Employer-led permit combining residence and authorisation for a specific Maltese job; new/still-abroad applicants must check the pre-departure course.
Route overview
Single Permit for third-country nationals
Typical timeline / duration: Temporary authorisation for specified employment lasting over six months; validity and renewal depend on the category and grant, not one universal annual term.
Important notes
Maltese employer and signed contract for the specific post; Single Permit combines employment and residence authorisation, not unrestricted access to other employers.
Employer submits through the portal; live-in carers have an employer-endorsed direct-filing exception. Applicant validates the submitted data.
From 1 March 2026, the Pre-Departure Course certificate is checked for new and still-abroad third-country applicants. Tourism/hospitality also requires the completed sector Skills Pass certificate.
Course exemptions cover current/previous Single Permit holders except first-time reapplications after leaving Schengen or still-abroad filings, and third-country nationals resident in Malta for eight years or more.
Standard first-time fee €600; renewal €150/year. Health/elderly/disability-care fee treatment and any lower special fee require the applicable category checklist.
KEI minimum gross annual salary €45,000; SEI €30,000 under the August 2025 measures. These are category-specific, not a universal Single Permit salary.
The course launched on 5 January 2026 and certificate verification began on 1 March 2026. This predates the audit baseline of 3 August 2026; it is a correction of missing guidance, not a newly discovered October reform.
Authorisation is limited to the employer/activity on the permit. A change of employer or designation needs the appropriate procedure.
Approval in principle and entry permission are not a blanket right to begin work; confirm the work-authorisation document and commencement conditions with Identità. Employer labour-market requirements remain separate from the applicant's course.
Preparation checklist
Obtain the employer's signed offer/contract and confirm the permit category.
Ask which current employer labour-market checks and recruitment documents apply.
Check course exemption eligibility; otherwise obtain the Pre-Departure Course certificate before filing.
For tourism/hospitality, obtain the separate completed Skills Pass as well.
Validate portal data, identity and qualifications, and budget the applicable category fee.
Follow approval, entry and biometrics instructions and confirm when work is legally authorised.