EU and EEA citizens: moving to Malta for work without a permit

You need no permit. An EU or EEA citizen can take a job in Malta the day the plane lands. What you need is a short list of registrations, in the right order, and most of them are free. Do them in the first weeks and nothing will bite you later.

What you do not need

• No work permit, no visa, no labour-market test, no Skills Pass, no pre-departure course. Those apply to non-EU workers only.
• No agent. Nobody may charge you for finding you a job in Malta.
• No Maltese language. English is an official language and the language of work.

Still deciding whether to come? Start with why EU citizens move and what jobs pay.

The order of things

1. Sign a contract. In writing, before you start. Gross salary, hours, probation, notice.
2. Engagement form. Your employer registers you with Jobsplus on your first day, and no later than four working days after. You do nothing except give them your passport details. Ask for the acknowledgement; it is your proof of employment for every step below.
3. Social security number. Ask the Department of Social Security for a registration number as soon as you have a job. Your employer needs it for your payslip. The application is on the department’s website.
4. Tax number. Non-Maltese citizens register with the Malta Tax and Customs Administration to get a tax number. Your employer needs it to deduct tax correctly from the first pay. Free.
5. Bank account. See below.
6. eResidence card. Within three months of arriving.

The eResidence card

An EU citizen may stay in Malta for three months with nothing but a passport or ID card. To stay longer you register with Identità and get an eResidence document. Identità’s own words: a stay or work period exceeding three months requires registration through the online portal.

For workers, the basis is employment. You upload:

• passport or national ID (both sides, or the bio page);
• your work contract, or if it is older than six months a recent payslip or your Jobsplus employment history;
• application form A and the GDPR form;
• proof that your Jobsplus registration is active.

Apply on the Expatriates portal. Identità says the whole process takes approximately 30 working days. The first card is free, and so are renewals and address changes. A lost card costs €22 to replace, a damaged one €16.50.

The card matters more than it looks. Banks, landlords, the health service and the free bus scheme all ask for it.

Social security and tax, briefly

Once on the payroll you pay a social security contribution of 10% of your basic wage, capped at a weekly amount, and your employer pays the same again. Income tax is deducted at source under the Final Settlement System. The salaries guide has the 2026 bands and two worked budgets. The tax guide explains how PAYE works, the bands and the FS3.

If you move mid-year from another EU country, keep your last payslips and your tax certificate from home. You will want them for your first Maltese tax return.

Bank account

You can start work without a Maltese account. You cannot comfortably live without one. The big retail banks will open a basic account for an EU citizen with:

• passport or ID card;
• your work contract or Jobsplus engagement acknowledgement;
• proof of address in Malta, usually a rental contract or a utility bill;
• sometimes a reference from your home bank.

Expect it to take a few weeks rather than a few days. Ask your employer whether they pay into a foreign EU account in the meantime. Most do. What the bank wants and how long it takes has its own page.

Health care

Bring your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) from home for the first weeks. Once you pay social security contributions in Malta you are covered by the public health service. Register at the health centre nearest your home. Check the current rules and the health-centre list at health.gov.mt. Health centres, Mater Dei, insurance and pharmacies are covered in the health care guide.

What to bring

• Passport, plus your national ID card if you have one. Both get copied endlessly.
• Original certificates of your qualifications, and if your profession is regulated, proof of recognition.
• Your EHIC.
• Last three payslips and your tax certificate from your current country.
• A reference letter or two, in English.
• A European driving licence. It is valid here.
• A few months of living costs. Deposits and the first month’s rent are paid up front.
• Light clothes, one warm layer. The heat is real from June to September, and the houses are cold in January.

What to leave behind

• The assumption that it works like your country. It is smaller, slower and friendlier.
• The idea that a verbal promise is a contract. Get it in writing.

Check this at the source

• Identità, FAQ for EU nationals: three-month rule, portal, fees. https://identita.gov.mt/frequently-asked-questions/expatriates/expatriates-eu-nationals/
• Identità, eResidence application on employment basis: documents, approximately 30 working days. https://identita.gov.mt/expatriates-unit-main-page/eu-nationals/eresidence-document-application/employment/
• Expatriates portal. https://expatriates.identita.gov.mt/
• Jobsplus, engagement form: first day, no later than four working days. https://jobsplus.gov.mt/knowledge-base-employer/do-i-need-to-submit-an-engagement-form
• Department of Social Security: registration number. https://socialsecurity.gov.mt/
• Malta Tax and Customs Administration: tax number and rates. https://mtca.gov.mt/