Welcome to Skills Pass
for the Tourism and Hospitality Industry in Malta!
Here is a comprehensive guide on how to obtain your Skills Pass:
Upon registration all candidates are required to fill in their personal details, upload a copy of their identification document (passport for new employees and work permit for those already working in Malta) as well as take a picture to confirm their identity.
The Skills Pass process consists of two Phases:
Phase
Online Training and Assessment
Following registration, the candidate is invited to purchase the modules which include four mandatory modules and at least one occupation.
Candidates must successfully complete the mandatory bundle, including:
- English Proficiency Test
- Basic Customer Care Course and Assessment
- Basic Maltese Tourism Product Course and Assessment
- Basic English for Hospitality Course and Assessment
Following successful completion of the mandatory assessments, the candidates proceed to the occupation selection. Candidates must select one occupation from the following options:
- Luggage Porter (Front Office)
- Receptionist (Front Office)
- Bar Waiter (Bar Staff)
- General Attendant (Housekeeping)
- Commis Chef (Kitchen Staff)
- Commis de Rang (Food Service Staff)
- Other (If your specific occupation is not listed here, kindly contact us on [email protected] to guide you accordingly)
Once candidate passes the mandatory and occupation assessments successfully, the candidates receive a Phase 1 Confirmation Certificate which confirms that the online assessment has been successfully finalised.
Phase
Skill Verification Interview via Video Conferencing
Upon successful completion of Phase 1 and receipt of Phase 1 Confirmation Certificate, the candidate is invited to book a slot for the Phase 2 Interview. The assessor confirms the slot within a week and the candidate shall receive confirmation and instructions via email upon confirmation.
When booking a slot for the Phase 2 Interview, non-EU/EEA/EFTA candidates that require a visa to enter Malta, are required to choose their nearest VFS centre. On the other hand, non-EU/EEA/EFTA candidates that do not require a visa to enter Malta are to select the Institute of Tourism Studies in Malta for their Phase 2 Interview.
The Phase 2 Interview is a 30-minute online interview with one of our assessors. The assessor will ask a set of true-or-false questions about what was covered in Phase 1, including the Basic Maltese Tourism Product, Basic Customer Care, and Essential English for Hospitality. The candidate will also answer open-ended questions to show their level of English conversation skills and their abilities in their respective occupation.
Upon successful completion of Phase 2, the candidate will then receive the Certificate of Full permanent Skills Pass Achievement and will be able to work in the Hospitality and Tourism IndustrySector in Malta.
The Skills Pass Portal for Candidates
Within the portal, candidates are expected to:
Step 1:
Register
Step 2:
Purchase the mandatory bundle
Step 3:
Learn via the platform using Coursera API
Step 4:
Take assessments
Step 5:
Purchase any resits if needed. First resit is free
Step 6:
Book the online interview
Step 7:
View and access certificates
Throughout all the steps, candidates can query via the live chat accessible from the orange button at the bottom right of the screen both on the website and on the Skills Pass portal.
General Rules
- Purchases can only be made via Credit Card (Stripe payment).
- Candidates are given oOne free re-sit for failed exams. Any; subsequent re-sits are available for purchase.The re-sit prices are as follows:
- Basic Maltese Tourism Product, Essential English for Hospitality and Basic Customer Care - €97.50
- Occupation Exam - €107.50
- English Proficiency Resit - €75
- Failure to pass the 2nd re-sit results in a 3-month lockdown period.
- Candidates have 42 days to complete the Phase 1 process. When expired, a 14-day extensions can be purchased if needed at €50.
Registration Categories
There are different registration categories available whereby candidates can either self-register or have entities such as MTA licensed establishments or licensed education institutions registering them as per the following categories.
Candidates can self-register based on their category:
- Non-European Union/European Economic Area Countries/European Free Trade Agreement (Non-EU/EEA/EFTA/EFTA) - Not living/working in Malta.
- Non-European Union/European Economic Area Countries/European Free Trade Agreement (Non-EU/EEA/EFTA/EFTA) - Working in Malta for less than or more then 1 year. the difference between the two categoris is automatically determined based upon the date of first work permit inputted during the registration process.
- Full-time students at a local licensed Education Institution working within the Tourism and Hospitality sector part-time and temporarily.
Certain candidates can only be registered by an entity, including:
- Sector Skilled Workers – can only be registered by local MTA licensed establishments
- Internship Students – can only be registered by their EU licensed education institution
- ELT Students – can only be registered by a licensed ELT institution
Changes in VISA duration
A Non-EU/EEA/EFTA national who acquires a Skills pass and completes the verification process by ITS and Identità is eligible for a residence and work permit of one year upon approval from Jobsplus, the Malta Police Force, and any other pertenant authority.
Upon satisfying the criteria for a full year, Non-EU/EEA/EFTA nationals may renew their permit for two years, with subsequent renewals possible under the same conditions.
Renewal requirements mirror the initial criteria:
- Advancement to at least the next skill pass level (Orange, MQF level 2).
- Direct employment with an MTA licensed operator in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry.
- Submission of documentation for a two-year definite contract or indefinite employment upon renewal.
- Proof of a gross annual income of at least €20,000.
Subsequent renewals for up to two years are available, provided all conditions are continuously met.
If the Non-EU/EEA/EFTA national does not meet the two year permit requirements they will be able to renew on a yearly basis.
Applicability
Any person who is or is to be deemed as a Tourism and Hospitality worker shall obtain a Skills Pass to work within a Tourism and Hospitality operation as from the following dates:
| March 2024 | Publishing of Legal Notice |
| 28th May 2024 | After a two-month standstill period from the publication of the legal notice, the Skills Pass requirement becomes mandatory. This standstill period emanates from the Small Business Act. Any person being non-EU / EEA / EFTA coming to Malta to work in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry is to apply for the Skill Pass by registering online and paying the applicable fee (listed below). The online portal will open for Phase 1 as of April 2024. |
| June 2024 until December 2024 | Malta Enterprise will be launching a scheme in the form of tax credit intended to assist local enterprises opting to pay courses and assessments required for their existing employees to obtain the Skills Pass. |
| 1st January 2025 | All tourism and hospitality workers who work within the tourism and hospitality industry in Malta and who will be seeking to renew, and applicable work permits with the relevant government entities are to apply for the Skills Pass by registering online and paying the applicable fee (listed below). |
| 1st January 2026 | Remaining employees within the tourism and hospitality industry including EU/Maltese will require a Skills Pass. |
Fee
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| Non-EU/EEA/EFTA living abroad (coming to Malta to work in tourism and hospitality industry) | €475 |
| Non-EU/EEA/EFTA living in Malta for less than a year (applying for first renewal of residency permit) | €455 |
| Non-EU/EEA/EFTA living in Malta for more than a year (applying for second renewal onwards) | €375 |
| Non-EU/EEA/EFTA ELT Student | €335 |
| Sector Skilled Workers (registered by an MTA licensed establishment) | €280 |
| Non-EU/EEA/EFTA Internship Student | €0 |
| Students conducting a full-time course with a licensed local Education Institution | €0 |
| EU/EEA/EFTA/Maltese working within the Hospitality and Tourism Industry | €0 |
For more specific information about the specific category kindly visit this link.
By following these steps and guidelines, you'll be well on your way to obtaining your Skills Pass. Should you require any assistance or have questions, our support team is here to help you along the way.
A list of ELT schools licensed by the ELT Council, Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research, and Innovation who offer English courses can be obtained from Council | Fostering the ELT Profession & Industry (gov.mt). For more information kindly email [email protected].
For further information please do not hesitate to contact us on [email protected].
