A new scheme has been introduced for third-country national individuals seeking employment and residence in Malta. The scheme ‘The Key Employee Initiative’ (KEI) has the aim of facilitating and providing a fast track application process to highly-specialised third-country nationals who seek employment in Malta.
Eligibility
An individual may apply for a work/residence permit under the scheme if s/he intends to apply for a managerial or a highly-technical post which requires specific qualifications or adequate experience. This scheme is also open to innovators who are involved in start-up projects which are specifically approved by Malta Enterprise.
Individuals applying under the KEI must:
- Have an annual gross salary of at least € 30,000;
- Provide the Expatriates Unit within Identity Malta with certified copies of the relevant qualifications, warrants or the necessary work experience;
- Provide a declaration by the employer stating that they have the necessary credentials to perform the duties which they have been assigned.
Validity
Once the application is validated and approved, the applicant will be issued with a residence permit which is valid for one year. The permit may then be renewed for a maximum period of three years, subject to the submission of the documentation requested by Identity Malta, namely (i) a definite or an indefinite contract of employment, and (ii) the original annual tax declaration form stamped by the Inland Revenue Department.
Timeframe
Permits are issued within five working days from the date of submission of the application. The applicant does not need to be physically present to submit the application, therefore the applicant would not need to travel to Malta to submit the application.