Foreign workers will need to pass test about life in Malta before moving
Those who fail will not be allowed to work in Malta
All third-country nationals wanting to work in Malta will have to complete a pre-departure course and pass a test about life in Malta before moving here, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri said on Thursday.
The requirement will come into effect next year, he said, adding that those who do not pass the test will not be allowed to work in Malta.
“The course is about being a better resident, workers’ rights, our culture, basic hygiene, when to take out the garbage and basic phrases in Maltese,” Camilleri said.
“These are people who can be my neighbour or your neighbour,” he said.
A pre-departure course was first mentioned in January together with a raft of other measures in the government’s Labour Migration Policy.
Camilleri said that TCNs already in Malta will also be able to do a similar course. And those who are here and want to have a work permit for two years instead of one will be able to do that course from the beginning of next year, Camilleri said.
That course will include an emphasis on Maltese and also a test, he said.
“We want to emphasise teaching the Maltese language because those who learn even the basics can be better residents in our society,” Camilleri said.
TCNs will also be able to receive a two-year permit if they complete a course related to their profession.
A welder, for example, who does more training in welding – either at their company, at JobsPlus, or at MCAST – will then be able to apply for a two-year permit.
In general, foreign workers apply to renew their single work permit – which allows them to work and live in Malta – on a yearly basis.
Camilleri said the government prefers foreigners who are integrating into Maltese life to stay, instead of having a high turnover of foreign workers.
“Between a person who knows our culture and one or two people who do not know it, I would prefer the first option,” he said.
Having foreign workers with a two-year permit will not only create more peace of mind for them but also reduce bureaucracy for businesses and the Maltese authorities that process applications, he said.
Flows of foreign workers have risen notably, from just under 10,000 in 2012 to a peak of approximately 42,000 in 2023. The number of foreigners leaving the country has also increased substantially, from around 5,900 in 2012 to a peak of 23,400 in 2024.