Confused .... Residence / Work Permit

yes you are correct EU members do not need a work permit and as far as residency is concerned you can get a temporary residence certificate to allow you to stay indefinitely and after 5 years you can apply (its not mandatory) for permanent residence....all you have to do is prove that you pay taxes (VRT Road tax, Tax on insurance, tax on your home etc etc or working taxes) or prove you can survive/live on your own resources (savings pensions etc) and not be a drain on the Malti state. We did this two years ago having lived here on an id card alone for one year....LOL we also got the reciprocal healthcare entitlememt too. It is easy. and we had the residency cert within four weeks of applying and the Reciprocal Health Care card within 6 months.

Castile place in Valetta is the expat affairs office, and you are correct as of April 1 EU citizens no longer need a work permit butyou do have to register with teh ETC office in valletta... 

I am very thankfull for this, it has made life much much easier.

Just make sure you get a malta ID card and Malta NI #, register with etc and expat affairs andyour ready to go.

Chad

Id cards from ETC at st elmos fort in Valletta (near the war museum)
Residency cert from castille place in Valletta near upper barracka gardens
Reciprocal Health Care card from the entitlement unit in st johns place near the St Johns co cathedral


take your id card passport and proof of taxes etc or pensions and savings etc

what is "Reciprocal Health Care card"

If it's teh NI or National insurance card you can get one in any city I think... I know theres an office in Sliema, Valetta and I got mine in San Gwann this AM at the social security office.

http://www.servicecharters.gov.mt/depts … ndex_e.asp

its the card that is valid for two years (and will get renewed when the time comes)...that you use to gain the same level of healthcare that you would get from your own home country's health care system. Hence the term reciprocal....my wife and i have these - they are NOT the EHIC which is only valid for three months when on holiday. it easy to obtain and all you need to be is an EU member and your passport plus evidence from Castile Place that you have applied for a res cert.

A NI card or number can be obtained from any job centre here (our son got his from Qawra) on production of evidence of a job offer.

Thanks for all your assistance people

Hi,

Reciprocal Health Care is the British way of transferring your health care entitlement from the UK or any other EU country country to Malta but it also means that you have to have health insurance in your country of origin in the first place.You will normally have to have a NI number in the UK to be entitled to full coverage. If you don't have health insurance somewhere in the EU there is nothing you can transfer!

In many cases it will mean that as a pensioner you usually are entitled to health care in the country where your pension comes from. It is not always free. As a pensioner from Germany for example they deduct health insurance premiums from your pension. So if you have your German pension paid to you in Malta ( possible under EU law) you can also have your health insurance entitlement passed through to Malta. But you loose it in Germany or your country of origin. If you visit your home country you will need to show your EHIC which is then issued to you by Malta.

It sounds complicated but is very logical.

If you work and pay NI in Malta you are entitled to the Maltese health care anyway.

Hope I wasn't too confusing.
Ricky

Hi Ricky

Respectfully I think your account of "reciprocal health care" for UK citizens may not be quite right.  May I set out my understanding?

Firstly, as you (broadly) say, if you have a healthcare entitlement in another EU country (including the UK), you can transfer it to Malta.  You may have such an entitlement if you have paid NI/SSC/whatever contributions recently, or if you are over state retirement age in your own EU country.  This is a general arrangement applicable to all EU countries.

Additionally, however, there is a special Reciprocal Health Agreement between the UK and Malta, which I think predates Malta's accession to the EU and results from the countries' historical relationship.  UK citizens in Malta and Maltese citizens in the UK are entitled to access local healthcare services (with some restrictions) regardless of their NI/SSC contribution status.  This entitlement is over and above the general EU entitlement.  Details for UK citizens in Malta can be found at https://ehealth.gov.mt/HealthPortal/str … ltauk.aspx .

Hope that helps.

Hi John,

You are right. But I tried to be more general for the non UK - EU and non EU's on the forum.

That is where the question came from.

I'm not sure how many still use this agreement. I hold a UK passport but don't have a NI number as I left the UK when I was a child. So theoretically I would qualify but I was told , as I have the entitlement from my German health insurance, to transfer that to Malta.They didn't let me use the reciprocal agreement or rather only with major restrictions.

So it looks as if they are tying to avoid the costs if they find a reason which is legitimate , of course.

Regards
Ricky

heh, wish I didn't need one.. I'm an Aussie

K8T - did you have your residence permit already, did you have to register with ETC or anything?

I came to Malta on a 3 month holiday VISA. My company then had to apply and we waited I believe 4 months in total for my work permit, then we organised the residence permit < from memory. Work was very helpful.

