From job offer to residence card: the whole journey on one page

Ten steps, four to six months, and almost all of the money comes from the employer. Print this page and tick the steps off. If anyone tries to add a step that costs you money, it is not on this list because it is not real. If you are still deciding, the pros and cons before you apply come first.

The journey

Step	Who does it	How long	What it costs you
1. Job offer and signed contract	You and the employer	Varies	€0
2. Employer advertises the job in Malta	Employer	3 weeks (2 for fast tracks)	€0
3. Pre-departure course and test	You, online	Days to weeks	Around €250, on the official portal
4. Skills Pass, hospitality only	You, online	Days to weeks	€230, on the official portal
5. Qualification recognition, if needed	You, via MQRIC	Weeks	A fee, check mfhea.mt
6. Permit application and fee	Employer submits, you endorse	Same day	€0 (employer pays €600)
7. Jobsplus suitability check and Identità decision	Jobsplus, Identità	Up to 4 months	€0
8. Approval in principle, then the long-stay visa	You, at a visa centre or by courier	6 to 8 weeks	Visa and centre fees, see below
9. Travel, health screening, biometrics	You, in Malta	2 to 4 weeks	Health tests at a private clinic
10. Interim receipt, then the residence card	Identità	Weeks	€0

Step by step

1. The offer. A real contract shows the employer’s registered name, the gross salary, hours, probation and notice. Check the company exists before you sign; the verify-an-employer guide shows how.

2. The advert. The employer must advertise the vacancy in Malta for at least three weeks within the two months before applying. Two weeks for the Key Employee and Specialist Employee routes. Without it the application is ineligible. Ask to see it.

3. The pre-departure course. Mandatory for every first-time applicant from abroad since 1 March 2026. Basic English, Maltese society, conduct, your rights at work, then a test. Pay only on the official Skills Pass portal. The government press release says €250; the portal FAQ says €245.

4. The Skills Pass. Only for tourism and hospitality establishments licensed by the Malta Tourism Authority. Customer care, the Maltese tourism product, and an online interview. €230 including the €5 booking fee.

5. Qualifications. For fast-track permits and regulated professions, your certificates must be recognised by the Malta Qualifications Recognition and Information Centre. Nurses also need the Council for Nurses and Midwives. Electricians need a Maltese licence. Start early; it runs in parallel with everything else.

6. The application. The employer submits online, you endorse it, the employer pays. First permit €600 since 1 August 2025, €150 in health and care roles. The 2027 Budget announced €800 plus a €400 yearly contribution; check the current fee on Identità’s site. The Single Permit, step by step covers the application in full.

7. The decision. Jobsplus runs a suitability check: your course certificate, qualification recognition where applicable, the employer’s declaration. Identità decides within up to four months. Fast tracks: five working days (Key Employee) or fifteen (Specialist Employee).

8. The visa. With the approval in principle you apply for a long-stay (D) visa. Where Malta has a visa application centre, you book there and the file goes to the Central Visa Unit; count six to eight weeks. Where Malta has no mission, Identità’s premium process runs by email and courier for €300 all-in. Passport valid eight months or more, one photo, travel insurance, first month’s accommodation, flight booking. Application-centre fees do not exceed €150. A refused visa can be appealed within 15 days.

9. Arrival. Health screening is done in Malta through private clinics, applied for online by your employer since 4 May 2026, with up to 15 working days for the clearance email. Vaccinations are checked and sometimes given in Malta. Then biometrics at Identità with every original document. The health screening guide covers what is tested and what fails you.

10. The card. You may start work the day you hold the interim receipt. The card follows. Keep both on you.

The rules of the road

• You never fill in the permit application. You endorse the employer’s.
• You pay the two courses, your own qualification recognition, your visa, your health tests and your flight. Nothing else. No “processing”, no “deposit”, no “agent”.
• Do not travel before the visa. Applications from people already in Malta on a tourist visa are refused.
• Everything you upload must be shown in original at biometrics. Keep a folder. The permit checklist lists every document.
• The job can start only after the interim receipt. An employer who says “start now, the permit is coming” is breaking the law with your name on it.

Check this at the source

• Identità, working and residing in Malta. https://identita.gov.mt/working-residing-in-malta/
• Identità fact sheet, July 2025: advertising rule, fees, fast tracks. https://identita.gov.mt/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Fact-Sheet.pdf
• Identità, long-stay visa policy: premium process €300, 6 to 8 weeks, documents, 15-day appeal. https://identita.gov.mt/central-visa-unit-national-visa-long-stay-visa/
• Identità, pre-departure course verified from 1 March 2026. https://identita.gov.mt/?p=6352
• Health screening for first-time applicants, updated May 2026. https://hpdp.gov.mt/idcu/work_permits_for_first_time_applicants
• Jobsplus, employing third-country nationals. https://jobsplus.gov.mt/employers-mt-MT-en-GB/employing-persons/third-country-nationals
• Skills Pass FAQ: fees. https://tourism.skillspass.org.mt/faqs