CURRENT HIRING FOR MALTA

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Malta offers a variety of visas for foreign nationals, including tourist visas, business visas, and visas for medical purposes. Foreign nationals who intend to travel to Malta to work have a few options when it comes to visas:

• Short-Stay Visa, or C Visa: The short-stay visa is a type of Schengen visa, which means it allows foreign nationals to enter multiple countries within the Schengen area. This visa is available in three forms to accommodate single entries, double entries, and multiple entries. The C visa allows the holder to remain in Malta for up to three months regardless of how many entries are allowed.

• National Long-Stay Visa, or D Visa: The D visa allows foreign nationals to stay in Malta for more than three months. This is the visa foreign employees will need to live and work in Malta for an extended period of time. Individuals who are traveling to Malta to study will need a D visa as well.

In addition to a long-stay visa, foreign employees will need a work permit. In Malta, this permit is known as an employment license.

 Typical Maltese visa requirements include:

• A duly completed visa application form

• A cover letter stating the purpose of the applicant’s trip to Malta

• A valid passport with at least two blank pages

• Two passport photos

• Proof that the applicant has travel medical insurance coverage for the entire Schengen area

• An employment contract with a company based in Malta

• Proof of accommodations for the duration of the applicant’s time in Malta

• Evidence of sufficient financial means to cover the entire period of the applicant’s stay

Foreign nationals will also need an employment license to work in Malta. 

The requirements for a Maltese employment license include:

• A completed application form

• A copy of the applicant’s CV

• A copy of the applicant’s visa if they are already in Malta

• A cover letter from the applicant’s employer

• One passport photo

• References and testimonials of the applicant’s qualifications

• A medical certificate of health

• A vacancy report demonstrating that the company searched for qualified Maltese nationals to fill the position

Malta is located in Europe and has a population of approximately 450,000. The capital city of Valletta has a population of 6,315. Malta comprises 122 square miles, making it one of the smallest and most densely populated countries in the world. 

In Malta, employment contracts can be oral or written, but it is best practice to put a strong, written contract in place, in English or Maltese, which spells out the terms of the employee’s compensation, benefits, and termination requirements. 

Contracts can be indefinite or fixed term (up to a maximum of four years) and the normal working hours are 40 per week. An offer letter and employment contract in Malta should always state the salary and any compensation amounts in Euros rather than a foreign currency. 

The probationary period can be up to 12 months. For any service longer than one month, a one-week notice period applies upon termination 

Malta observes 14 holiday days. When a public holiday falls on a non-working day, full-time employees are entitled to an additional vacation day in lieu, to be taken during the same calendar day. The date can be granted by the employer according to the wished of the employee.

• New Year’s Day

• Feast of Saint Paul’s Shipwreck

• Feast of Saint Joseph

• Good Friday

• Freedom Day

• Labour Day/May Day

• Sette Giugno

• Feast of Saints Peter and Paul

• The Feast of Mary’s Assumption

• The Feast of Our Lady of Victories

• Independence Day

• Feast of the Immaculate Conception

• Republic Day

• Christmas Day

Full-time employees are entitled to a minimum of 24 working days per annum. Holiday entitlement begins from the commencement of employment and runs in accordance with the calendar year.

Employees may carry forward up to 50% of their annual leave entitlement to the following calendar year if agreed with the employer.

A minimum period equivalent to four weeks cannot be replaced by any remuneration, except in case of termination. Upon termination, any outstanding leave should be compensated financially.

Foreign nationals who plan to travel to Malta should contact the Maltese embassy or consulate in their country of residence for a complete, up-to-date list of all of the visa requirements. After doing so, they should complete the visa application and submit it and the supporting documents to the consular officials.

It is the employer’s responsibility to apply for an employment license on behalf of any foreign workers, so they should begin this process in the meantime. The employer should submit the relevant documents to the Employment and Training Corporation in Malta and pay any applicable fees.

Upon approval of both applications, the employee may travel to Malta and begin working.

Malta is a member of the European Union (EU). Therefore, citizens of other EU member states are free to travel to Malta without obtaining a visa. They are also exempt from the employment license requirement. However, EU nationals will need to register their stay with the Department for Citizenship and Expatriate Affairs in Malta within three months of their arrival.