I had to visit the ETC where they were meant to put a stamp or sticker on my passport,however they never did so I show the work permit/residence permit or even the receipt for my  permit application when I travel.

I then had to go apply for an ID card, which as I mentioned, I never got and need to chase up, and also I had to go collect my NI ( National Insurance ) number.

Hi Katie,

it's not the ETC that puts the sticker in your passport but the Department for Citizenship and Expatriate Affairs at Castille in Valletta.

Without that sticker you will not be issued with an ID card as a non-EU citizen in Malta.

How did you organize the residence permit "from memory" ?

Regards
Ricky

Heya
Well I have been trying to collect some informations in regards to the work permit for the 3rd country but it seems quite hard to make it fast
Pls guys any one could help me
How can I get a work permit in malta and how long will take and from where to start
ur help is an assist and thx in advance

Hi dubaidreamer,

you first have to find an employer willing to apply for a work permit for you.  You supply your employer with all your supporting documents.

The process could take several weeks or longer depending on the type of work. It is not a 'fast' process.

Cheers
Ricky

"fast track" doesnt exist in Malta...

Hi ricky,

Very well appreciated so do u think is it much better
if I come there to look for an employer then go back to libya till the procedure finish
Maybe
Regards
fahad

Hi fahad,

that is a difficult question that also depends on the type of work you are looking for and on your qualifications.

To get a job offer if you are not in Malta you would have to be really highly qualified for the company.

What work are you looking for?

Cheers
Ricky

Hello Ricky,

Hope u doing well,

Thx again for getting back to me, well i don't know really what im looking for because its hard to decide when there is a lot of qualified Maltese people so that is why the government in there they encourage the citizen to occupy those post especially not im the only person holding a master degree in Business Administration.
maybe its would be better if i choose to work in different field like hospitality for example.

by the way if you have a business visa can you work with it or its not allowed and the resident permit

please Rick your help is an assist and thx in advance

Regards

Fahad

Hi Fahad,

if you really want to have a chance of getting a work permit as a third-country national you will have to focus on your key qualifications and work experience. What you quote is the exact reason why Malta is restrictive with work permits so you will always have to be 'better' or have qualifications that other's don't have.

Looking for 'any kind of work' will drastically reduce your chances.

I'm not aware of the term business visa! Check out the types of visas available for travel to the Schengen area.

You certainly are not allowed to work without a work permit independent on what kind of visa you enter with.

Hi, Dubai Dreamer

You cannot work with business visa - it's just a basis for temporary visit to the country.

For 3rd country national the application for work permits is the following:

1. Prepare the CV in European format (it's better to do it from the first step).
2. Make sure that your qualification (diploma, certificates etc) are recognized in Malta. You (or your employer in behalf of you) should apply for recognition to MQRIC
3. You shall find the employer and finalize normal application process with job offer as the result (formal or informal - depends on the company)
4. After that your employer is sending all documents to ETC to open the vacancy.
5. During the limited period of time (usually - 3 months) ETC are trying to find someone from Malta (first step) and from EU (second step) for this vacant place.
6. If nobody fitted - you are lucky enough to receive the employment licence (issued for 1 year only).
7. On the basis of this licence you shall obtain the long-term visa (type D) in Maltese embassy in your country.
8. During the first 3 months after issuance of employment licence you have to come to Malta, proceed with health check in accordance with employment licence and apply for residence permit.
9. ID card no more applicable for you - you will receive e-residence card on the point 8.
10. Every year your employer shall apply for the renewal of employment licence.
11. When you receive the renewed employment licence (again - for 1 year period only), you will apply for renewal of residence permit. Repeat every year
12. If you want to change the employer (and even your position in the same employer!) - your employer start from the point 4 again.

Do you still want to work in Malta?

Hi Spiridonov,

welcome to the forum.

Thanks for your accurate description of the work permit and residence process for third-country nationals in Malta.

Cheers
Ricky

You are welcome

I've just completed this procedures 2 years ago and my employer said "No more TCN again"

Hi Spiridonov,

I hope you are aware of the unwritten rule that after 4 years at the latest your work permit application will be declined to avoid you reaching the 5 year limit for permanent residency !

Cheers
Ricky

ricky wrote:

Hi Spiridonov,

I hope you are aware of the unwritten rule that after 4 years at the latest your work permit application will be declined to avoid you reaching the 5 year limit for permanent residency !

Cheers
Ricky

Yep, already heard about it

Hope everything will be ok