Non-European Union/European Economic Countries Area/EFTA (non-EU/EEA/EFTA) - Still Abroad
Any non-EU/EEA/EFTA (Switzerland) that would like to work in the Hospitality and Tourism sector in Malta will need to have a Skills Pass. This process includes:
Phase
- Online English Proficiency Test
- Online Basic Customer Care Course and Assessment
- Online Basic Maltese Tourism Product Course and Assessment
- Online Basic Essential English Course and Assessment
- Online Skills Assessment for one of the following:
- Food Service Staff
- Bar Service Staff
- Kitchen Staff
- Front Office Staff
- Housekeeping Staff
- Other: Any person applying for a job which is not included in the above job families will be subject to undergo the Skills Pass procedure but will be exempt from the online skills assessment.
Phase
This phase consists of an Online Skills Verification Interview as follows:
- Visa Exempt non-EU/EEA/EFTA (Switzerland) – Interview will be carried out at ITS Campus in Malta
- Other non-EU/EEA/EFTA (Switzerland) – Interview will be carried out via the various VFS Centres around the world.
- Other Occupations: Those who have selected other as they do not fall within any job family will still have to undergo the skills verification interview, however it will include more general questions.
Upon successful completion of both Phase 1 Assessments and Phase 2 Skills Interview, the candidate shall obtain a Permanent Pass.
Each applicant has the right to do a 1st resit free of charge and a 2nd resit against payment for each of the online assessments. In the event than an applicant fails once again, they can redo the assessment following three months.
| Category | Start Date | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Non-EU/EEA/EFTA (Switzerland) Living Abroad | Phase 1 shall be available as from April 2024 | €475 |
Non-European Union/European Economic Area Countries/EFTA (non-EU/EEA/EFTA) - Living in Malta
Any non-EU/EEA/EFTA (Switzerland) that is currently living in Malta and is working in the Tourism and Hospitality Sector will need to have a Skills Pass as from January 2025. This process includes:
Phase
for all non-EU/EEA/EFTA (Switzerland) living in Malta
- Online English Proficiency Test
- Online Basic Customer Care Course and Assessment
- Online Basic Maltese Tourism Product Course and Assessment
- Online Basic Essential English Course and Assessment
- Online Skills Assessment for one of the following:
- Food Service Staff
- Bar Service Staff
- Kitchen Staff
- Front Office Staff
- Housekeeping Staff
- Other: Any person applying for a job which is not included in the above job families will be subject to undergo the Skills Pass procedure but will be exempt from the online skills assessment.
Phase
for only non-EU/EEA/EFTA living in Malta for LESS than a year
(applying for first renewal of residency permit)
Phase 2 consists of an Online Skills Verification Interview as follows:
- Visa Exempt Non-EU/EEA/EFTA (Switzerland) – Interview will be carried out at ITS Campus in Malta
- Other Non-EU/EEA/EFTA (Switzerland) – Interview will be carried out via the various VFS Centres around the world.
- Other Occupations: Those who have selected other as they do not fall within any job family will still have to undergo the skills verification interview, however it will include more general questions.
Non-EU/EEA/EFTA (Switzerland) candidates living in Malta for more than a year (applying for second renewal onwards) that successfully complete Phase 1 shall obtain a Permanent Pass without proceeding to Phase 2.
Non-EU/EEA/EFTA (Switzerland) candidates living in Malta for less than a year (applying for first renewal of residency permit) need to successfully complete both Phase 1 Assessments and Phase 2 Skills Interview to obtain a Permanent Pass.
The applicant has the right to do a 1st resit free of charge and a 2nd resit against payment for each of the online assessments. In the event than an applicant fails once again, they can redo the assessment following three months.
| Category | Start Date | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Non-EU/EEA/EFTA living in Malta for more than a year (applying for second renewal onwards) | Phase 1 shall be available as from April 2024 but enforced as from January 2025 | €375 |
| Non-EU/EEA/EFTA living in Malta for less than a year (applying for first renewal of residency permit) | Phase 1 shall be available as from April 2024 but enforced as from January 2025 | €455 |
Summer Students
Any full time student registered with a licensed local education institution who would like to work for a short term within the hospitality and tourism sector can apply for a temporary Skills Pass. The issuance of this 6 consecutive month temporary pass will be free of charge.
A student registering for such Skills Pass would need to obtain a letter signed by the Head of the respective licensed local education institution proving that they are currently following a course within the same education institution. This letter is to be emailed to [email protected] upon registration.
