How to find a job in Malta: a practical guide for EU citizens

Do EU citizens need a work permit?

Legal and administrative requirement: EU nationals do not need a permit to reside and work in Malta. You may also work without already holding a Maltese residence card. However, your employment must be registered with Jobsplus.

When does residence registration become necessary?

If you intend to reside and/or work in Malta for more than three months, you are required to register your residence with Identità. The registration is made through the Expatriates Portal, and the resulting residence document is issued according to the basis of your residence in Malta.

If your stay is for a maximum of three months, Identità states that registration is not required. An application can only be submitted once you are residing in Malta; it cannot be completed through a Maltese mission abroad before moving.

Practical takeaway: do not confuse the ability to start work with the separate requirement to register residence when your intended stay exceeds three months. Keep your employment and residence paperwork consistent, especially if you later change address or the basis on which you reside in Malta.

What EURES can do

Practical job-search support: if you have not yet arrived in Malta, EURES Malta can provide personalised guidance on where and how to look for employment. EURES services in Malta are provided within Jobsplus.

What Jobsplus can do

Jobsplus is Malta’s public employment service. Once in Malta, jobseekers can register through the Jobsplus website or through a Jobcentre. EURES advises making an appointment before visiting a Jobcentre. People registered with Jobsplus as unemployed can receive personalised assistance from an Employment Adviser.

The Jobsplus online jobseeker profile also supports vacancy matching. Completing the profile, including employment history, qualifications, desired occupations, competencies and languages, can improve matching with vacancies. Jobseekers can control whether information is visible to prospective employers; Jobsplus recommends making contact details visible if you want employers to contact you.

Where to search for vacancies

• Search vacancies on the Jobsplus website.
• Use the EURES vacancy database, which can be searched by industry, job type and region.
• Check trade magazines and local newspapers, as identified by EURES.
• Consider private employment agencies.
• Apply directly to employers where they advertise a role or invite applications.

What depends on the employer: an employer may use its own application form, invite candidates to one or more interviews, or use a further skills assessment. In some roles, a medical examination may be required before employment.

Apply in English unless the vacancy says otherwise

Practical recommendation based on EURES guidance: job applications should be typed and include a CV written in English together with a covering letter or email. Use English unless the vacancy specifically asks for another language or format.

Build a concise CV

EURES says that a CV is normally no longer than two pages and recommends the standard European CV format. Keep it simple, concise and precise. A useful CV should cover personal details, education, language knowledge, other skills and competency areas, career information and relevant interests.

• Tailor your professional summary and skills to the vacancy.
• List language abilities clearly, including English and any other languages relevant to the role.
• Describe responsibilities and competencies, not only job titles.
• Make dates, qualifications and contact details easy to scan.
• Keep the information in your Jobsplus profile aligned with your CV where possible.

Write a focused cover letter or email

A cover letter is usually concise and no longer than a few paragraphs. Use it to explain your interest in the vacancy, relevant education and experience, career direction and availability. Its purpose is to show why your background fits the particular role, rather than repeat your CV word for word.

Private employment agencies operate in Malta, alongside Jobsplus and EURES services. EURES notes that specialised agencies are increasingly used for temporary staff, both in lower-skilled fields and professional work. Agencies may work on behalf of an employer, while a direct application is made to the employer itself.

Practical approach: use more than one route. Create a clear Jobsplus profile, search EURES and Jobsplus vacancies, monitor direct employer openings and speak to appropriate agencies. Keep a simple record of applications, interview dates, contact names and documents sent.

What depends on the employer or agency: recruitment steps, interview numbers, assessments and the final timetable vary by role. Some employers provide their own forms; complete these carefully and retain a copy of what you submit.

Before you agree to start, ask for the role and conditions in writing and read them carefully. EURES states that employment may be full-time or part-time, and fixed-term or indefinite-term. The employer must provide a copy of the employment contract in English and/or Maltese.

• Contract type: confirm whether the role is fixed-term or indefinite-term, and whether it is full-time or part-time.
• Written conditions: make sure you receive the written statement of employment conditions. EURES states that it must be given no later than seven days after recruitment.
• Job details: check the job title, duties, work location and start date.
• Pay: confirm the agreed wage, payment frequency, any overtime arrangements and any stated allowances or benefits.
• Hours: establish normal working hours, shift arrangements, rest breaks and whether overtime may be expected.
• Probation: check whether a probationary period is agreed and how it is stated in the contract.
• Leave: ask how annual leave, public holidays and other leave are administered in your workplace.
• Collective arrangements: ask whether a collective agreement or sector-specific Wage Regulation Order applies to the job.
• Registration: confirm that the employer will register your engagement with Jobsplus.
• Residence planning: if you expect to reside or work in Malta for more than three months, prepare to register your residence with Identità.

Important: pay, benefits, working patterns and additional conditions can depend on the employer, the sector, an applicable collective agreement and the individual contract. Do not rely on an informal promise where the written terms say something different.

