In January 2024, Malta launched the Specialist Employee Initiative (SEI), a new work permit for highly skilled foreigners from non-EU countries. The advantage of the system is the quick review of the application, usually the permit is issued within 15 days.

The requirements for participants and other features of the accelerated procedure for moving to Malta for foreign specialists are below.

Requirements for participants in the Specialist Employee Initiative (SEI) in Malta

In order to obtain a work permit in Malta under the accelerated procedure, the candidate must:

1. Have a signed employment contract with a company registered in Malta.

2. According to the contract, the level of the applicant's annual salary must exceed 25,000 euros.

3. The position must be of a professional or technical nature.

4. The candidate must confirm his educational qualifications or professional experience:

- bachelor's degree or higher;

- a relevant educational qualification (even if such qualification is lower than a bachelor's degree) and at least three years of relevant professional experience.

Importantly! For a foreign national to be eligible for the SEI programme, the employer must prove that it is unable to find an employee for the position among Maltese or EU member states.

Features and benefits of the Specialist Employee Initiative (SEI) in Malta

- Application processing period: the standard state processing time for relevant applications is 15 working days from the date of submission.

- Validity: Residence permits issued under the SEI will be valid for one year and may be extended for another three years.

- Application fee: administrative costs for processing the application amount to 300 euros.

The SEI will be an alternative to the current Key Employee Initiative, which has a faster application processing time (five business days) but stricter requirements:

- minimum basic salary of 35,000 euros;

- the position offered in Malta is managerial or highly technical;

- the applicant's qualifications must be duly certified and recognized (MQRIC).

Why is Malta actively attracting foreign workers?

Third-country nationals make up an increasing proportion of the workforce in Malta. Figures from Jobsplus show how the annual flow of foreign workers has grown from 15,000 people in 2012 to 97,000 people in 2022. At the same time, almost two-thirds of enterprises in Malta experience a lack of highly qualified workers in the local labor market.

The simplification of visa requirements and permitting procedures for highly skilled foreign talent comes amid previous efforts by Malta to increase the country's attractiveness to employers and businesses.