Malta Key Employee Initiative — The Migration Route

KEI, SEI, or the standard Single Permit

Three routes with different logic: KEI is the fastest with the highest bar, SEI trades salary for qualifications, and the standard Single Permit has no fixed salary at all — instead a local labour-market check.

ROUTE

SALARY

WHAT TO KNOW

Key Employee Initiative (KEI)

SALARYfrom €45,000/yr

A decision in 5 working days — the fastest track, for high-skill managerial/technical positions.

Specialist Employee Initiative (SEI)

SALARYfrom €30,000/yr

A lower salary bar, but requires an MQF Level 6 qualification or 3 years of confirmed experience.

Standard Single Permit

SALARYno fixed salary

Instead of a salary threshold — a mandatory 5-working-day local vacancy posting with no suitable Maltese/EU candidate found.

What the full cost consists of

Fees changed in 2026 — a mandatory pre-departure course was added that did not exist before.

COST ITEM

RATE

APPLIES TO

First-time application fee

RATE€600

per applicant

Renewal, per year

RATE€150

per applicant

Mandatory pre-departure course (from 01.03.2026)

RATE€250

per first-time applicant

How the process runs

Job offer and application prep

Only the Maltese employer can file — the applicant cannot apply directly.

Vacancy posting (for KEI, since August 2025)

The employer must post the vacancy on Jobsplus or EURES for at least 2 weeks before filing for KEI.

Filing the application

The employer submits documents for the chosen route (KEI, SEI, or standard Single Permit).

Decision

For KEI — 5 working days; for a standard Single Permit — 6–12 weeks, with a legal maximum of 4 months.

Mandatory pre-departure course

Since 1 March 2026, every first-time applicant must complete it before travelling to Malta.

A good fit if

You have a job offer from a Maltese employer for a managerial or high-skill technical position paying from €45,000/year.

You want the fastest possible result among the WORK programmes in this index — a KEI decision takes just 5 working days.

Your salary is below €45,000 but from €30,000, and you hold an MQF6 qualification or 3 years of experience — then SEI fits.

The employer is prepared to post the vacancy on Jobsplus/EURES in advance.

A poor fit if

You have no specific employer — only the company can file, not the applicant alone.

The salary is below €30,000 and you lack the required qualification — then only the standard Single Permit remains, with no guaranteed salary threshold, dependent on the local labour-market test.

You skip the mandatory pre-departure course — since 1 March 2026 this blocks first-time applicants.

The employer has not posted the vacancy on Jobsplus/EURES in advance for KEI — mandatory since August 2025.

Who runs this programme

Your request goes to two or three firms from this list. You see exactly which ones before it is sent, and you can exclude any of them.

No matching firms in the directory for this category yet — the list is curated by hand and grows over time.

This is an independent list of firms in the market, not our partners — we do not forward requests to them or receive payment for referrals. Contact them directly via the link.

Frequent questions

Why isn’t the standard Single Permit shown with a number?

Because it officially has no fixed salary threshold — instead, the check is that the vacancy was locally available to Maltese/EU candidates for at least 5 working days. This site does not invent a figure where officially there isn’t one.

What is the difference between KEI and SEI?

KEI has a higher bar (€45,000/year) but a 5-working-day decision. SEI has a lower bar (€30,000/year) but requires an MQF Level 6 qualification or 3 years of confirmed experience, and the decision is not as fast.

Who files the application?

Only the Maltese employer — the applicant cannot file directly on their own behalf.

What is the mandatory pre-departure course?

Since 1 March 2026, every first-time applicant must complete a pre-departure orientation course before travelling to Malta — a new requirement, on top of the €250 fee.

How long does the standard Single Permit really take?

About 2 months on average, with a legal maximum of 4 months — significantly longer than KEI’s 5 working days.

Does the employer need to post the vacancy in advance?

For KEI — yes, since August 2025, at least 2 weeks on Jobsplus or EURES before filing. For the standard Single Permit — 5 working days of local posting, with some exceptions.

Sources

identita.gov.mt — official Key Employee Initiative page (Identità, formerly Identity Malta)↗FreeMalta — detailed breakdown of the new Single Permit fee structure for 2026↗

Figures are for reference only. Verified against official sources on 26 August 2026. A precise quote is issued by the appointed firm after document review. This material is not legal advice, a public offer or investment advice.