Malta Work Visa for Pakistanis in 2026: New Fees, Pre-Departure Course and Step-by-Step Process
Malta has quietly become one of the most searched European work destinations for Pakistanis — an English-speaking Schengen member with steady demand for hospitality, construction, transport, logistics and care workers. But 2026 has brought the biggest shake-up of Malta's work-permit system in years: a new €600 application fee, a compulsory pre-departure course and higher salary thresholds for fast-track routes. Here is what applicants from Islamabad, Rawalpindi and overseas need to know before applying.
What is the Malta Single Permit?
The Single Permit is a combined work and residence permit issued by Identità, Malta's identity agency. It is employer-led: a Maltese employer must offer you a job and lodge the application on your behalf. You cannot fly to Malta on a visit visa and then “convert” it — workers whose visa does not permit employment must apply from abroad. Once your permit is approved in principle, you apply for a national long-stay (Type D) visa to travel, then complete biometrics in Malta for your residence card.
New Fees and Costs in 2026
From 2026, a first-time Single Permit application costs €600 (previously a flat €300), while renewals from the second year cost €150 per year. First-time applicants must also budget €250 for the mandatory Pre-Departure Course, plus the D-visa fee (typically €80–€150) and document costs such as attestation and translation. These figures change frequently — always confirm current fees from official sources before paying anyone.
Mandatory Pre-Departure Course and Skills Pass
Malta's biggest new requirement launched on 5 January 2026: every first-time Single Permit applicant must complete a Pre-Departure Course through the official Skills Pass portal, covering living and working in Malta, workplace rights and obligations, and basic English. From 1 March 2026, Identità only considers applications from workers who have passed the course, its assessments and an in-person verification interview. Applicants for tourism and hospitality jobs must additionally hold the full Skills Pass qualification.
Salary Thresholds and Processing Times
Standard Single Permit processing currently runs around 8–10 weeks, with a legal maximum of four months, followed by roughly 15–25 working days for the visa stage in Pakistan. The fast-track Key Employee Initiative now requires a gross salary of at least €45,000 per year (raised from €35,000) and can be decided in about five working days, while the Specialist Employee Initiative threshold is €30,000. For context, Malta's minimum wage in 2026 is €994 per month — be very sceptical of agents promising unskilled jobs at inflated salaries. One helpful change: workers who lose their job now get a 30-day grace period, extendable by another 30 days, to find new employment.
How to Apply from Pakistan — Step by Step
- Secure a genuine written job offer from a Maltese employer — never pay for a “guaranteed permit”.
- Your employer submits the Single Permit application to Identità in Malta.
- Register on the Skills Pass portal and complete the Pre-Departure Course and assessment.
- Prepare your documents: passport, attested and translated degree and experience certificates, police character certificate, employment contract and accommodation details.
- After approval in principle, apply for the national D visa — Malta has no embassy in Pakistan, so applications are handled through Italy's embassy in Islamabad via visa application centres in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.
- Travel to Malta and complete biometrics for your residence card.
Because Malta's popularity has attracted fake job offers, verify every offer independently and insist on official reference numbers before paying any fee. If Malta feels slow, you can also compare other European routes — see our guides to the easiest Schengen countries and the Poland work visa, or browse all destinations on our visas page.
How Hijrat Can Help
Hijrat's consultants in Aabpara, Islamabad prepare complete Malta files — job-offer verification, degree and document attestation, certified translations, police certificates and the D-visa application — for clients across Islamabad, Rawalpindi and overseas Pakistanis.
Hijrat prepares your complete Single Permit file — document attestation, certified translations, police certificate and the D-visa application — so your case reaches Identità right the first time.
Disclaimer: Fees, salary thresholds and processing times above are indicative as of August 2026 and change frequently. Work-permit and visa decisions rest solely with Identità and Malta’s Central Visa Unit. Always confirm current requirements from official sources before paying any fees. Hijrat is an independent consultancy and does not guarantee visas or permits.