Malta
Malta is an EU and Schengen member that uses the euro. Most skilled non-EU workers come on a Single Permit, with faster tracks for higher earners: the Key Employee Initiative, the Specialist Employee Initiative and the EU Blue Card.
For information only. Visa rules, processing times, and eligibility criteria change frequently. All information on this page is sourced from official government websites and verified as of the date shown. Always confirm your specific situation with the relevant embassy or a licensed immigration lawyer before applying. Full disclaimer ↗
Announced, not yet in force Upcoming changes
Work permit fee rising to €800, plus a yearly €400 contribution
The government announced that the fee for a new work permit for non-EU workers will rise from €600 to €800 per person. A new infrastructure contribution of €400 a year will be charged to new applicants and to people renewing their permits, but not to anyone under 18. Fees for many other Identità permits will also go up; the new amounts and the start date have not been published yet.
Start date not announced yet · Announced in the Budget 2027 speech, October 2026 · Ministry for Finance (Malta)
The figures elsewhere on this page are the rules in force today. Settily updates them when the change takes effect.
Visa & Immigration Guide for Malta
This guide covers all main visa routes for non-EU professionals moving to Malta, including eligibility requirements, processing times, fees, and step-by-step application instructions.
Applying from your home country:
Visa Types at a Glance
| Visa type | Who it's for | Typical processing | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single Permit | Non-EU nationals with a job offer from a company registered and operating in Malta, in a role the employer has advertised locally. | ~2 months | €600 |
| Key Employee Initiative | Third-country nationals with a job offer in Malta for a managerial or highly technical position and a gross annual salary above the KEI floor. | ~5 working days | €600 |
| Specialist Employee Initiative | Highly skilled third-country nationals with a signed contract with a Maltese-registered company who may not be eligible for the Key Employee Initiative. | ~15 working days | €600 |
| EU Blue Card | Highly qualified workers from outside the EU with a higher professional qualification (or long experience) and a job paying at least the Blue Card salary floor. | up to 90 days | €600 |
| Nomad Residence Permit | Remote workers who keep their current employment, or run a business, based in another country while legally living in Malta. | ~30 working days | €300 |
| Family reunification | Family members of third-country nationals who are already legally staying in Malta. | up to 60 days | €50 |
| Student residence permit | Third-country nationals accepted by a licensed institution for a full-time course leading to a higher education qualification. | ~6–8 weeks | €50 |
Times shown are Identità’s published figures and are not all measured the same way: the Single Permit figure is an average (the legal maximum is 4 months), the Key Employee and Specialist Employee fast tracks are processing targets in working days, the Blue Card and family figures are legal maximums or decision deadlines, and the student figure is the long-stay visa process. Identità does not publish a processing time for the student residence permit itself.
Detailed visa guides
Typical processing
~2 months
Typical fee
€600
Step-by-step process
- 1 Your employer submits the application through the Single Permit online portal; only the employer can apply.
- 2 You receive a link to confirm the application and validate the data your employer submitted.
- 3 When you are authorised to travel, present the Approval in Principle letter with your visa application at the Maltese embassy if you need a visa for the Schengen area.
- 4 Book an appointment through the online booking system for your biometrics; your Interim Receipt carries a stamp for 'Temporary Authorisation to Work'.
- 5 Your employer registers the employment with Jobsplus once you hold the Single Permit.
Min. salary
€45,000
Typical processing
~5 working days
Typical fee
€600
Step-by-step process
- 1 Your employer applies through the Single Permit online portal; the process follows the regular Single Permit, including due diligence, but is fast-tracked.
- 2 You receive a link to confirm the application and validate the data your employer submitted.
- 3 After the Approval in Principle letter is issued, book an appointment through the online booking system.
- 4 Your Interim Receipt carries a stamp for 'Temporary Authorisation to Work'.
Min. salary
€30,000
Typical processing
~15 working days
Typical fee
€600
Step-by-step process
- 1 Your employer submits the application through the Single Permit online portal; only the employer can apply.
- 2 You receive a link to confirm the application and validate the data your employer submitted.
- 3 After the Approval in Principle letter is issued, book an appointment through the online booking system.
