Policy tracker: every rule change for non-EU workers since 2025, dated

The rules for non-EU workers in Malta have changed roughly every quarter since the Labour Migration Policy was published in January 2025. This table is the list, newest first, with what each change means for you. Checked on 5 November 2026. A rule not on the official page it links to is a rumour.

The table

Date	Change	What it means for you	Source
26 Oct 2026 (announced)	Budget 2027: first permit €600 to €800; new €400 yearly infrastructure contribution on new permits and renewals, minors exempt per press reports; free bus and free childcare limited to citizens, EU residents and long-term residents from 2027; €83 monthly charge for driving on a non-EU licence beyond 12 months; atypical-hours benefit limited to long-term residents	Budget for €1,200 of employer fees in year one and €550 a year after; buy a Tallinja card ticket from January; plan long-term residence	KPMG, MaltaToday
4 May 2026	Health screening moves to an online system; paper applications by email no longer accepted; up to 15 working days	Employer applies online; tests still done in Malta	Health authority
1 Mar 2026	Pre-departure course certificate verified on every new and still-abroad application	No certificate, no application	Identità
Jan 2026	Longer permits: two years for higher-skilled roles with a matching contract; lower-skilled workers need an integration training programme for a longer permit	Ask which group your job is in before renewal	Government press release
5 Jan 2026	Pre-departure course launched on the Skills Pass portal, around €250	Do it before anything else	Identità, Skills Pass
27 Nov 2025	Suitability check by Jobsplus on every application: course certificate, regulator approval, qualification recognition, employer declaration; employers may be disqualified for breaching workers’ rights; employers may not take money from workers for recruitment or termination	More paperwork, more protection	Government press release
Oct 2025	Labour-market test: vacancies advertised on Jobsplus are posted to EURES; stricter monitoring of employer termination rates	Employers that churn workers get blocked	Jobsplus, press release
1 Oct 2025	Wages to third-country nationals hired from this date must be paid by bank transfer to an account in the worker’s name	Cash wages are illegal; open a bank account	DIER
1 Aug 2025	Vacancy must be advertised 3 weeks within 2 months before applying (2 weeks for fast tracks); fees: first permit €600, renewal €150 a year, change of employer €600, €150 for health and care roles; KEI salary €45,000, SEI €30,000; 30-day grace period after termination, extendable by 30	The employer’s costs doubled; you get a month to find a new job	Identità fact sheet
5 May 2026 (licences)	Employment agency licences issued from this date are valid three years	Check an agency’s licence date	DIER
1 Apr 2024	Employment Agencies Regulations 2023 in force: licences from DIER, charging applicants is an offence	The legal basis of “never pay an agent”	DIER

How to read it

• “Announced” means the Budget speech said it and legal notices follow. The figure can still move. Check Identità’s fee page on the day you apply.
• Every change since August 2025 has made the employer’s side stricter and more expensive, and the worker’s side slightly safer. Employers who complain about the cost are not wrong. Employers who pass it to you are breaking the law.
• A change you hear about from an agent, a Facebook group or a cousin is not on this table until it is on an official page.

What is still the same

• The employer applies and pays. You endorse.
• Up to four months for a decision.
• Probation six months, notice by length of service, minimum wage €229.44 a week in 2026.
• An agency may not charge you.

Check this at the source

• Identità fact sheet, July 2025. https://identita.gov.mt/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Fact-Sheet.pdf
• DIER, bank payment of wages. https://dier.gov.mt/en/faqs/salary-payments-into-bank-accounts-for-third-country-nationals/
• Government press release, 27 November 2025. https://www.gov.mt/en/Government/DOI/Press%20Releases/Pages/2025/11/27/pr252122en.aspx
• Identità, pre-departure course verified from 1 March 2026. https://identita.gov.mt/?p=6352
• Health screening, first-time applicants. https://hpdp.gov.mt/idcu/work_permits_for_first_time_applicants
• DIER, employment agencies FAQ. https://dier.gov.mt/en/faqs/employment-agencies-regulations-and-the-temporary-working-regulations/3/
• KPMG, Budget 2027. https://kpmg.com/mt/en/insights/2026/10/malta-budget-2027.html
• MaltaToday, Budget 2027 and third-country nationals. https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/budget-2027/145287/budget_2027__more_fees_less_benefits_for_thirdcountry_nationals