It's a Lot of Work to
Find Work in Malta
Today is April 14th, 2011. I’ve been in Malta for almost three years now. I am now employed as an EFL teacher at my second school. Getting the first permit to work in Malta was very hard. The second year, they rejected me because they were starting to really crack down on giving jobs to Non-EU’s. I was fortunate to just get in by applying to be the dependent of an EU-national. That’s Mr. S, who I live with.
This status—which involved fights and tears at the Department of Immigration--enabled me to finally get a work permit. Right now I can work here for a couple more years before I have to reapply under the dependent status. No one knows what the result of re-applying will be.
The best thing I can do for you now is to supply you with the latest (but still changing at this very moment) regulations of the ETC—which you will learn about below. Download the following, very thorough guideline from the ETC:
http://www.etc.gov.mt/docs/ELU%20Guidelines%20101110.pdf
Here is the table of contents of the 18-page PDF.
Employment Licences Unit
Guidelines for Clients
26.07.2010
Updated Version In force as from 26 July 2010 2
Guidelines for Clients
The following Frequently Asked Questions are intended to act as a guide to applicants and to foreign nationals wishing to work in Malta. They are subject to regular updates and thus, it is important that applications must comply with those guidelines applicable at the date of application (as indicated in the footer of this document).
These FAQs are divided into five main parts: 1.0 Scope, 2.0 Process, 3.0 Eligibility, 4.0 After a licence is issued, and 5.0 Other Considerations. Should you have a specific query that is not addressed by these FAQ’s, kindly send a letter to The Manager, Employment Licences Unit, Employment and Training Corporation, Head Office, Hal-Far, Malta, or on email at
employmentlicences.etc@gov.mt
1. SCOPE 4
1.1 Why are Employment Licences needed? 4
1.2 Who needs an employment licence? 4
1.3 Who does not need an employment licence? 5
1.4 Is an employment licence transferable? 5
1.5 What is the duration of an employment licence? 6
2. PROCESS 6
2.1 Applications for a licence for an EEA/Swiss national 6
2.2 Applications for a licence for a third country national 7
2.3 What does labour market consideration involve? 9
2.4 Are there any requirements in terms of health? 10
2.5 What are the timeframes involved in applying for an employment licence? 11
2.6 How may I apply for renewal of an employment licence and what other information
should I know? 11
2.7 What is the fee for an employment licence? 12
2.8 If my application is rejected, may I request reconsideration? 13
3. ELIGIBILITY 14
3.1 May I apply to be self-employed in Malta? 14
Updated Version In force as from 26 July 2010 3
3.2 May I work part-time? 14
3.3 I am a student in Malta. May I work? 15
3.4 I am a partner of an EEA/Swiss national in Malta. May I work? 15
3.5 I am a same-sex spouse of an EEA/Swiss national in Malta. May I work? 15
3.6 I am a Maltese citizen who has adopted a child from a country outside the
EEA/Switzerland. May my child work? 16
3.7 I am related to a long-term resident in Malta. May I work? 16
4. AFTER AN EMPLOYMENT LICENCE IS ISSUED 16
4.1 What happens when the licence is issued? 16
4.2 What do I do in case of a change of address? 17
4.3 How may a licence be cancelled or revoked? 17
4.4 What if I lose the employment licence? 17
4.5 What happens if a third country national is found working without a licence? 17
5. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS 18
5.1 May I apply for a third country national currently working with someone else? 18
5.2 What rights does a foreign national working in Malta have? 18
5.3 What happens if I submit false or, deliberately wrong or incorrect information? 18
5.4 May we show our appreciation for the issue of an employment licence? 18
5.4 May we show our appreciation for the issue of an
employment licence? This is my favorite comment:
The ETC aims to provide the best possible service. If you feel that you have been served well, we would be very pleased to hear this on employment-licences.etc@gov.mt. However, we do have a strictly observed policy that employees are not allowed to receive any form of gifts for their services and we thank you for your understanding.
The following comments date from the beginning of my stay in Malta:
Getting a job in Malta? This is a tough one. As a foreigner, especially if you're not from the EU-- you are prohibited from working in Malta and earning money from any Maltese individuals, businesses or employers.
This includes freelancing. As a writer, I am not allowed to write for a Maltese publication.
There are exceptions, of course. I can live in Malta and write for publications in the USA and earn money that way. In fact, I can write for any publications in the EU or any other country and earn money. Just not in Malta from any Maltese enterprises.
You can start a business in Malta. But that's a whole subject in itself.
See this nice building? This is the Employment and Training Corporation (ETC) in Malta. This place has held my future in Malta in its hands. And that’s true of everyone—especially Non-EU’s who want to work in Malta.
