# Malta Work Visa Requirements for Indians: 2026 Checklist > A 2026 checklist for Indians taking a job in Malta: the employer's Single Permit, salary and advert rules, €100,000 health insurance, the AIP letter, VFS documents, fees and timelines. _Published: 2026-10-31 · Reading time: 5 min · Words: 1124_ ## TL;DR A Malta work visa starts with your employer's Single Permit application to Identità. Once Identità issues an Approval in Principle (AIP) letter, you book the long-stay work visa at VFS in India with the AIP, the original invitation and work permit letters, and Aadhaar and PAN copies. ## Key takeaways - Malta's Single Permit is applied for to Identità; the work visa at VFS India comes only after a valid AIP letter. - Salary must meet or exceed the National Minimum Wage and match across the application, Jobsplus declaration and contract. - Health insurance must cover at least €100,000; travel insurance is not accepted for the permit. - The first Single Permit costs EUR 600 at Identità; the VFS Extended Service visa fee is INR 21,834 / EUR 250 plus INR 13,500. - Key Employee Initiative jobs need at least €45,000 a year and are processed within 5 working days. **According to Identità and VFS Global, Indians need a Maltese employer's Single Permit application, a salary at or above Malta's National Minimum Wage, health insurance of at least €100,000 and a valid Approval in Principle (AIP) letter before booking the work visa. The Extended Service visa fee is INR 21,834 (EUR 250), plus INR 13,500 to VFS.** ## Article This checklist uses Identità's 2025/26 guidance and the VFS Global page for Malta in India, as published on the official sources, checked on 2026-10-15. Identità, Malta's agency for residence and work permits, decides long-stay (D) visas; the High Commission of Malta in New Delhi handles short-stay Schengen visas, and visa queries go to VFS rather than the High Commission. For tourist visas, see our Malta visa guide for Indians. ### Who starts a Malta work visa application: you or the employer? The employer does. The Single Permit is Malta's combined work and residence permit for non-EU workers hired by a Maltese employer, and the application is made to Identità. Only after Identità issues an AIP letter do you book a long-stay visa appointment at VFS in India. VFS will not accept a work permit application without it. That order matters if you are dealing with a recruiter. If someone asks you to book a VFS work visa slot before an AIP exists, the file cannot proceed. ### The 2026 Single Permit checklist: 8 conditions - Salary floor: at least Malta's National Minimum Wage, in line with any sectoral collective agreement or Wage Regulation Order, and consistent with the job. Identità's pages in our record do not state the minimum wage figure. - Matching salary: the amount in the application, the Jobsplus declaration and the employment contract must match, or the application is returned. - Job advert: the employer must advertise the vacancy for at least 3 weeks within the 2 months before applying (2 weeks for KEI, SEI, EU Blue Card and Skilled Occupation List roles). Since 1 October 2025 the advert must run on both the Jobsplus portal and EURES. Health and elderly or disability care jobs are among the exemptions. - Passport: valid for at least 6 months. - Core papers: signed application form, employment contract, photo, proof of accommodation and a signed CV. - Health insurance: at least €100,000 of cover, inpatient and outpatient, in Malta and other European countries, for the whole stay. Travel insurance is not accepted. - Hospitality roles: a Skills Pass from the Institute of Tourism Studies and a Malta Food Handler licence for hospitality and food-service jobs. - One job at a time: the permit covers one employer and one occupation. ### What do you carry to VFS for the long-stay work visa? VFS lists these items for the Work Permit Extended Service, on top of its general rules: - A valid AIP letter issued by Identity Malta (now Identità). - The original invitation letter and the original work permit letter. - Aadhaar card with a photocopy, and a copy of your PAN card. - One colour photo, 3.5cm x 4.5cm, white background, not stapled. - Your passport, issued within the previous 10 years, with your old passport; VFS's checklist asks for 3 blank pages while its page text says two, so keep 3 free to be safe. - Originals plus a copy of each document, submitted in person; documents are not to be printed back-to-back. Your photograph and biometrics are captured at the VFS centre. VFS has 11 Malta centres in India: New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow and Mumbai. ### Which Malta permit matches your job and salary? PermitSalary conditionOther key conditionSingle PermitAt or above the National Minimum WageAdvert for 3 weeks on Jobsplus and EURESKey Employee Initiative (KEI)At least €45,000 a year grossISCO groups 1-3; qualifications or 3 years' experienceSpecialist Employee Initiative (SEI)At least €30,000 a year grossISCO groups 1-3; MQF Level 6, or lower with 3 