Indians are one of the three largest groups of non-EU workers in Malta, and hotel and restaurant recruits already sit part of the skills test at a VFS Global centre. On 8 October 2026, Malta agreed to widen that assessment, a gate in the Malta work permit process, beyond hospitality.
The Joint Declaration of Intent was signed in Valletta on the sidelines of the World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit, in the presence of the council’s president and chief executive, Gloria Guevara. It extends a relationship that began in 2008, when VFS Global first took on visa work for Malta.
What did Malta and VFS Global sign?
Four parties signed the declaration. Christopher Cutajar signed for the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs, and Colonel Edric Zahra signed for Identità, the agency that issues residence and work permits. Pierre Fenech signed for the Institute of Tourism Studies, which runs Malta’s hospitality skills test. Zubin Karkaria, founder and chief executive of VFS Global, signed for the company.
The declaration covers four areas of work. The first is consular and citizen support for Maltese nationals living overseas, run in coordination with the foreign ministry. The second is a wider skills assessment service. The third is help in supplying what the parties call a skilled, verified workforce for Malta’s employment needs in key sectors. The fourth is work to promote Malta as a destination for international students.
The existing partnership with the Institute of Tourism Studies focused on facilitating interviews for hospitality and tourism candidates. Under the new framework, that work extends to other sectors. The announcement did not name those sectors, set a start date or publish any new fees.
“Our partnership with the Government of Malta has evolved significantly since it began in 2008,” Mr Karkaria said. VFS Global already handles short-stay and long-stay visa applications for Malta in 73 countries through 155 dedicated visa application centres.
Why does this matter for Indian applicants?
India was Malta’s leading source of foreign workers on the last published count. Jobsplus, the government’s employment agency, reports that people from India, the Philippines and Nepal were the top three non-EU nationalities in employment at the end of 2025. Non-EU workers made up 70 per cent of all foreign employment that year.
The most recent published count for Indians alone is older. In a parliamentary answer in January 2024, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana said 13,158 Indian nationals were working in Malta in July 2023, the largest foreign group, ahead of 11,566 Italians.
The demand is still growing. Identità’s 2025 annual report, published on 28 September 2026, shows 32,693 first permits issued by its Expatriates Unit in 2025, up from 29,433 in 2024. The number of valid permits at the end of the year rose to 132,067, from 117,611.
Indian passport holders need a visa to enter Malta, and VFS Global runs Malta’s application process in India. Its Malta information page for India lists applications from Cochin and Lucknow, and the High Commission of Malta sits in New Delhi. If the wider assessment follows the Skills Pass model, Indian candidates would sit it at those counters.
What checks does a Malta work permit applicant from India face today?
A first-time applicant for a Single Permit, Malta’s combined work and residence permit, now passes through several gates before arrival. Some apply to every worker, and some only to hospitality.
| Check | Who needs it | Official fee | Where the interview happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Departure Course, Part 1 | All first-time Single Permit applicants | €250 (Identità); €245 (Skills Pass portal) | Live online interview, ITS Malta or an authorised assessment centre |
| Tourism and Hospitality Skills Pass | Non-EU workers entering hospitality jobs | €230, including a €5 Phase 2 booking fee | Nearest VFS Global centre for candidates who need a visa |
| Entry visa | Indian passport holders, after approval in principle | Set by the visa category | VFS Global application centre |
The Pre-Departure Course portal opened on 5 January 2026, and Identità began checking certificates on 1 March 2026. Part 1 has two online modules of 10 to 12 hours each, followed by a 20-minute live interview, with 42 days to finish. Part 2 adds sector modules and an in-person verification interview at a designated assessment centre for sectors such as tourism and hospitality.
EXPLAINER
What is Malta’s Skills Pass?
The Skills Pass is a certificate issued by Malta’s Institute of Tourism Studies. Since its launch in March 2024, non-EU nationals applying for a Single Permit to work in tourism and hospitality must hold one. Workers already in the sector had to obtain it when renewing their permit from January 2025.
It runs in two phases. Phase 1 is online training and assessment, covering basic customer care, basic Maltese and one occupation such as receptionist, bar waiter or commis chef, and it is submitted with the permit application. Phase 2, a 30-minute interview with an assessor, follows Identità’s approval in principle and must be passed before the worker applies for an entry visa.
What could change, and what has not been decided?
The declaration widens the scope of skills assessment beyond hospitality, but it does not say which jobs come next. Malta’s own labour migration policy, in its implementation document of July 2025, lists sector “Skills Cards” as ongoing work, “to be rolled out gradually and as necessary.” That document did not name sectors either.
The same policy already raised the bar at the top end. From 1 August 2025, the Key Employee Initiative required a gross salary of at least €45,000 a year, and the Specialist Employee Initiative at least €30,000. The policy said both schemes would be revised more broadly in the following months.
For an Indian worker aiming at construction, care, retail or logistics, nothing has changed yet. Any new sector test will need its own rules, fees and timeline from the Maltese authorities before it applies to a single application.
Who actually decides on a visa or permit?
VFS Global’s role is administrative. The company collects application forms and documents and enrols biometrics. Decisions to grant or refuse a visa rest solely with the relevant embassy or with Identità.
That matters for applicants dealing with agents. A skills interview held at a VFS Global centre is booked through the official Skills Pass portal, and permit approval comes from Identità. No private intermediary can promise an outcome that only the Maltese authorities can give.
What happens next?
A declaration of intent sets direction rather than rules. The next concrete step will be an announcement from Identità, the Institute of Tourism Studies or the foreign ministry naming the sectors, the test format and the fees for any assessment beyond hospitality. Until then, the Skills Pass and the Pre-Departure Course remain the only skills checks in force for non-EU workers.
Identità’s annual report also records that its technology team supported the global rollout of additional VFS Global visa application centres, a programme it put at 86 per cent complete. Malta’s network of VFS Global counters is still growing.
VFS Global’s work for Indian applicants elsewhere includes Indian visa services in Australia. More guides are in the Visa section.
What Indian jobseekers eyeing Malta are asking
Does the new agreement change my Malta work permit application today?
No. The declaration signed on 8 October 2026 sets out intent and names no new sector, fee or start date. An Indian applicant today still needs the Pre-Departure Course certificate for a first Single Permit, and a Skills Pass if the job is in tourism or hospitality. Any new sector test will only apply once the Maltese authorities publish its rules.
Where do Indian candidates sit the Skills Pass interview?
Phase 2 of the Skills Pass is a 30-minute interview with an assessor. Candidates from outside the EU who need a visa to enter Malta, which includes Indian passport holders, choose their nearest VFS Global centre for it. Those who do not need a visa sit it at the Institute of Tourism Studies in Malta.
Can VFS Global approve or speed up a Malta work permit?
No. VFS Global collects documents, takes biometrics and hosts interviews, but the decision to grant or refuse a visa rests only with the embassy or Identità. Work permits are issued by Identità. Treat any agent who promises a guaranteed approval through VFS Global with caution.
How many Indians work in Malta?
The last published count is 13,158 Indian nationals working in Malta in July 2023, the largest foreign group, given by the finance minister in a parliamentary answer. Government employment data for the end of 2025 lists India among the top three non-EU nationalities, but that release does not give a separate number for Indians.
Visa note: requirements and fees change. Check the official Identità Skills Pass page and the Identità Pre-Departure Course page before paying any agent.