If the student opts to continue working in the tourism and hospitality industry beyond the six consecutive months covered by the temporary pass, they would need to undergo the Skills Pass process accordingly.
| Category | Start Date | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Non-EU/EEA/EFTA Student with a student visa studying in Malta | Registration shall be available as from April 2024 but enforced as from January 2025 | €0 |
| MT / EU Student | As from January 2026 | €0 |
MTA Licensed Establishment
*This is NOT a fast-track option*
An MTA licensed establishment will be able to register sector skilled applicants. Such sector skilled applicants may include knowledgeable sommeliers, mixologists, specialised chefs, gueridon service trained personnel, experienced concierges, maitre d’hotel and seasoned butlers.
The applicants are to meet or exceed the following requirements:
- At least €20,000 in salary per annum.
- Minimum 3 years working in the same role they will be working in Malta.
The MTA licensed establishment will need to register on the online portal. Upon registration, the establishment is to email the receipt showing their paid MTA license for that current year. ITS will then carry out the necessary due diligence process. Once the establishment is approved by ITS the entity can then register the sector skilled applicant as a ‘candidate’ on the online portal given that the prospective ‘candidate’ satisfies the above criteria.
Upon registration the establishment is to email [email protected] the following documents:
- A letter of commitment declaring that the establishment will be paying the 'candidate' at least €20,000 in salary per annum signed by both parties (the candidate and the employer). If the letter of commitment is discovered to be unsupported, access to the online portal as an MTA licensed establishment will be revoked.
- CV of the candidate showing that he has been working in the role that they will be taking in Malta for at least 3 years.
The selected sector skilled applicant shall undergo Phase 1 including:
- Online English Proficiency Test
- Online Basic Maltese Tourism Product Course and Assessment
Following the mandatory online assessments, the candidate shall sit for a Skills Verification Interview by an assessor selected by ITS according to their specific skills.
The applicant has the right to do a 1st resit free and 2nd resit against payment for the online assessments. In the event that the candidate fails the Skills Verification Interview, they will have the right to appeal the decision via the same portal against a charge of €100. An independent verifier will then go through the recorded interview and their opinion is considered as final. If the applicant fails the Sector Verification Interview they will not be allowed to proceed through this process but will be diverted towards the basic Skills Pass process against a balance payment.
If 75% of the nominated sector skilled candidates by a particular establishment fail, access to the online portal as an MTA licensed establishment may be revoked.
| Category | Start Date | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Non-EU/EEA/EFTA Sector Skilled Workers not living in Malta | Phase 1 shall be open as from April 2024, but enforced as from May 2024 | €280 |
| Non-EU/EEA/EFTA Sector Skilled Workers living in Malta | Phase 1 shall be open as from April 2024, but enforced as from January 2025. | €280 |
ELT Licensed Schools
It is understood that the ELT sector is very important within the Tourism Industry, consequently any ELT student opting to work within the tourism and hospitality industry for the summer period will be entitled to a temporary pass valid for six consecutive months.
To obtain this temporary pass, an ELT licensed school is to register their interest and intent to encourage and send students to work within the tourism and hospitality industry in Malta on the online portal. Once the entity is approved by ITS following the necessary due diligence procedures, the entity can then register any ELT student as a ‘candidate’ on the online portal.
The ELT licensed schools commit themselves to provide enough training in English and Hospitality English. Thus, in the event that the student would need to obtain the Skills Pass to work beyond the six consecutive months covered by the temporary pass, they will be required to undergo the Skills Pass process accordingly at the prices below. (English and Hospitality English online courses and assessments will be done against the nominal fee of €10).
| Category | Start Date | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Non-EU/EEA/EFTA ELT Students living abroad (coming to Malta as from May 2024) | Registration shall be available as from April 2024, and enforced in May 2024 | €335 |
| Non-EU/EEA/EFTA ELT Students with a student visa living in Malta | Registration shall be available as from April 2024 but enforced as from January 2025 | €335 |
EU Internships
Any licensed education institutions that offer Tourism and Hospitality programmes within the EU can register their interest and intent to send their students to perform internships in Malta on the online portal. Once the entity is approved by ITS following the necessary due diligence procedures, the entity can then register their students coming to Malta for an internship as ‘candidates’ on the online portal. To be approved, the intern is to be enrolled in a full time programme of study which includes an internship as part of the curriculum.
If an EU-licensed educational institution utilizes agencies for internship logistics, they must appoint a member of these agencies as one of their administrators.
A student registering for such Skills Pass for an internship would need to email a copy of their programme of study which proves that the internship is part of the curriculum of the course that they are following. This is to be emailed to [email protected] upon registration. Such interns will be issued with a Tourism & Hospitality Student Pass for the duration of the internship up to a maximum of one year duration
| Category | Start Date | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Non-EU/EEA/EFTA Internship Students | Registration shall be open as from April 2024, but enforced as from May 2024 | €0 |
| EU Internship Students | As from January 2026 | €0 |
