Are you thinking of moving to Malta? Numerous residents are attracted to the tiny island state every year. These include freelance professionals who can work remotely as well as retirees from Northern Europe, with a good number of them from the UK. The attraction lies in the relatively relaxed way of living, affordable cost of living, as well as the country’s historical links to Britain.
Within this section you will find all you need to know about moving to this island steeped in history, surrounded by the deep, blue Mediterranean Sea and where the sun shines for the majority of days throughout the year.
The Expatriates Unit is involved in the legal migration process and caters for the processing and issuing of residence documentation. This involves the implementation of the provisions of national legislation with regards to the EU nationals’ freedom of movement and other regulations concerning third-country nationals residence documentation.
Contact information
Expatriates Unit, Identita' Head Office,
Valley Road,
Msida
- (+356) 2590 4800
- Single Permit: [email protected]
- EU: [email protected]
- Non-EU: [email protected]
- Brexit: [email protected]
Gozo
- eResidence Unit - The Tower,
1st Floor,
Fortunato Mizzi Street,
Victoria, Gozo
EU Nationals do not need a permit to reside and work in Malta.
The Free Movement of European Union Nationals and their Family Members Order 2007 which transposes the provisions of the European Union Council Directive 2004/38 of the European Parliament, and the Council of 29th April 2004 makes provisions for the implementation and administration of EU and EEA nationals’ right, in exercising their free movement.
Amendments were made to this Order by means of Legal Notice 329 of 2011 and Legal Notice 107 of 2012.
European Economic Area Nationals
European Economic Area (EEA) nationals have the right to reside in Malta when exercising their treaty rights as workers, self-employed persons, economically self-sufficient persons, family members, exempt or students. Such rights may be restricted on the grounds of public policy, public security, public health or if they become an unreasonable burden on Malta’s social assistance system.
A non-EU national may only apply for employment if still residing in the territory of a third country, or legally residing in Malta or any other EU member State.
A third-country national has a legal migration status only when holding a valid visa or when holding a valid residence permit on the basis of temporary or permanent residence, which permit has not been terminated or expired.
A residence permit is only valid if it is not expired and provided that the holder still holds the same immigration status for which it was issued. A residence permit ceases to be valid should the holder no longer hold the specific employment detailed on the residence card, including termination or resignation from such employment.
Applying for a residence permit to Identità does not regularise one’s immigration status.
An application will only be processed by the Expatriates Unit once the full list of documents required are submitted as per the applicable checklists.
All applications submitted are subject to a due diligence process carried out by Identità , Jobsplus and the Police Corps and the final decision outcome is dependent on the collective outcome of this process.
More information can be found here
Non-EU Nationals require a residence permit to be employed in Malta. The first step in qualifying for employment is to have an employment offer from an employer in Malta.
A residence permit on the basis of employment is issued and remains valid if the main criteria upon which it was acceded to, continue to be met, that is, the specific designation, employer and duration. This information is also printed on the residence card issued and held by the third-country national.
If any of these criteria change or stop being effective, the holder of the permit is obliged by law to inform the Expatriates Unit within Identità and return the residence card immediately. Failure to do so would be in violation of the Immigration Act (Cap. 217) of the Laws of Malta and may be subject to further action by the Principal Immigration Officer.
Employment must be located in Malta and the holding of a residence permit does not give the holder the right of movement within the EU in terms of employment.
The most common types of employment-related residence permits are:
- Single Permit;
- Self-Employment;
- Employment of less than six (6) months;
- Blue Card;
- Intra-Corporate Transferee.
More information can be found here
Specialist Employee Initiative (SEI) applications may only be submitted by the employer, in the capacity of the Maltese organisation entrusting the carrying out of specific employment to the non-EU national.Employers may apply for a third-country national through the Single Permit Online Portal. Follow these guidelines to apply and gain access to the portal.
Once access is approved by Identità, the employer can log into the Single Permit Online Portal. Guidelines to submit and manage existing applications can be found here.Once the employer submits an application, the third-country national receives a link to confirm the application and validate the data submitted. Once confirmation is submitted, the employer will receive a notification for the final submission of the application.Final submissions may only be done if the payment has been submitted online, by either the employer or the third-country national.
Kindly look in this link for more information
Third Country Nationals who are already residing in Malta and have been issued with a residence card, may also work in Malta if they are issued with an Employment Licence (work permit) issued by Jobspus. If the residence card is issued for a period exceeding 1 year, the TCN may retain that residence card and apply separately for an Employment Licence with Jobsplus if they wish to work in Malta.
The application form, along with any ancillary documents as specified in the respective checklist, needs to be submitted to Jobsplus. An Employment Licence may be issued up to the validity of the Residence Card issued by Identita.
Once an application is submitted, the status of the application may be checked by the employer by logging through the employers’ online portal, access the Manage Employment section and open the Employment Licences tab.
Once the Employment Licence has been issued, the employment of these individuals needs to be registered with Jobsplus through the submission of an engagement form through the online portal. It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that these individuals are in possession of a valid Employment Licence. Should the third country national fail to renew his/her licence, their employment with the employer will have to be terminated.