Working in Malta

Malta's standard route combines residence and work authorisation in one file. The employer submits the online application on the worker's behalf, the permit stays tied to the declared employer and designation, and it is the default path unless a faster or narrower route such as KEI, SEI, Blue Card, ICT, or seasonal work fits better.

Min salary

No single route-wide salary floor is published for all Single Permit cases; use the salary attached to the approved Maltese offer and verify any occupation-specific rule.

Timeline

The law allows up to 4 months, and Identita's 2025/26 FAQ says the average is about 2 months when the file is complete and correct.

KEI is Malta's fast-track version of the single permit procedure for highly skilled third-country nationals in managerial or highly technical roles. The case still follows the single permit framework and due-diligence checks, but Identita publishes a faster service standard when the online file is complete.

Min salary

At least EUR 45,000 gross per year.

Timeline

Identita publishes an expected processing time of 5 working days from complete online submission.

SEI is another fast-track single permit route for skilled third-country nationals with a Maltese contract who fall short of KEI but still meet Malta's specialist criteria. It requires the normal single permit baseline plus the SEI salary floor and either a directly related MQF Level 6+ qualification or a lower qualification backed by at least three years of directly relevant experience.

Min salary

At least EUR 30,000 gross per year.

Timeline

Identita's 2025/26 residence-permit FAQ publishes SEI as a 15 working day fast-track option.

Malta's EU Blue Card is a separate highly qualified residence-and-work route under its Blue Card regulations. It requires professional qualifications, a Maltese employment contract or binding job offer for at least six months, and pay at the published Blue Card salary level tied to the Maltese average gross annual salary.

Min salary

At least 1.5 times the average gross annual salary in Malta; verify the current NSO-linked figure on the filing date.

Timeline

No single Blue Card processing standard is published on the route page, so treat service time as variable even when the file is complete.

Malta's ICT route covers temporary secondments from an undertaking outside Malta to a local entity in the same undertaking or group, and can also cover mobility from another EU Member State's entity to a Maltese host entity. It is a separate permit with its own eligibility, validity, and documentation rules rather than a standard Single Permit filing.

Min salary

No route-wide salary floor is published on the ICT pages; eligibility turns on the transfer role, same-group relationship, and prior employment period.

Timeline

The permit is issued for at least 1 year or the transfer duration if shorter, and may be extended up to 3 years for managers and specialists or 1 year for trainees.

Malta has a separate seasonal-worker framework for third-country nationals who stay legally and temporarily in Malta for work tied to the passing of seasons under fixed-term contracts. It is narrower than the Single Permit, and short seasonal stays of up to 90 days use an employment-licence channel with Jobsplus rather than the longer seasonal permit track.

Min salary

No separate route-wide salary figure is published on the seasonal conditions page; check the contract terms and the current seasonal guidance.

Timeline

Seasonal stay may not exceed 9 months in any 12-month period.