If you're a non-EU member and want to become self-employed in Malta, you must get a permit. It's almost the same process you would go through if you wanted to be hired by a company; the only difference is that the company fills out the form for you and submits it. It's the same form (and attachments) whether you're applying for self-employment or a regular work permit. And either process takes at least three months.
The fun thing is that no one tells you it's the same form. So after you panic when you don't find one for self-employment and call back the ETC office a couple of times, finally you find out that you use the same form for both types of permits--self-employment and work.
Having said all this, here's what you have to do:
It all starts with the ETC.
ONE YEAR LATER--October, 2009
I've been teaching for almost six months now. Teaching ends for me this month. Why? Because the ETC won't let me--a NON-EU--work part-time. It's full-time or nothing. The school has part-time work for me, but the ETC won't accept it.
And--I just found this out "by accident" when someone wrote to me for help. As a NON-EU, you can only work for four years in Malta. Then the ETC will reject your permit for renewal--unless you leave the country for six months. And so what does that do? That prevents you from applying for long-term residence or citizenship in Malta because if you want to apply for these, you can't be gone from the country for six months. Can it be any more obvious that they just don't want NON-EU's here??
I'm not leaving--I'll tell you that much. In the next three years, I have to figure out how I'm going to stay in Malta--and work.
About 15 Months LATER—March, 2010
I finally have my residence permit by virtue of being a Family Member of an EU National. And this entitles me to get a work permit—supposedly—as any other EU citizen while I’m a resident.
So now I can stay and work—thank G-d. It was hell getting this far, but Mr. S. and I did it.
Here are the latest work-permit regulations—as of this writing--if you’re able to take advantage of the Non-EU Family Member status:
(d) All other third country nationals:
Payable on application: € 150
Payable on issue: € 80”.
New Application Procedure for Employment Licenses of EEA & Swiss Nationals
From Monday 2nd February 2009, changes will come into effect in respect of applications for new employment licences, and for extensions to current licences, for the following categories:
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EU, EEA and Swiss citizens
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Spouses of EU, EEA and Swiss citizens
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Dependents of, and accompanying, EU, EEA and Swiss citizens
From the 2nd February 2009, these applications may be submitted either at the Employment Licences Unit at ETC in Ħal Far or at any Job Centre of the Corporation in Valletta, Mosta, Birgu or Victoria, Gozo. The application form is to be accompanied by a valid travel document and the application fee. Applications may also be sent by post, addressed to:
Employment Licences Unit
Employment and Training Corporation
Ħal Far BBG 3000
If the original travel document is not presented at the time of application, then a photocopy of the relevant travel document, certified correct by a professional, senior civil servant or member of the clergy, will be required.
On submitting the application, the applicant will immediately be provided with a Provisional Employment Licence, which entitles the employee to start work immediately. A definitive employment licence will be sent to the employer by post as soon as the necessary verifications are completed.
The revised fees for employment licences for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and their spouses and dependants are as follows:
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€58 for the issue of a new employment licence
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€34 for the extension of an employment licence
Renewing Your Work Permit
Here we go again. Back to the ETC, etc., etc. Here is an article I wrote for another website that tells you what to do to renew your work permit—if you were lucky enough to get one in the first place:
Renewing Your Work Permit in Malta
Published February 19, 2010
It's Not Better the Second Time Around
You would think that renewing your work permit at the Employment and Training Corporation (ETC) in Malta would be easier than applying for it the first time. But it's not. Here's what you need to know before you're sent home from the ETC office—as I was—to do the whole thing over
.
Question:
Hello,
My name is Ana, I am from Romania. I just found out that I got my Erasmus grant for practice in Malta three months during summer time.
For students, is there any chance of getting a part time job? So the grant doesn’t cover all expenses and if I could earn some money for next year’s study it would be great. Only that from what I hear it’s hard.
Answer:
Hi Ana,
Romania is a member of the EU since 1/1/2007 with a transitional period of 7 years, so the following rules should apply in your case:
Work permits will be granted for positions that require qualified and/or experienced workers and for those occupations for which there is a shortage of workers in the Maltese labor market.
What is the procedure for a job seeker to obtain a work permit?
A job seeker coming from this country needs to find an employer willing to offer a job to the prospective applicant. The employer needs to submit all the following documents.
1. Application form (http://etc.gov.mt/docs/EUIssBlue.pdf)
2. 1 passport photo
3. Copy of passport (details)
4. CV (http://etc.gov.mt/docs/CV_Template.doc)
5. Job description (http://etc.gov.mt/docs/position_description_employmentlicences.doc)
6. Covering Letter from employer
7. Certificates & references from past employment
A fee of Lm 25—approximately 50 Euros--has to be paid when work permit is issued.