years' experienceEU Blue CardAt least 1.5 times Malta's average gross annual salary (no euro figure published by Identità)MQF Level 6 degree or 5 years' experience; contract of at least 6 monthsThe KEI and SEI thresholds took effect in August 2025. Both permits are valid for 1 year at first and renewable for up to 3 years. ### What will the whole process cost? ChargeAmountPaid toSingle Permit, first applicationEUR 600IdentitàKEI, SEI or EU Blue Card permitEUR 600IdentitàWork Permit Extended Service visa feeINR 21,834 / EUR 250, paid when bookingVFS websiteExtended Service VFS chargeINR 13,500, paid at the centreVFSWork Visa (D), as listed by VFSINR 13556 / EUR 150VFSVFS has hidden its long-stay options from the page's visa-type selector while the sections remain, so the long-stay rupee fees may be outdated. Renewal of a Single Permit costs €150 a year, a change of employer €600 and a change of designation €300. ### How long do Identità and VFS take? VFS gives two figures for the work visa on the same page: 10 to 15 days, and 15 working days. Identità processes KEI permits within 5 working days and SEI permits within 15 working days. No Single Permit processing time appears in our record, so ask your employer what Identità has told them. ### Mistakes that stall a Malta work visa - Buying travel insurance instead of the €100,000 health policy the permit requires. - A salary that differs between the contract and the Jobsplus declaration. - Booking at VFS without the original invitation and work permit letters. - Forgetting the Skills Pass and Food Handler licence for a hotel or restaurant job. - Paying anyone who promises a permit without an AIP letter from Identità. When you are ready to travel, Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram can prepare a flight reservation, hotel booking, itinerary or cover letter, with packages from INR 1,000 to INR 3,000. Message +91 95230 91018 on WhatsApp or use our contact page. ### Frequently asked questions #### What happens if I lose my job in Malta on a Single Permit? Since 1 August 2025, Single Permit holders whose job is terminated get a 30-day grace period to find new work. It can be extended by another 30 days with proof of financial self-sufficiency. #### Can my family join me on a Malta work permit? KEI and SEI holders can bring family without the usual 12-month wait if they hold an AIP, earn at least €50,000 a year (sponsor plus one dependent) plus €6,000 for each additional dependent, have €100,000 health cover per dependent and use private schooling for school-age children. #### Can I change employers on a Malta Single Permit? The Single Permit is tied to one employer and one occupation at a time. Identità charges €600 for a change of employer and €300 for a change of designation, so budget for that before switching jobs. #### Is there an official refusal rate for Malta work visas from India? Not for work visas. European Commission statistics cover Schengen short-stay visas only: the refusal rate for applications lodged at Maltese consulates in India was 32.1% in 2025 (2,720 visas not issued; 8,587 applications lodged). ## FAQ ### What happens if I lose my job in Malta on a Single Permit? Since 1 August 2025, Single Permit holders whose job is terminated get a 30-day grace period to find new work. It can be extended by another 30 days with proof of financial self-sufficiency. ### Can my family join me on a Malta work permit? KEI and SEI holders can bring family without the usual 12-month wait if they hold an AIP, earn at least €50,000 a year (sponsor plus one dependent) plus €6,000 for each additional dependent, have €100,000 health cover per dependent and use private schooling for school-age children. ### Can I change employers on a Malta Single Permit? The Single Permit is tied to one employer and one occupation at a time. Identità charges €600 for a change of employer and €300 for a change of designation, so budget for that before switching jobs. ### Is there an official refusal rate for Malta work visas from India? Not for work visas. European Commission statistics cover Schengen short-stay visas only: the refusal rate for applications lodged at Maltese consulates in India was 32.1% in 2025 (2,720 visas not issued; 8,587 applications lodged). ## Sources 1. [Identità - FAQs: Non-EU employment (Single Permit, Blue Card, Skills Pass)](https://identita.gov.mt/frequently-asked-questions/expatriates/non-eu-employment/) — Identità (Government of Malta) 2. [Identità - Labour Migration Policy fact sheet (measures from 1 August 2025)](https://identita.gov.mt/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Fact-Sheet.pdf) — Identità (Government of Malta) 3. [VFS Global - Apply for Visa to Malta in India](https://www.vfsglobal.com/one-pager/malta/india/english/index.html) — VFS Global 4. [Identità - Key Employee Initiative: who is eligible](https://identita.gov.mt/expatriates-unit-main-page/noneu-nationals/employment-related-permits/highly-qualified-individuals/key-employee-initiative/who-is-eligible/) — Identità (Government of Malta)