works. Extend temporary housing weekly if possible, delay shipping, avoid an unverified lease, and require written permit/job updates. Recalculate the essential monthly burn rate after two weeks and keep enough for three months plus exit travel.

Related guides

• EU/EEA/Swiss residence
• Third-country nationals
• Cost of living and setup cash
• Healthcare entitlement
• Mobile and internet

Last reviewed: 9 August 2026. Recheck permit documents, fees and school windows immediately before acting.