- 4 Your Interim Receipt carries a stamp for 'Temporary Authorisation to Work'.
Min. salary
€41,076
Typical processing
up to 90 days
Typical fee
€600
Step-by-step process
- 1 Blue Card applications can only be submitted online; your employer needs access to the Single Permit online platform first.
- 2 Your employer applies through the Single Permit online platform.
- 3 After the Approval in Principle letter is issued, book an appointment through the online booking system.
- 4 Collect your residence card from Identità offices in Msida.
Min. salary
€42,000
Typical processing
~30 working days
Typical fee
€300
Step-by-step process
- 1 Submit the application and documents through the Nomad Residence Permit online portal.
- 2 Pay the application fee directly from the main applicant's bank account.
- 3 After the Letter of Approval in Principle, provide the remaining documents, including proof of accommodation covering the full duration of the residence permit.
Typical processing
up to 60 days
Typical fee
€50
Step-by-step process
- 1 The sponsor, already legally staying in Malta, submits an application to Identità through the Non-EU Applicants section of the Expatriates Unit portal.
- 2 Identità confirms prospects of eligibility, or otherwise, in writing.
- 3 Requests must be presented before the family members are physically present in Malta.
- 4 Family members who need a visa then apply for a long-stay (D) visa once eligibility is confirmed.
Typical processing
~6–8 weeks
Typical fee
€50
Step-by-step process
- 1 Apply at least 9 weeks before the commencement date of course, with a visa issued for education purposes if you need a visa for the Schengen area.
- 2 Submit your application online through the Expatriates Unit Portal.
- 3 After the Approval in Principle letter is issued, book an appointment through the online booking system.
General document requirements
- ✓ Your employer submits the application through the Single Permit online portal; only the employer can apply.
- ✓ You receive a link to confirm the application and validate the data your employer submitted.
- ✓ When you are authorised to travel, present the Approval in Principle letter with your visa application at the Maltese embassy if you need a visa for the Schengen area.
- ✓ Book an appointment through the online booking system for your biometrics; your Interim Receipt carries a stamp for 'Temporary Authorisation to Work'.
- ✓ Your employer registers the employment with Jobsplus once you hold the Single Permit.
- ✓ Your employer applies through the Single Permit online portal; the process follows the regular Single Permit, including due diligence, but is fast-tracked.
- ✓ After the Approval in Principle letter is issued, book an appointment through the online booking system.
- ✓ Your Interim Receipt carries a stamp for 'Temporary Authorisation to Work'.
- ✓ Blue Card applications can only be submitted online; your employer needs access to the Single Permit online platform first.
- ✓ Your employer applies through the Single Permit online platform.
- ✓ Collect your residence card from Identità offices in Msida.
- ✓ Submit the application and documents through the Nomad Residence Permit online portal.
- ✓ Pay the application fee directly from the main applicant's bank account.
- ✓ After the Letter of Approval in Principle, provide the remaining documents, including proof of accommodation covering the full duration of the residence permit.
- ✓ The sponsor, already legally staying in Malta, submits an application to Identità through the Non-EU Applicants section of the Expatriates Unit portal.
- ✓ Identità confirms prospects of eligibility, or otherwise, in writing.
- ✓ Requests must be presented before the family members are physically present in Malta.
- ✓ Family members who need a visa then apply for a long-stay (D) visa once eligibility is confirmed.
- ✓ Apply at least 9 weeks before the commencement date of course, with a visa issued for education purposes if you need a visa for the Schengen area.
- ✓ Submit your application online through the Expatriates Unit Portal.
Single Permit
Malta’s standard work route for non-EU nationals. Your employer applies on your behalf through the Single Permit online portal, and Jobsplus runs the labour-market test inside the same application. KEI, SEI and the EU Blue Card below are fast tracks inside the same system, chosen by salary and qualifications rather than by occupation.
- Job offer from a company registered and operating in Malta; only the employer can submit the application
- Valid Pre-Departure Course Certificate for all first-time applicants (course fee €250)
- Private health insurance of at least €100,000, covering treatment in Malta
- Proof that the vacancy was advertised on Jobsplus and EURES for a minimum of three (3) weeks (fast-track and Skilled Occupation List roles need a shorter advert)
- Exempt from the advert requirement: Jobs in the health sector and in the care of persons with disabilities or the elderly.
