Key Employee Initiative (KEI), Malta

The KEI is run by Identità's Expatriates Unit. It is not a separate type of residence: the administrative process follows the regular single permit, including due diligence checks, but it is fast-tracked. Identità's expected processing time is five working days, counted only once every document on the checklist has been submitted online.

For health professionals, the KEI is most relevant to senior or specialist doctors whose salary reaches the threshold. It does not replace registration with the Medical Council or the Council for Nurses and Midwives.

• A job offer in Malta for a managerial or highly technical position that requires relevant qualifications or adequate experience.
• An annual gross salary of at least €45,000.
• Certified copies of the relevant qualifications, warrants or proof of work experience.
• Proof of one job advert for at least two weeks, within the two months before the application, on an appropriate local media platform.

The KEI also covers innovators in start-up projects endorsed by Malta Enterprise.

The fast track does not shorten the document list. Expect the standard single permit checklist as well, including a passport valid for at least eight more months, a signed Europass CV, health insurance with at least €100,000 cover and recognition of your qualifications by MQRIC.

Approved applicants receive a residence permit valid for one year at first. It can then be renewed for a longer period of up to three years if you present a valid fixed-term or open-ended contract and your original annual tax declaration stamped by the Inland Revenue Department.

Identità lists a fee of €600 for a first application and €150 per year of the permit on renewal, the same as the standard single permit. The rest of the process, such as the Approval in Principle letter, any visa, and biometrics in Malta before you start work, follows the single permit route.

Identità also runs a Specialist Employee Initiative (SEI) for people who meet the single permit rules but not the KEI criteria. It asks for a signed contract with a Maltese-registered company, a gross salary of at least €30,000 a year and either an MQF level 6 qualification or higher directly related to the job, or a lower related qualification with at least three years of relevant experience. SEI applicants also need a two-week local advert.

• A salary just under the line. The threshold is an annual gross salary of €45,000, so check the figure stated in your contract before the employer applies.
• Incomplete files. The five-day target starts only when every checklist document is uploaded.
• Missing tax paperwork at renewal. Keep the stamped annual tax declaration; renewal depends on it.
• First-time requirements. Identità requires a pre-departure course certificate for all first-time single permit applications, so confirm with Identità how this applies to your KEI application.