Why do people want to live in Malta? Malta's laidback lifestyle and perma-summer vibe make the country an attractive option for relocation and the booming economy here means that finding a job is easier than ever. The country might be small but its GDP grew an average of 2.9% from 2001 to 2016, despite a global downturn during that period. Malta outperformed the growth in the EU bloc in 2016 and is still going strong. Additional incentives such as the tax structure, low cost labour, strategic location and having English as an official language have attracted investment from large, international companies as well as fostering the development of local businesses. As a result, there are a plenty of jobs around, especially for people with specialist skills. Malta continues to offer a good escape from the economic challenges of some other EU states as it has very low unemployment (5% in 2016).

Employment Rate
Malta has low unemployment (around 5% in 2016) and businesses are often in need of skilled staff, such as accounts clerks, web designers and IT specialists. If you have these skills, you are unlikely to be unemployed for long.

The process to get a Maltese work visa:
Malta's official immigration website has information regarding the various visa options. However, different residence permits fall under different tax brackets and hence it is advisable to seek professional advice. Non-EU nationals can apply for a Tourist Visa to enter Malta and then apply for residence once in the country. Non-EU citizens would also need to apply for Permanent Residence which needs to be renewed annually. EU nationals have the liberty to choose between Permanent Residence and ordinary residence, as per Transfer wise.
Another category that non-EU nationals can apply under is the Global Residence Program of Malta. This program offers great benefits but also has stricter control measures. To be eligible you must prove that

• You maintain a residential address in Malta
• You can pay 15% tax on the income earned in Malta
• You have funds to support your family in Malta

The Maltese Global Residence Program is an attractive option as Malta being part of the Schengen area, allows free movement throughout the European Union.

To take up work legally in Malta, you may also need the ETC employment license which has to be applied by the Employer.

Documents needed:
Information on documents needed may be found on the official immigration website of Malta.
In case of an ETC employment license, your Employer would need the following documents:

• A copy of your passport certified by relevant authorities
• Completed application form
• Passport size photos
• Qualification and work experience documents
• Updated CV

The Employer, as part of the application process, would also need to provide evidence that they tried to fill the position from within the EU before making an offer of employment to a non-EU national.
EU Blue Card: You may be eligible to apply for an EU Blue Card depending on the type of work you do. The EU Blue Card gives you work rights across most
EU member nations.
The eligibility for an EU Blue Card is as below:

• You must be a citizen of a country outside of the EU
• You should be highly skilled which means that you should have at least a bachelor's level education or five years of work experience at a senior level
• You should have a work contract or a binding job offer in EU

Maltese Work Visa for Entrepreneurs:
To set up your business venture you need to obtain an employment license from the Govt. of Malta. To be eligible candidates should have a planned investment of EUR 100,000 in the first six months of establishing the business. Or you may need to demonstrate the capability to employ at least 3 local people in the first 18 months of the business. An employment license may also be procured by producing a sound business proposal approved by the Maltese Enterprise Agency.

Bringing the spouse and family members to Malta:
You may apply for a family reunification visa after completing a year of stay in Malta. This would include your spouse and dependent children.

You would be required to provide evidence of suitable accommodation and sufficient income to support the family. You would also be able to provide evidence of funds to support your whole family.

MRC offers a wide range of visa and immigration services as well as products to overseas immigrants including Business Visa for Schengen, Study Visa for Schengen, Visit Visa for Schengen, and Work Visa for Schengen.