Employment contracts and salary

Legal and administrative framework: employment in Malta involves a contract of employment, whether tacit or implicit, and a written statement of employment conditions must be supplied within the period stated above. Salaries must be paid at least once every four weeks. Sectoral Wage Council Orders or collective agreements may regulate minimum employment payments and may provide additional conditions.

Working hours and rest

EURES describes a 40-hour working week in Maltese companies and organisations. The average maximum weekly working time is 48 hours including overtime, unless the worker has given written agreement to work beyond that average. Actual schedules may vary by sector and are also shaped by collective agreements and Wage Regulation Orders.

• Minimum daily rest: 11 consecutive hours in each 24-hour period.
• Rest break: at least 15 minutes when the working day is longer than six hours.
• Weekly rest: at least 24 uninterrupted hours in each seven-day period, in addition to daily rest.

Probation

A probationary period should be agreed at the start of employment. EURES describes a general six-month period, with a one-year period in certain technical, executive, administrative and managerial posts where the wage exceeds twice the national minimum wage. A shorter period may be agreed by the parties. The applicable probation terms should be checked in the contract.

Leave and payslips

Annual leave is governed by the applicable rules and the employee’s working arrangement. EURES states that paid annual leave is equivalent in hours to four weeks and four days of work when calculated using a 40-hour week and an eight-hour day. Part-time workers have pro-rata entitlements. For the specific annual leave position in 2026, EURES lists 216 hours for employees in full-time employment with a 40-hour week.

Your employer must provide a detailed payslip before or on payday. It should show, among other things, the employer and employee details, pay period, wages and breakdown, normal and overtime hours, leave taken and remaining balance, bonuses or allowances, and deductions such as social security contributions and tax.

Legal and administrative requirement: paid employment in Malta must be registered through Jobsplus. The employer is responsible for submitting an Engagement Form for each person hired, including students and interns. Jobsplus states that the form must be submitted on the first day of employment and no later than four working days from the effective date of employment. The employer submits it through the Jobsplus Employer Online Services portal.

For an EU national joining the Maltese labour market for the first time, Jobsplus says the employer must upload an official identification document and proof of residence in Malta, such as a rent agreement, with the engagement process.

Do not assume registration has happened simply because you have been offered work. Keep your own copy of the signed contract and ask the employer to confirm that the engagement has been registered. Jobsplus employment history is built from engagement and termination forms submitted by employers, so accurate registration matters for your official record.

If you are registered with Jobsplus as a jobseeker and begin employment, Jobsplus also provides a Declaration of Employment process for registrants. This is separate from the employer’s Engagement Form. The official Jobsplus guidance says that a registered jobseeker starting a new job, including probationary or trial work, should notify Jobsplus using the relevant declaration while the employer completes the engagement registration.

The official sources used for this guide do not provide a catalogue of job scams or a dedicated scam-reporting procedure. For that reason, the points below are practical checks drawn from the official recruitment and employment-registration process, rather than an official list of scam indicators.

• No written terms: be cautious if a purported employer will not provide written employment conditions or a contract copy in English and/or Maltese.
• No Jobsplus registration: treat a statement that the job does not need to be registered with Jobsplus as a serious warning sign. Identità states that an EU national’s employment must always be registered with Jobsplus.
• Unclear job or pay terms: ask for the job title, duties, working hours, pay arrangements and start date in writing before agreeing to begin.
• Missing payslips: after starting work, retain the detailed payslip that should be provided before or on payday.
• Pressure to start without paperwork: pause and obtain clarification from Jobsplus or EURES before proceeding if the employer will not explain the registration and written-terms process.

If a situation is unclear, use an official service rather than relying solely on a recruiter, an advertisement or informal advice.

Keep an organised digital and paper file throughout your employment. This is a practical safeguard and can help if you later need to verify employment history, residence documentation or employment conditions.

• Your signed employment contract and written statement of conditions.
• Copies of any contract amendments or written changes.
• Evidence of your job offer and key recruitment correspondence.
• Detailed payslips and payment records.
• Records of annual leave, overtime and any agreed schedule changes.
• Your valid passport or national identity document.
• Residence-registration correspondence and your Identità residence document, where applicable.
• Proof of Maltese residence requested for Jobsplus registration, where applicable.
• Any confirmation or acknowledgement connected with Jobsplus employment registration, if provided.

• EURES Malta: suitable for EU jobseekers who are still outside Malta and want personalised guidance on finding work.
• Jobsplus: Malta’s public employment service. Use it for vacancy searching, jobseeker registration, Jobcentre services, Employment Adviser support for registered unemployed jobseekers and employment-record questions.
• Identità Expatriates Unit: use it for EU residence registration and eResidence documentation if you intend to reside and/or work in Malta for more than three months.
• Jobsplus Employment Records: relevant where an Engagement Form or employment record requires clarification or correction.

Jobsplus lists its international telephone number as +356 2125 5153 and its Servizz.gov freephone contact as 153, extension 18. Identità lists the EU section email address as eu.identita@gov.mt. Contact details and service arrangements can change, so check the relevant official website before visiting or making an appointment.