It is not advisable to start working before getting the permit, and it might take some time to process the application.
Posted by: Mr.S. | February 05, 2010 at 03:26 AM
More Info on Getting Jobs in the European Union
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Documents & Resources
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Simple Steps To Finding a Job in countries of the European Union
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Contact the employment office or Eures Adviser closest to you
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Seek a job
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Apply for the job
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If invited, attend for a job interview
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Make an employment agreement/ contract if you are chosen
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Agree with the employer when you will start to work
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Visit the Tax Office
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Visit the Social Insurance office to obtain your social insurance number
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Open a bank account
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Inform your employer about your bank account and your social security number
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Get paid directly to your bank account
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If you are liable to pay income tax the employer will deduct the tax from your salary
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When necessary ask for help from the Eures Advisers
The following PDF file contains Immigration Regulations available in both Maltese and English:
Click here to download the file.
The following file in Excel format contains the complete list of Regulatory Bodies:
Click here to download the file.
Co-ordination between Member States is carried out primarily through the use of E-Forms. These forms, each with a specific purpose, are used to exchange information between Member States. These forms concern sickness and maternity entitlements, accidents at work, occupational diseases, invalidity benefits, old-age pensions, survivors' benefits, death grants, unemployment benefits and family benefits.
The above-mentioned benefits are divided in two - benefits in cash and in kind.
The competent institution responsible for benefits in cash in Malta is the
Department for Social Security, while the institution responsible for benefits in kind is the Department of Health.
Before a person leaves Malta to live and/or work in another EU member state he/she should contact both departments.
Social Security E-Forms
The following e-forms are intended for those jobseekers who want to leave their home country and go to another Member State to seek employment. Upon filling the said forms the jobseeker will be able to export his/her unemployment benefits to the foreign Member State. In order to qualify for the exportation of benefits the jobseeker must have been registering for work in his/her homeland for a minimum of four weeks.
All forms mentioned here can be collected from the Department for Social Security, International Relations Unit, Valletta or from any Area Office.
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E 303/0 - Its purpose is to notify the department that the individual intends to go abroad to seek employment and wants to export his unemployment benefits to the said country (E.g. If a Maltese person is going abroad to look for work s/he fills in the 303/0 and hands it to the social services in Malta, namely the Short Term Benefits section) The form is kept by the department.
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E 303/1 - This form serves the same aim as the 303/0 and is sent to the country where the jobseeker will be moving.
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E 303/2 - When the jobseeker arrives in the foreign member state s/he should go immediately to register as unemployed at the PES. This form should be taken (first page already filled by home country) and the foreign authority will need to fill in the last page, as confirmation that the jobseeker actually registered. The form is then sent back to the home country (Social Services) of the individual for filing purposes.
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E 303/3 - Foreign authority will send this copy to foreign health department to inform them that this person is entitled to same benefits as a citizen of that Member State.
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E 303/4 - When the person is going to return to the home country, the foreign authority sends this form to the home country with Part 7 completed (from their end). This includes a request for re-imbursement.
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E 303/5 - This form is given to the person empty (Before s/he leave the home country) and should be brought back by the jobseeker with reverse side completed by the foreign authority.
Old age (retirement) and Widows' benefits
Liability for the payment of old age and widows' benefits is generally apportioned between Member States on a pro-rata basis. Each state pays a rate of benefit which reflects the length of the claimant's insurance in their scheme. This applies anywhere in the EU, EFTA, and Switzerland. In this context a person who has lived and worked for more than 1 year in two or more of the above-mentioned states will be paid a pension proportional to the periods spent in these states. So, if for instance a person worked 20 years in Malta, 15 years in Italy and 5 years in the United Kingdom (total 40 years). This person should get a pension of not less than 20/40 years of the theoretical amount from Malta, 15/40 from Italy and 5/40 from the U.K. All these states will work out the full theoretical rate of pension as if the person worked the whole 40 years there.
Invalidity Benefits
The regulations contain two methods of apportioning responsibility between Member States for the payment of invalidity benefits; in Malta's case, responsibility is apportioned on a pro-rata basis - this occurs where the rate of benefit is determined by the length of the periods of insurance. Each state pays a rate of benefit which reflects the length of the claimant's insurance under their scheme. Benefits will be payable anywhere in the EU, EFTA, and Switzerland. A pro-rata Invalidity Pension is paid according to the same general Proportionality rule applied for the Old-Age and Survivor’s Pensions.
Sickness Benefits
The Regulation contains special rules on Sickness and Maternity Benefits for workers, unemployed persons, pensioners and members of their families residing or staying abroad. These rules distinguish between Sickness Benefits in cash and Sickness Benefits in kind (emergency medical care). The granting of such benefits may require the aggregation of insurance periods completed in other Member States. This is a guarantee that one will not lose the sickness insurance coverage when changing employment and moving to another State in the EU.
