TCN workers will have to take a €250 course on Malta before moving here
The course will become obligatory from January 5, 2026
Updated 10pm with ACE reaction
Third-country nationals who wish to work in Malta will have to take a 20-hour €250 course on working in Malta and Maltese culture starting from January 5, 2026.
The course will become obligatory for anyone applying for a first-time single-permit that would last one year, the home affairs ministry announced on Thursday.
The course will have two modules: Living and Working in Malta, and Rights and Obligations at the Workplace. Each course will take approximately 10-12 hours to complete and must be completed in 42 days.
Time will be spent watching video modules, reading materials, and doing practice assignments, delivered through the Skills Pass platform.
Once they have completed the course, applicants will need to carry out an assessment. This would then be followed by a 20-minute live online interview where applicants would be assessed on their level of English and asked questions about the course content.
Although passing these modules would be enough for some applicants, others might need to carry out additional sector-specific training, which will be managed by the responsible body for the sector.
For instance, any role within the tourism and hospitality sector would require completion of the pre-departure course and the skills pass.
Identità will begin verifying the pre-departure course certificate on March 1, 2026.
Integration course for low-skilled workers
Apart from this course, the government is also introducing a longer course for TCNs in low-skilled occupations that would allow them to renew their work permit for two years, rather than one. The renewal will cost €150 per year.
The new course titled “A Holistic Programme for Immigrants’ Integration” will have a duration of 40-42 hours and will contain both in-person and online courses.
Twenty different modules focus on Maltese history, integrating into Maltese society, Maltese law, renting in Malta, budgeting, keeping Malta clean, digital literacy, and Maltese and English language lessons.
The pre-departure course was mentioned at the beginning of this year when the government unveiled the labour force migration policy.
Earlier this month, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri announced that these would be made available next year.
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.
The Association of Catering Establishments (ACE) welcomed the measures describing them as “fair and sensitive to the realities of the catering industry.”
They added the new requirements “create a more level playing field for the industry in its constant challenge to recruit and retain TCNs.”
ACE called on the authorities to hold further discussions to ensure the smooth implementation of the second phase of the Labour Migration Policy.