Malta

Malta is a small island country of 588,254 people with an employment rate well above the EU average: 83.6% of people aged 20–64 have a job (EU: 76.1%).

Unemployment is very low and still falling – from 3.5% in 2022 to 3.1% in 2025, about half the EU average of 6.0%. Youth unemployment is also much lower than in the EU as a whole: 9.6% among people aged 15–24, compared with 15.2%, although it has edged up from 9.0% in 2022. According to EURES, low unemployment has led to labour shortages across all sectors.

As an EU/EEA citizen you do not need a permit to live and work in Malta. English is one of the two official languages, and job applications are made with a CV in English – so you can start without learning Maltese.

According to EURES (February 2025), the occupational groups with the biggest shortages in Malta are:

• business and administration associate professionals,
• legal, social and cultural professionals,
• personal service workers.

The sectors with the highest job vacancy rates are mining and quarrying (6.4%), information and communication (4.5%), accommodation and food services (3.9%) and professional, scientific and technical activities (3.5%).

Because there are so few jobseekers, employers increasingly rely on workers from abroad. For graduates, this points to IT, business and professional services; hotels and restaurants also offer casual and summer work, which you can filter for on the Jobsplus vacancy portal.

The public employment service Jobsplus helps jobseekers with a personal employment adviser, training courses and job matching. Start here:

• Jobsplus – Find a Job – vacancies in Malta and Gozo, filtered by industry, region and job type (casual, full time, part time, reduced hours, summer work); create an account to register as a jobseeker,
• EURES – the EU job portal, plus EURES advisers in your home country and in Malta who help with moving for work,
• recruitment.gov.mt – the official portal for public service vacancies.

Jobs are also advertised in local newspapers and trade magazines and through private employment agencies. You normally apply by sending your CV with a short covering letter or email.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

A Maltese application usually contains:

• a CV in English – typed, at most two pages; EURES recommends the standard European format (Europass CV). Include personal details, education, languages, skills, career history and hobbies,
• a covering letter or email – concise, no longer than a few paragraphs.

English is the normal language for applications, but Maltese is also accepted.

The interview: after reading your CV, the employer may invite you to an interview – sometimes to more than one. Some employers ask for a medical examination before you start.

Diplomas: the Malta Qualifications Recognition Information Centre (MQRIC) at the MFHEA compares foreign qualifications with the Malta Qualifications Framework and the European Qualifications Framework. You apply online; the fee is €15 if your programme is already listed and €65 for a new foreign programme (fees shown in October 2026).

• Minimum wage (2026): €229.44 a week for workers aged 18 and over, €222.66 at 17 and €219.82 at 16. Most wages are paid above this rate.
• Extras: every employee is entitled to the statutory bonus and weekly allowance, and all employees receive an annual pay increase linked to the cost of living.
• Working time: normally 40 hours a week; on average no more than 48 hours including overtime, unless you agree in writing. Overtime above 40 hours a week is paid at 1.5 times your normal rate.
• Rest: at least 11 hours in a row every day, 24 hours every week and a 15-minute break if you work more than 6 hours.
• Holidays: in 2026 a full-time employee (40 hours a week) gets 216 hours of paid leave, plus 14 public holidays.
• Contract: your employer must give you the written terms no later than 7 days after you start, in English and/or Maltese. Wages are paid at least once a month. Probation is usually 6 months (up to 1 year for technical, executive or managerial posts paying more than twice the minimum wage).

Students from the EU/EEA can work in Malta without a permit, just like Maltese students.

• Minimum wage applies to you too – lower weekly rates at 16 and 17, the adult rate (€229.44 a week in 2026) from 18.
• Summer and casual jobs – you can filter for them on the Jobsplus vacancy portal.
• Work Exposure Scheme (Jobsplus) – practical training for jobseekers, up to 12 weeks, with an hourly allowance based on the national minimum wage and a written agreement.
• Apprenticeships through MCAST or ITS last 1–3 years and combine training with work under employment law (hours, leave, bonuses, social security).

Students from outside the EU may work up to 20 hours a week after their first three months of study; full-time students on a higher education course recognised by MQRIC may start in their first year. You apply for a work permit once your residence permit has been issued, and Jobsplus may restrict some sectors.

Thinking of studying there first? See Studying in Malta – practical information.

1. eResidence document: if you stay longer than 3 months, register your residence with Identità (Expatriates Unit) – apply within 3 months of arrival and book an appointment online. It is free of charge for EU/EEA citizens (replacement: €16.50 if damaged, €22 if lost).
2. Engagement form: make sure your employer sends the job-starting form to Jobsplus – this registers your employment, as the law requires.
3. Social security number: register with the Department of Social Security once you have your contract.
4. Health care: bring your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Once you live and work in Malta, the Maltese social security system is responsible for your health cover.
5. Tax: in 2026, at the single rates, the first €12,000 of yearly income is tax-free; then 15% up to €16,000, 25% up to €60,000 and 35% above.
6. Bank account: open one in your name – for workers from outside the EU, wages must be paid only by bank transfer since 1 October 2025.

Problems with your rights as an EU worker? Your Europe Advice and SOLVIT help for free.

If you are not an EU/EEA citizen, you need a residence permit that allows you to work. The main routes:

• Single Permit – the standard combined residence and work permit for a specific job: first application €600, renewal €150 a year; usually valid for 1 year, processing can take up to 4 months.
• Key Employee Initiative – a fast track for managerial and highly technical jobs paying at least €45,000 gross a year.
• Specialist Employee Initiative – for skilled professionals earning at least €30,000 gross a year with an MQF level 6 qualification (or a lower qualification plus at least 3 years’ relevant experience).
• EU Blue Card – for graduates (or people with equivalent experience) with a salary of at least 1.5 times Malta’s average gross annual salary (rule since August 2025); the job must first be advertised for at least two weeks.

Fees and thresholds as published in October 2026. All permits are explained by Identità – working and residing in Malta.

• Eurostat – population on 1 January, unemployment by age, employment rate (data for 2025 and 2026),
• EURES – Living and working conditions: Malta, labour market information: Malta,
• Jobsplus – public employment service, job search,
• Public Service – recruitment portal,
• DIER – employment handbook (overtime, working time, probation),
• Identità – registration for EU nationals, fees for EU nationals, employment of non-EU students, working and residing in Malta, Key Employee Initiative, FAQs for highly qualified workers (EU Blue Card),
• Malta Tax and Customs Administration – tax rates for individuals 2026,
• MFHEA – recognition of academic qualifications (MQRIC),
• Your Europe – health insurance cover when living abroad, working abroad.

Updated: October 2026.