At a glance
Malta's EU Blue Card lets you live and work there in a highly qualified job with the required salary. Its requirements differ from Malta's Key Employee Initiative and Specialist Employee Initiative. A job that qualifies for one of those programs does not necessarily qualify for a Blue Card.
- Job offer required?
- Yes; qualifying signed employment contract
- Pay
- At least 1.5 times Malta’s current average gross annual salary.
- Qualifications
- A recognized higher professional qualification relevant to the role, or professional experience accepted under the Maltese Blue Card legislation.
Summary
Malta’s EU Blue Card allows an eligible foreign professional to live and work there in a qualifying highly skilled job. The employer, occupation, and salary must all fit the national rules; holding a degree alone is not enough.
The contract must pay at least one and a half times Malta’s current average gross annual salary. The worker also needs a relevant recognized qualification or professional experience accepted by the Blue Card rules; the job and worker’s evidence are assessed together.
Eligibility
A local employer must offer a highly qualified position for at least six months. The signed employment contract must meet the current national Blue Card requirements.
The salary must reach at least 1.5 times Malta’s current average gross annual salary. The employer applies through the employment-permit platform and must document the required recruitment advertising. The Blue Card is distinct from the Key Employee Initiative and Specialist Employee Initiative.
The applicant needs a recognized higher professional qualification relevant to the role or professional experience accepted under the Maltese Blue Card legislation.
More about this route
The application combines a signed employment contract, accepted professional qualifications, and the required recruitment evidence. This makes it a route to discuss with the employer around a particular role. It is not permission to move first and look for any skilled job after arrival.
-
Highly qualified contract Confirm eligible employment lasting at least six months.
-
Salary and qualifications Check the current salary benchmark and accepted professional evidence.
-
Employer filing Document required recruitment advertising and apply through the platform.
The Key Employee and Specialist Employee initiatives are separate routes.
What This Route Allows
The Blue Card allows you to live and work in Malta in qualifying employment. Blue Card rules can also support family applications and later mobility, subject to the requirements of the destination.
For a household, the employment application and each family member’s application need to be considered together. A Blue Card held by one person does not replace the documents required for a spouse or child.
What This Route Is Not
This is not permission to work throughout Europe immediately, nor a route for a job search without an offer. National Blue Card rules differ, and a salary accepted in one country may not qualify in another.
Next Steps
The employer can check the job’s eligibility, contract period, and current salary benchmark before filing. The applicant supplies qualification, identity, health-coverage, and other required records.
Stay up to date on this pathway
Get an email when something important changes.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong Skilled Employee Residence
Hong Kong's skilled employment route is for professionals with a confirmed local job that uses their education, technical skills, or substantial relevant experience.
Ireland
Ireland Intra-Company Transfer Permit
A non-EEA senior manager, key employee, or trainee may transfer temporarily from an overseas company to a connected Irish entity under an Intra-Company Transfer Employment…
Netherlands
Netherlands Company Transfer Residence Permit
Managers, specialists, and trainee employees may be able to transfer from a company outside the EU to a Dutch branch under the EU intra-corporate transferee route.