Single permit (Malta)

Identità explains that the single permit is regulated by Subsidiary Legislation 217.17 and is a temporary permit that authorises third-country nationals to reside and take up employment in Malta for a defined period of over six months, which may be renewed. The single application covers both the employment licence and the residence permit.

The permit is tied to the job on the application: you may not carry out paid work for other parties or unrelated work. For doctors and nurses it sits alongside professional registration with the Medical Council or the Council for Nurses and Midwives.

• You need a job offer from a company registered and operating in Malta, and the employer must be registered with Jobsplus, Malta's public employment service.
• The employer applies online on your behalf; you confirm the details through a link sent by email.
• At the time of application you must be either still in your country of residence or legally in Malta with a valid residence permit or visa.
• The employer must show an advert with Jobsplus and on the EURES portal for at least three weeks in the two months before applying. For Key Employee Initiative, Specialist Employee Initiative, Blue Card and Skilled Occupation List roles, two weeks on a local media platform is enough.

1. Complete the mandatory pre-departure course if this is your first single permit: two online modules and a 20-minute live interview that checks your English. The fee is €250.
2. Gather a passport valid for at least eight more months, a signed Europass CV, health insurance with at least €100,000 cover, the signed contract, accommodation documents and your qualifications with recognition from MQRIC (or its receipt). Some nationalities also need a health screening certificate.
3. The employer submits the application and pays online.
4. You receive an Approval in Principle letter. If you need a Schengen visa, apply at the Maltese embassy or consulate within 180 days.
5. In Malta, book a biometrics appointment. You then receive an Interim Receipt with a temporary authorisation to work; the approval letter alone does not let you start work.

Identità says Subsidiary Legislation 217.17 allows four months to process an application, but the average is closer to two months from a complete file. Its fee table lists €600 for a first single permit and €150 per year for a renewal.

Renewals and changes of employer are separate applications to Identità, so start them before your current permit expires.

Common problems:

• Ineligibility at the time of application. If it emerges that the worker was not eligible, the application is refused and Identità does not refund the fee.
• Short passport validity. Eight months are needed from the date of application, and the original must be shown at Identità.
• Missing MQRIC recognition of your qualifications, or no receipt to show it is pending.
• Adverts outside the two-month window before the application.