- Qualification certificates accompanied by recognition from MQRIC
Key Employee Initiative (KEI)
A fast track for a job offer in Malta for a managerial or highly technical position. The process follows the regular Single Permit, including due diligence, but is fast-tracked.
- Gross annual salary of at least €45,000
- Certified copies of the relevant qualifications, warrants or proof of work experience
- Proof of one job advert for a minimum of two weeks
- KEI and SEI holders earning at least €50,000 a year can ask Identità to waive the one-year wait before applying for dependants
Specialist Employee Initiative (SEI)
An alternative fast track for highly skilled third-country nationals who may not qualify for the Key Employee Initiative.
- Gross annual salary of at least €30,000
- A qualification at MQF Level 6 or higher in an area directly related to the job, or a lower certified qualification directly related to the job plus at least three years of related experience
- A signed contract with a Maltese-registered company
EU Blue Card
Malta issues the EU Blue Card to highly qualified workers from outside the EU. It is applied for through the Single Permit online platform, and years on a Blue Card count towards long-term residence.
- Salary of 1.5 x the average gross annual salary in Malta as published by the NSO in the Labour force survey
- Employment contract for a minimum period of six (6) months
- A higher professional qualification from a course lasting a minimum of three (3) years, or relevant professional experience of at least 10 years
- The first card is valid for a period of two (2) years
EU Blue Card salary floor: how Settily calculates it
Identità publishes the rule but no euro amount. Its checklist says the salary must be 1.5 x the average gross annual salary in Malta as published by the NSO in the Labour force survey. Settily applies that rule to the latest NSO Labour Force Survey figure, so the amount below is Settily’s calculation, not a figure published by Identità. Identità applies the latest NSO figure, so the floor moves when NSO publishes a new survey; check it with your employer before you apply.
- NSO average monthly basic salary, second quarter of 2026: €2,282
- Average annual salary: €2,282 × 12 = €27,384
- Blue Card salary floor: 1.5 × €27,384 = about €41,076 a year
NSO average salary behind the Blue Card calculation
The calculation uses the NSO Labour Force Survey for the second quarter of 2026, released in September 2026, which reports an average monthly basic salary of €2,282. The annual figure excludes overtime and statutory bonuses.
- Source: NSO Labour Force Survey, second quarter of 2026
- The monthly figure is multiplied by 12 to give the annual average used in the calculation
Nomad Residence Permit
For remote workers who keep a job or business based outside Malta while legally living in Malta. It is issued by Residency Malta Agency, not through the Single Permit system.
- Minimum gross yearly income of €42,000
- You must prove you can work remotely using telecommunications
- A guaranteed source of income for a minimum period of 5 months (cumulative) from the day of application
- Persons contracted by a foreign company and giving services to the company's Maltese subsidiary are not eligible
- Does not lead to permanent residence or citizenship
Family reunification
Most workers bring family under Identità’s Family Members Policy, an avenue on an ex-gratia basis for family members to join their sponsor. The sponsor applies before the family members are physically in Malta.
- The sponsor can normally apply only after one year of residence of the sponsor
- Stable resources equal to the NSO median wage (latest published €18,940 a year) plus an additional share of it for each family member
- Health insurance of at least €100,000 per family member
- Key Employee and Specialist Employee Initiative sponsors earning at least €50,000 a year can ask for the one-year wait to be waived
Investor & Entrepreneur Visas
For information only. Investment visa rules, minimum thresholds, and eligibility conditions change frequently and vary significantly by individual circumstances. The information on this page is sourced from official government portals. Always verify current requirements with the relevant embassy or a licensed immigration lawyer before taking any action. Full disclaimer ↗
Investment residence (not covered)
Malta also runs an investment-based residence route, the Malta Permanent Residence Programme, managed by Residency Malta Agency. Settily does not cover investment residence or citizenship programmes.
⚠️ Investor visa rules change frequently. The figures above are based on official sources as of 2026. Always verify current requirements directly with the embassy or a licensed immigration lawyer.
📊 Real Migration Numbers
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