In this blog, I will give you detailed information regarding Malta EU Blue Card Visa VISA.

Malta is an island located in the middle of the Mediterranean sea. Malta has emerged as one of the favorite countries for studying abroad. Malta is a peaceful country with some of the most beautiful landscapes. 

It is one of the best places in the world to live, study, or work. Malta offers world-class education and great working opportunities, despite being a small country, it also offers high living standards. 

Malta is one the cheapest countries in Europe, hence, it is easier for international students with low budgets to study and work. 

Often, students face admission issues and high living costs in European countries, but Malta offers a quality education at the lowest cost.

What is the Malta EU Blue Card Visa?

You need a residence permit to stay in a foreign country. Malta also requires a residence permit to stay and work there. 

The country issues an EU blue card as a residence permit to some highly qualified professionals that are from non-EU countries. Malta is facing a shortage of highly skilled professionals who can work in their country. 

If you qualify for the current skill requirements, you can easily get a Malta EU Blue Card Visa. This blue card offers you the permit to stay and work in the country for the period specified in the card. 

Read our other blog to learn about Malta Visa Success Rate.

Eligibility for the Malta EU Blue Card Visa

The Malta EU Blue Card Visa can help you to ease your stay in Malta by various means but to get the blue card, you would have to meet some eligibility criteria, which are as follows:

• Firstly, you must have a valid work contract or binding job offer from a company in Malta, and the duration of the employment must be at least 1 year. The employment areas are strictly defined, and only highly skilled professional employment is included in the criteria. 
• Your job offer should meet a minimum salary threshold fixed for that particular year. The gross annual salary specified in the work contract or binding job offer should be equal to or higher than the minimum threshold. The threshold set by Malta for the year 2014 was 16.036 EUR.
• If your job comes under a regulated profession, then you would have to submit documents proving that the national requirements of the regulated profession are met. 
• If your job is an unregulated profession, then you would have to present documents stating that relevant higher qualifications are met. 
• You will have to present a travel document, like a long-term national visa, that legally states the duration of your stay.
• Lastly, you will have to provide health insurance or proof that you have applied for one and will be getting one before your arrival. 

What is the cost of a Malta EU Blue Card Visa?

If the above-stated requirements are met, then you are good to go to Malta. It costs around 255 EUR to apply for a Malta EU Blue Card Visa. The processing time for the blue card is a maximum of 90 days. 

What are the benefits of the Malta EU Blue Card Visa?

EU Blue cards were introduced to tackle the workforce shortage in the EU. The EU currently needs more highly skilled professionals who can stay and work in the country. 

The EU Blue cards are issued to such highly skilled non-EU residents to screen their qualifications and also to ensure that once they are working for the EU, they enjoy the same benefits as an EU citizen does. There are several benefits of the Malta EU Blue Card Visa:

• You will get all the rights stated in the subsidiary legislation 217.15
• With an EU blue card, you will be treated equally as a Maltese national by the law and enjoy the same benefits.
• You can travel freely and easily to all the members of the EU at a very low cost. This is a great benefit as by working in just a small country, you get to travel economically and without much documentation to the whole European continent. 
• You can re-enter Malta many times a year, even for long periods. 
• According to the constitution of Malta, the regular working hours are 40 hours a week. All the companies in the country have to follow these rules strictly. In the case of overtime, each hour worked overtime on a weekday calculates to 1.2 times the normal hourly rate and each hour worked overtime on the weekend calculates to 2 times the normal hourly rate. These rules help maintain the work-life balance, and the EU strictly follows these labor laws. 
• You will also get free healthcare services during your stay in Malta.
• Your family can accompany you during your stay in Malta, this point is one of the most important points as this benefit is not provided by most of the countries. 
• In case your daily accompanies you, the government will provide all the educational and vocational training to you and your family. 
• Malta also offers generous paid leaves to all of its blue card holders. You will get one rest day per week. 14 public holidays will also e given, if the public holiday falls on a rest day, it will be passed on for future use. 14 weeks of uninterrupted maternity is also provided. Sick leaves and urgent leaves in case of family reasons can also be issued. 

Documents required for the Malta EU Blue Card Visa

There are some documents that you need to gather to obtain a Malta EU Blue Card Visa. These are as follows:

• Employment License: The employment license is the most important document required. The procedure for obtaining the license has been described in the next section.
• Passport: The passport needs to be issued in the last ten years.
• Two recent photographs
• The receipt of the administrative fees. 

Documents required for the employment license

The employer must submit the following documents for the employment license:

1. The employment license application form
2. Passport size photograph
3. Proof of fees paid
4. A letter from the employer stating the requirement for the highly skilled professional job, and proof that the employer searched for Maltese/EEA/Swiss nationals for the job and job description
5. Your CV
6. Qualifications and certified translated documents(if required), the documents and qualifications should be verified by the Malta Qualifications recognition and Information center(MQRIC)
7. Type D visa(if required)

You cannot work in Malta while your application is been processed. If you want to work with a different employer, you can change after 2 years of working with the first employer in Malta. 

If you have lived per the rules of Malta and have sufficient funds, then you can apply for permanent residency in Malta after working continuously for 5 years in Malta.

Conclusion

The Malta EU Blue Card Visa is a very useful way of starting your journey to work abroad. Malta has various job opportunities for skilled professionals, which pay well and provide additional benefits. 

The most important benefit of the EU blue card in Malta is that it treats you equally to a Maltese National. All the best for your future endeavors.  

FAQs