A temporary residence permit is granted to foreign nationals who enter Malta with an entry VISA. Any foreign national may proceed to Malta with an entry VISA (where required). Nationals from practically all European and Mediterranean countries may remain in Malta for a period of three months from their date of entry under the 'no employment' condition and such 'permit' is endorsed on their passport upon arrival in Malta.

• A visa application form
• A photocopy of applicant’s passport
• OTHER documents that may be required by the Immigration Police

Visas are not issued on arrival. We will submit an application beforehand to the Immigration Office and follow it up until approved. We will send you the approval by fax.

The fax copy of the visa should be presented to the Immigration Officer on arrival into Malta together with 2 passport photos and a fee of Lm10 (about US $25) payable to the Immigration Officer. (Our legal fee and bank details provided on request.)

1. Print the attached Official Visa Application Form.
2. Fill in the above form in full with all the required details. Where the details do not apply to you, please enter N/A.
3. Sign the form and send it along with a photocopy of your passport by mail, courier or fax.
4. Transfer the visa processing fee to the provided bank account by bank transfer. [Fees and bank details provided on request]. Our immigration consultants will submit your application only on receiving the above documentation and payment.

• A visa application takes about 15 days to be processed, so applications have to be submitted early
• Each person over the age of eighteen (18) years must submit a separate application
• The approval of a visa cannot be guaranteed. Our visa processing fees are non-refundable, however you will are entitled to a copy of the official refusal

If a person desires to stay here for a longer period, he or she is required to apply for an extension of stay to the Principal Immigration Officer, Central Immigration Office, Police General Headquarters. Normally such requests are acceded to provided, amongst other conditions that the Principal Immigration Officer may require, the person concerned can satisfy the said officer that he or she has sufficient means at his/her disposal to subsist on. The foreign national concerned would have to follow this procedure each time he or she wishes to extend the permission that has been granted to him or her by the Principal Immigration Officer, if that person wishes to continue to reside in Malta.

The Central Immigration Office, which forms part of the structure of the Police Department, is responsible for all the administrative tasks related to temporary residence in Malta.

For stays not exceeding 3 months, citizens of the following countries DO NOT require a visa to enter Malta:

• Citizens of the States marked with * may also travel to Malta with a passport that has expired within the last 5 years
• Citizens of the States marked with ** may also travel to Malta with a passport that has expired within the last 1 year
• Chinese nationals holders of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) do not require a visa to enter Malta
• MACAO citizens in possession of a “Regio Administrativa Especial de Macao” passport do not require a visa to enter Malta

Citizens of countries not mentioned above NEED TO APPLY for an Entry or a Transit Visa before proceeding to Malta.

Visitors requiring a visa to enter Malta and who undertake day trips of less than 24 hours to another country are exempted from applying and paying for another visa on their re-entry to Malta.

Our firm provides its clients with assistance on a number of key employment law issues, including advice on employment contracts, in particular the use of restrictive covenants and confidentiality clauses, dismissal, redundancy, discrimination, health and safety, the drafting of policies and procedures, collective bargaining and trade disputes.

Furthermore, our firm has extensive expertise in the area of expatriate employment. Foreigners seeking to work in Malta need to be in possession of a valid work permit and our firm can co-ordinate and handle all the necessary requirements.