Maltese, English and the courses: what you must pass, and what just helps

Malta has two official languages and three courses that now stand between a non-EU worker and a long stay. English gets you the job. Maltese gets you long-term residence. Here is which course is required when, and where people actually learn.

English

Required for every contract and most interviews, assumed in every office, and assessed in the pre-departure course. The Single Permit, step by step shows where that course falls in the application. A B2 level opens customer-service and office jobs; A2 keeps you in the kitchen. Free and cheap English classes exist through public lifelong-learning programmes and private schools; ask Jobsplus and your local council.

Maltese

Not needed for work. Everyone switches to English for you. But three things change the calculation:

1. Long-term residence after five years requires a Maltese certificate at MQF level 2 with at least 65%, plus the I Belong course. The five-year test, the course and the €500 are on their own page.
2. Neighbours, landlords, older colleagues and the village shop warm up fast to fifty words.
3. Maltese is Semitic in grammar with Italian and English vocabulary. Arabic speakers find the structure familiar; Italian speakers find the words.

Public lifelong-learning centres run evening Maltese courses in the main towns at low cost; private schools and online courses fill the gaps. Start in year three if you intend to stay. Children’s schooling and language are on the children and schools page.

The courses that are required

Course	Who	When	What
Pre-departure course and test	Every first-time applicant from abroad	Before the permit application, since 1 March 2026	Basic English, Maltese society, conduct, rights at work; around €250 on the official portal
Skills Pass, tourism and hospitality	Workers in MTA-licensed establishments	Before the application	Customer care, the Maltese tourism product, an online interview; €230
Renewal training programme	Lower-skilled workers seeking a permit longer than one year	At renewal, from 2026	Maltese culture and traditions, civic participation, legal and safety awareness, personal and professional development, English and Maltese; delivered by licensed Maltese institutions
I Belong integration course	Applicants for long-term residence	Before applying, certificate under a year old	100 hours, exam at 75%
Maltese language test	Applicants for long-term residence	Before applying	MQF level 2, at least 65%

Paying for them

The pre-departure course and the Skills Pass are paid on the official portal by you. The renewal training programme and the I Belong course have their own fees and providers; Identità and the licensed institutions publish them. How the renewal works, one year or two, is in the permit renewal guide. Nobody else may charge you for “enrolment”, “registration” or “exam booking” on your behalf.

Integration, the practical kind

• Join the parish, the mosque, the temple, the football club, the union. Malta runs on belonging.
• Festa season from June to September is every town’s party; go.
• Learn the bus drivers’ names on your line. It works.
• Keep your paperwork in order. Nothing integrates you like a renewal that goes through without a phone call.

Check this at the source

• Identità, long-term residence: I Belong 100 hours at 75%, Maltese MQF 2 at 65%. https://identita.gov.mt/frequently-asked-questions/expatriates/non-eu-non-employment/long-term/
• Government press release, 27 November 2025: pre-departure course content, renewal training programme. https://www.gov.mt/en/Government/DOI/Press%20Releases/Pages/2025/11/27/pr252122en.aspx
• Skills Pass FAQ. https://tourism.skillspass.org.mt/faqs