How can a third-country national obtain permission to start employment in Malta?

The Malta-registered employer normally submits a Single Permit application for the specific job, employer and activity. The worker may start only after the permit is issued or after an Interim Receipt and Temporary Authorisation to Work have been issued following the required documents, biometrics and Jobsplus registration.

What must an employment contract and Engagement Form contain for employment in Malta?

The employer files the Engagement Form on the first working day and no later than four working days after employment starts. When employment lasts more than one month and exceeds eight hours per week, the employee must receive a written contract or statement by the seventh calendar day covering matters such as start date, wage, hours, leave, notice, role and duration.

Which pay, working-time, tax and social-security records should an employee check during employment in Malta?

The employee should check the itemised payslip, minimum wage or applicable sectoral rate, overtime, leave, bonuses, deductions and working hours. The employee should also submit the FS4 within seven days, verify the SSN and contribution record, and retain payslips and FS3 forms.

What happens to a third-country national’s work authorisation when employment in Malta changes or ends?

Changing the employer or designation normally requires a new Single Permit application, and the worker must not perform work outside the approved scope. When the permit ends from 1 August 2025, the worker generally has thirty days to remain and seek another job, with a possible further thirty days after proving financial self-sufficiency.

Employment in Malta

Employment in Malta covers starting, carrying out, changing and ending paid work as an employee. Jobsplus is Malta’s public employment service and handles vacancies, jobseeker registration, employment records, licences, Engagement Forms, matching and training. A non-EU worker generally needs a Single Permit, a combined work-and-residence authorisation tied to a specified employer and role, before starting work. Contracts, pay, working time, tax, social security and employment transitions determine the employee’s position.

Tip

Treat employment in Malta as a sequence of clearance checks: confirm your status, employer and authorised role before accepting a start date or performing any work. Once you start, compare the agreed terms with your payslips, working time, tax deductions and social-security records. If the employer or job changes, resolve the authorisation and record the consequences before switching.

byElla&Matteo

Jobsplus provides job matching, training and employment registration through its online portal and six centres in Malta and Gozo. Registration is normally available electronically or in person and has no stated fee. EURES Malta supports European and cross-border job searches. The Department for Industrial and Employment Relations (DIER) provides information on employment conditions and handles complaints. Maltese nationals have direct access to employment. EU, EEA and Swiss nationals can generally stay for up to three months without registration. For a longer stay, they normally obtain an eResidence Document from Identità’s Expatriates Unit, show their employment in Malta and keep their Jobsplus registration active. UK nationals covered by the Withdrawal Agreement because they entered Malta before 1 January 2021 use their residence card and do not normally need an Employment Licence. UK nationals who entered from 1 January 2021 generally follow the rules for third-country nationals. A third-country national normally needs a job offer from an employer registered in Malta and with Jobsplus before applying for work authorisation. The employer submits the Single Permit application for the specific employer, designation and activity. The permit allows work only in Malta and only within its approved scope. Submitting an application alone does not authorise work. Work may begin only after the Single Permit is issued or after an Interim Receipt and Temporary Authorisation to Work have been issued following biometrics, complete documents and Jobsplus registration. An assignment lasting less than six months normally uses an Employment Licence through Jobsplus. Special routes may apply to key employees, specialist employees, EU Blue Card holders, intra-corporate transferees, seasonal workers, students and posted workers. For a first-time Single Permit, the employer generally has to show a genuine staffing need and advertise the vacancy on Jobsplus and EURES for at least three weeks during the preceding two months. Jobsplus may apply restrictions for particular sectors or roles. A first Single Permit costs €600 and a renewal costs €150 per year. The statutory processing limit is four months; complete applications often take about two months, while some routes have shorter target times, such as five working days for KEI and fifteen working days for SEI. The EU eResidence employment process takes approximately thirty working days, depending on status, employer and documents. The employer files an Engagement Form on the first working day and no later than four working days after employment starts. A contract of service can be verbal, but employment lasting more than one month with more than eight hours per week requires a written contract or written statement no later than the seventh calendar day. It should state the start date, probation, wage, overtime, working hours, pay interval, duration, leave, notice, role and any applicable collective agreement. For an indefinite contract, probation normally lasts six months unless the parties agree a shorter period. Technical, executive, administrative or managerial work with pay at least twice the national minimum wage can have a probation period of up to one year. For a fixed-term contract, probation is proportional; when the contract lasts less than six months, it is normally one third of the contract period and cannot exceed six months. The employer cannot impose a new probation period for the same duties or a contract extension. After more than one month of service during probation, the notice period is one week. For 2026, the national minimum wage for whole-time employment is €229.44 per week, equivalent to €5.74 per hour for employees aged 18 or over. A sectoral Wage Regulation Order may provide a higher minimum. Statutory bonuses and a weekly allowance may also apply. The employer must provide an itemised payslip before or on the payment due date. It should show hours, basic wage, overtime or special rates, leave, bonuses and deductions. An employee may request the remaining sick-leave balance in writing up to four times per year, and the employer must respond within five working days. Normal working time is around forty hours per week. Average working time, including overtime, may not normally exceed forty-eight hours over the applicable reference period, usually seventeen weeks. Work beyond that average requires the employee’s written consent, which can be withdrawn with at least seven days’ notice. Sectoral rules and statutory rest periods can change the detailed calculation. Employment insured for social security generally covers people over sixteen and under sixty-five. Class 1 contributions include an employee share deducted from wages and an employer share remitted by the employer. The Social Security Number (SSN) remains valid for life. Since July 2025, an employer’s Engagement Form normally triggers automatic SSN checking or allocation for a person entering employment for the first time with an EU A-card or as a third-country national. Other employees apply for an SSN themselves. The employer operates tax withholding through the Final Settlement System (FSS). The employee submits the FS4 tax form within seven days of starting employment or of a significant change; without an FS4, the highest withholding rate applies. The Department of Social Security provides contribution records through mySocialSecurity or an e-ID, and employees should retain payslips, FS3 forms and their contribution history. An employee should check the contract, payslips, wage, working time, leave, notice terms, tax deductions, social-security record and Jobsplus employment record. A third-country national must also stay within the employer, designation and activity authorised by the permit. Working for another employer or performing an undeclared role can breach the authorisation. Legal third-country employment receives the same employment conditions as Maltese and EU employment, although residence and work-authorisation rules remain additional requirements. Changing employer or designation normally requires a new Single Permit application. When employment ends, a third-country national whose Single Permit ends from 1 August 2025 generally receives thirty days to remain and look for another job. A further thirty days may be available when the person proves financial self-sufficiency. Jobsplus can support alternative employment, an employment adviser and training. Unemployment benefits and unemployment status belong to the separate unemployment topic. For an indefinite contract after probation, notice depends on continuous service: one week after more than one month up to six months, two weeks after more than six months up to two years, four weeks after more than two years up to four years, eight weeks after more than four years up to seven years, and an additional week for each further year up to twelve weeks. Fixed-term employment can last up to four years and follows the same employment conditions. If the fixed-term arrangement continues after expiry without a new contract within twelve days, it becomes indefinite. An employee who leaves without the required notice or abandons the job will usually owe half of the wage for the unworked notice period. Employment history, payslips, tax forms and social-security records should be kept after the job ends.