As a general rule, Sickness Benefits in cash are always paid according to the legislation where a person is insured, regardless in which country one is residing or staying, while Sickness Benefit in kind (emergency medical care) are provided according to the legislation of the country where one is residing or temporarily staying as if the person was insured in that country. For more information on the provision of Sickness Benefits in kind, please contact the Entitlement Unit within the Health Division on Tel: 21224071
Industrial injuries benefits
Benefits for work-related injuries or diseases are the responsibility of the state in which the claimant is employed at the time of the accident or disease. More complex rules cover the determination of liability of benefits for occupational diseases.
Unemployment benefits
The state of last employment is generally responsible for providing unemployment benefits, unless, exceptionally, the claimant resided in one state whilst working in another. In these cases the state of residence is liable. The Member State responsible for payment of benefit aggregates insurance periods completed in other Member States provided that, the person was employed between the date of arrival in that State and the date of first registration for work. Payment of benefit can continue for up to three months when a person goes to another state to seek work.
Child benefits
Child benefits for workers' families are generally provided by the state of employment, even if the family live in another Member State. If entitlement would otherwise arise in more than one Member State, the regulations contain priority rules to determine who has primary responsibility for paying. If the effect of these priority rules puts a lower rate of benefit into payment, the state with the higher rate must pay a supplement to make up the difference.
How to lodge a claim for these benefits?
Claims for all the above listed benefits, are to be lodged through the Department’s 24 District Offices situated in Malta and Gozo. A list of these offices can be found by clicking here.
Or else if you are applying for a pension (either under the EU Social Security regulations by means of the relevant E-forms, or under the Malta-Australia / Malta-Canada bilateral agreements) or your employer is temporarily posting you in another EU Member State, you may wish to download the relevant application forms by clicking the following links:
Queries or requests for more detailed information on these issues may be addressed to the International Relations Unit, Department of Social Security, 38, Ordnance Street, Valletta CMR 02. The Unit can also be contacted on tel: 2590 3267, fax: 2590 3282, or on email: iru.dss@gov.mt
More information can be obtained by clicking here.
E-Form concerning Health
Inside the European Economic Area (EEA), free or reduced-cost emergency treatment in public hospitals or other health facilities, is available to Maltese patients on production of an E111 form
The European Economic Area (EEA) consists of the 25 member states of the European Community plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. If you or any of your dependants are suddenly taken ill or have an accident during a visit to any of these countries, free or reduced-cost emergency treatment is available in public hospitals or other health facilities – in most cases on production of a valid Form E111. Only state-provided emergency treatment is covered, and you will receive treatment on the same terms as nationals of the country you are visiting. Private treatment is generally not covered, and state-provided treatment may not cover all of the things that you would expect to receive free of charge in Malta.
Who is eligible for form E111?
You are eligible to obtain Form E111 if you are ordinarily resident in Malta and you are:
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a national of Malta
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a national of any other EEA country and paying NI contributions or receiving a state pension from Malta
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a stateless person or refugee
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a widow or widower, receiving a Malta state pensions or widow's benefit, whose late spouse was a national of an EEA country and living in Malta at the time of his or her death.
How can one apply for the E111?
By phoning the Entitlement Unit on 22992345 or 22992346 providing the necessary details:
names; surname; ID number, date of birth and address, or
By sending an e-mail with the above mentioned details to entitlement.mhec@gov.mt, or
By writing/faxing a letter with the same details to the Entitlement Unit on fax no. 21230863 or
By visiting the entitlement Unit at: 24, St John Street, Valletta in the following opening hours:
Monday 9:00am to 12:30pm
Wednesday 9:00am to 12:30pm
Friday 9:00am to 12:30pm
More information may be obtained from the following link: http://www.sahha.gov.mt/pages.aspx?page=181
Documents for Download
- Living and working in Malta report
- Your First Job In Europe
- Presentation on the services of Eures Malta (Eures Annual Seminar - January 2009) Download here
- Presentation on the European Job Mobility Portal (Eures Annual Seminar - January 2009) Download here
- Presentation on the International Relations Unit - An Overview (Eures Annual Seminar - January 2009) Download here
- Presentation on MEUSAC (Eures Annual Seminar - January 2009) Download here
- Presentation on EU, EEA and Swiiss Ciittiizens Employment Licence (Eures Annual Seminar - January 2009) Download here
Videos for Download
Eures Malta Annual Reports
- Eures Annual Report 2008-2009
- Eures Annual Report 2007-2008
- Eures Annual Report 2007
- Eures Annual Report 2005-2006
- Eures Annual Report 2004-2005
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