Ask three Malta employers whether a new hire needs a "work permit" and you will get three different answers. Part of the confusion is that Malta has two separate work authorisations, issued by two separate bodies, and they are not interchangeable. Apply to the wrong one and the application is returned, the fee is lost and the start date slips. This guide sets out what each one is and exactly which situations call for which.
What is a Single Permit?
A Single Permit is a combined work and residence authorisation issued by Identità. It allows a third-country national (anyone who is not an EU or EEA citizen) to live in Malta and work for the employer named on the permit, under one application and one document: the biometric eResidence card.
It is the standard route for hiring a TCN into a main, full-time role, whether the candidate is still abroad or already legally in Malta. The employer submits the application through the Identità employer portal. The employee cannot apply for it themselves.
Who it is for
- TCNs being hired into their main employment in Malta
- All sectors: iGaming, construction, hospitality, healthcare, retail, finance, logistics
- UK nationals who arrived after 1 January 2021, who are treated as TCNs
Full details on the process, documents and 2026 fees are in the Complete Employer Guide to Single Permits.
What is a Jobsplus Employment Licence?
An Employment Licence is a work authorisation issued by Jobsplus, Malta's national employment agency. It does not grant residence. It is used where the person's right to be in Malta already comes from somewhere else, and what they need is permission to work, or to take on additional work.
In practice, an Employment Licence is required in three situations:
1. Secondary employment for a TCN who already holds a Single Permit
A Single Permit ties the worker to one named employer. If that worker wants a second job, part-time or otherwise, the second employer applies to Jobsplus for an Employment Licence. The Single Permit with the main employer stays exactly as it is.
2. People with refugee status, subsidiary protection or IHP status
Their residence in Malta is based on their protection status, not on an employer. They do not need, and cannot use, a Single Permit. An employer hiring them applies to Jobsplus for an Employment Licence.
3. TCN students who want to work part-time
A TCN on a study residence permit can work part-time alongside their course. The employer applies to Jobsplus for an Employment Licence. Hours are capped by Jobsplus, so check the current limit before agreeing a roster.
Key point: different authority, different document
A Single Permit is an Identità matter. An Employment Licence is a Jobsplus matter. One is never a step inside the other. The only place Jobsplus touches a Single Permit application is the vacancy advertisement and employer compliance check, covered in Section 5.
Single Permit vs Employment Licence: Side by Side
| Single Permit | Employment Licence | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuing authority | Identità | Jobsplus |
| What it grants | Both residence and the right to work for the named employer | The right to work only. Residence must already exist on another basis |
| Who it is for | TCNs in their main employment | TCNs with a Single Permit taking a second job; refugee, subsidiary protection and IHP status holders; TCN students working part-time |
| Document issued | Biometric eResidence card | Employment Licence from Jobsplus |
| Who applies | Employer, via the Identità employer portal | Employer, to Jobsplus |
| Vacancy advertisement | Yes, through Jobsplus, before submission | Depends on the case. Check with Jobsplus or Permia |
| Processing time | 2 to 4 months standard, 5 working days KEI fast-track | Generally shorter, as no residence decision is involved |
| Government fee (2026) | €600 new, €150 per year renewal | Set by Jobsplus, separate from Identità fees |
Which One Does Your Hire Need?
Start with two questions: where does the person's right to be in Malta come from, and is this their main job? That gives the answer in almost every case.
EU or EEA national
Neither. They have free movement and can start work immediately. They register with Identità within 3 months of arrival for an eResidence card.
TCN, main full-time role, no existing status in Malta
Single Permit from Identità. This is the standard route and covers most non-EU hiring. UK nationals who arrived after 1 January 2021 fall here too.
TCN who already holds a Single Permit with another employer, and you want to hire them part-time or as a second job
Employment Licence from Jobsplus, applied for by you as the second employer. Their Single Permit with the main employer is untouched. If instead they are leaving the main employer to work for you full-time, that is a change of employer on the Single Permit, not an Employment Licence.
Refugee status, subsidiary protection or IHP status
Employment Licence from Jobsplus. They already have the right to reside. A Single Permit application for them will be returned.
TCN student on a study permit
Employment Licence from Jobsplus, for part-time work within the hours Jobsplus allows.
Check the status, not the passport
Two candidates with the same nationality can need different authorisations. One may be a first-time hire needing a Single Permit; the other may hold subsidiary protection and need an Employment Licence. Always confirm what residence status the person already holds before deciding which application to make.
Where Jobsplus Fits into a Single Permit Application
Jobsplus does have a role in Single Permit applications, which is one reason the two get confused. That role is not an Employment Licence. It is the labour market test and employer compliance check.
- Vacancy advertisement. Before a TCN can be hired on a Single Permit, the role is advertised through Jobsplus for the required period to show no suitable Maltese or EU candidate was available.
- Employer compliance. Jobsplus checks redundancies in the role in the past 12 months, the ratio of TCN staff to total headcount, and employment conditions.
- Then Identità. With those steps done, the employer submits the Single Permit application to Identità, which issues the eResidence card.
So for a standard TCN hire you deal with both bodies, but you are making one application, for one document, to Identità.
Common Mistakes
- Letting a Single Permit holder start a second job without the second employer obtaining an Employment Licence
- Submitting a Single Permit application for someone who holds refugee status, subsidiary protection or IHP status
- Employing a TCN student part-time on the strength of their study permit alone
- Assuming an Employment Licence lets a TCN who is abroad enter and live in Malta. It does not grant residence
- Treating a full-time move from one employer to another as an Employment Licence case, when it is a change of employer on the Single Permit
- Skipping the Jobsplus vacancy advertisement on a Single Permit application because "Jobsplus is only for licences"
Single Permit vs Employment Licence: FAQs
What is the difference between a Single Permit and an Employment Licence?
They are two separate authorisations. A Single Permit is issued by Identità and gives a TCN the right to live and work in Malta in one document. An Employment Licence is issued by Jobsplus and authorises work for people whose residence already comes from something else: second jobs for Single Permit holders, refugees and protection holders, and TCN students.
Can a TCN with a Single Permit take a second job?
Not on the Single Permit alone. The second employer applies to Jobsplus for an Employment Licence. The Single Permit with the main employer stays in place.
Does a refugee or someone with subsidiary protection need a Single Permit?
No. Their residence comes from their protection status. The employer applies to Jobsplus for an Employment Licence. The same applies to IHP status holders.
Can a TCN student work part-time in Malta?
Yes, with an Employment Licence from Jobsplus applied for by the employer. Hours are capped by Jobsplus.
Do EU nationals need either?
No. EU and EEA nationals have free movement. They register with Identità within 3 months of arrival for an eResidence card, and that is all.
What does Jobsplus do in a Single Permit application?
It runs the vacancy advertisement and checks employer compliance before the application goes to Identità. That is part of the Single Permit process, not an Employment Licence.
Not sure which one applies to your hire?
Permia checks the candidate's status first, then makes the right application to the right authority. Free eligibility check, no commitment.