You can partly check a Malta work permit yourself. If an employer in Malta really filed a Single Permit application for you, the Single Permit system emails you a link. You open it with your date of birth and passport number. We found no public tool that checks a Malta permit by passport number without that link.
In one case reported by Times of Malta, Indian applicants paid an agency about €6,000 (around ₹5 lakh) each for Malta jobs that did not exist when they arrived. One worker held a food-courier permit but never had a job or a salary.
This guide shows what you can check yourself, how to read an Approval in Principle, what money is legal, and what to do with the rest.
Can you check a Malta work permit yourself?
A Malta work permit application can be partly checked by the worker. Malta's Single Permit system emails you a link after the employer files, and that link shows the status. We found no public lookup by passport number alone. If you never received the link, treat any "approved permit" from an agent as unverified until the employer proves otherwise.
- The official self-check: Identità says workers can view their own application status by following the link they received by email (Identità: processing period).
- How you open it: with your date of birth and travel document (passport) number, as shown in the official Single Permit online guide.
- What we found no sign of: a public website where anyone can type a passport number and see "real" or "fake" without that link.
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How is a real Malta work permit issued?
A real Malta work permit follows five steps, and the employer starts it. The employer files online, you confirm your details through an emailed link, the fee is paid online, Identità issues an Approval in Principle, and you then travel on a national D visa for biometrics. A document that skips these steps deserves questions.
- The employer files. Single Permit applications may only be submitted by the employer; live-in carers are the exception (Identità: Single Permit application). An employment agency can only act for the employer if it holds a DIER licence (Identità: employment agencies).
- You get an email link. After the employer submits, you receive a link to confirm the application and check your data (same page).
- The fee is paid online. €600 for a first Single Permit, paid by the employer or the worker before final submission (same page).
- Identità issues an Approval in Principle (AIP) once Jobsplus and the Police have approved the application in principle (Identità FAQ).
- You get a national D visa, travel and give biometrics. Visa-required applicants still abroad need a Type D national visa after the AIP. You may start work only once the card is issued, or once an interim or temporary authorisation to work is issued after biometrics (Identità FAQ).
The permit covers one employer and one occupation at a time (Identità FAQ). The law allows four months for processing, and Identità says the average is about two months from a complete application (Identità: processing period).
How do you check your Malta Single Permit application?
Checking a Malta Single Permit application starts with the email from the Single Permit system. Then compare every detail against your passport and contract, read the status, and check the employer and agency. If you have no link, ask the employer for the application's reference number. Five checks, in this order, take about ten minutes.
1. Find the email and open the link yourself
The email comes from the Single Permit system, not from an agent's Gmail address. Open the link yourself rather than one forwarded on WhatsApp. Log in with your date of birth and passport number (Single Permit online guide).
2. Check that every detail matches
Your name must match your passport exactly, along with your passport number, the employer's name, the job title and the salary. Identità requires the same job title in all documents, and a contract signed by both sides (Identità: documents required).
3. Read the status
The portal shows where the application stands (Identità FAQ, "Application Status" and "Progress Tracker"). The one to watch is Pending Completion by Employer: it means nothing has been submitted to Identità yet. Other statuses include Pending Review by Applicant, Approval in Principle Letter Available, and Revoked. If an agent says your permit is "approved" while the portal shows Pending Completion by Employer, the agent's claim is wrong.
4. No link? Ask for the R-number
The AIP and the biometrics invitation carry a reference number that starts with "R", for example R98765432 (Identità FAQ). Ask the employer, not the agent, for it. If nobody can give you a link or an R-number, treat the "permit" as unverified.
5. Check the employer, the agency and your Indian agent
Follow these checks in order:
- Employer: search the Malta Business Registry. Since 1 August 2025, the BAROS company search needs a free login (MBR notice).
- Agency in Malta: any recruitment, temping or outsourcing agency needs a DIER licence under the Employment Agencies Regulations (S.L. 452.130, in force since 1 June 2024). Unlicensed agencies can't submit applications (Identità: new employment agency regulations). Ask to see the licence.
- Agent in India: Indian recruiting agents must be registered. Check the name on the MEA's list of registered recruiting agents on eMigrate.
- Then the documents themselves: if the PDFs still worry you, have an independent expert examine them (see the last section).
What is an Approval in Principle, and is it a work permit?
An Approval in Principle is a letter from Identità saying Jobsplus and the Police have approved your application in principle. It lets you apply for a D visa if you are abroad and book biometrics. It is not a work permit or a residence permit, and you cannot start work with it.
According to Identità's FAQ, an AIP contains:
- your details and the application number starting with "R"
- the permit type and the employer
- how long the AIP is valid
- how to book biometrics and which originals to bring
- visa instructions if you are still abroad
An AIP is usually valid for 90 days for new applications and 180 days for applications made while still abroad. It cannot be extended. If it expires, the employer must file a new application.
| Document | Issued by | What it allows |
|---|---|---|
| Approval in Principle (AIP) | Identità | Applying for a D visa (if abroad) and booking biometrics. Not work. |
| National D visa | Malta's visa authorities | Travelling to Malta to complete the process |
| Interim receipt / temporary authorisation to work | Identità, after biometrics | Starting work for the named employer |
| Residence card (Single Permit) | Identità | Living and working in Malta for one employer and one job |
Sources: Identità FAQ, Identità: Single Permit application.
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What does a Malta work permit cost, and who may charge you?
Identità charges €600 for a first Single Permit and €150 a year for renewals, paid online inside the application. Identità also says employers cannot legally charge employees for permit costs or recruitment fees. A request for several lakh "for the Malta permit" is not an official fee.
- Official fee: €600 first-time, €150 per year renewal, paid online (Identità: Single Permit application).
- Who may charge you: Identità's FAQ states: "Employers cannot legally charge employees for permit costs or recruitment fees. Any such request is illegal and may be reported." (Identità FAQ)
- Agencies: must hold a DIER licence; unlicensed agencies cannot submit applications (Identità).
- India side: if an Indian agent has cheated you, file a police complaint and complain to the office of the Protector General of Emigrants with the agent's details, as the MEA advises. For online payment fraud, report at cybercrime.gov.in or call the national cyber crime helpline 1930 (PIB).
| Amount | Paid how | |
|---|---|---|
| Official Identità fee | €600 (first Single Permit) | Online, inside the application |
| Typical scam ask | Several lakh "for the permit" | Cash or UPI to a person |
What are the warning signs of a fake Malta work permit?
The biggest warning sign of a fake Malta work permit is an agent saying your permit is filed or approved when you never received an email from the Single Permit system. Others include an AIP sold as a work permit, money to "extend" an AIP, details that change between documents, and cash or UPI payments "for the permit".
- ✗ You never received an email or link from the Single Permit system, but the agent says "your permit is filed" or "approved".
- ✗ The "permit" is a PDF from the agent with no R-number, or the employer doesn't recognise the R-number.
- ✗ The AIP is presented as a work permit, or you're told you can start work on arrival with it.
- ✗ The AIP has expired or is about to, and the agent asks for money to "extend" it. It cannot be extended.
- ✗ The job title, employer name or salary differ between the offer letter, the contract and the AIP.
- ✗ The agency in Malta can't show a DIER licence, or the Indian agent isn't on eMigrate.
- ✗ You're asked to pay "permit fees" in cash or UPI to a person.
- ✗ A "fast-track" or "guaranteed" permit is promised.
- ✗ A hospitality job with no mention of the Skills Pass or the Pre-Departure Course.
- ✗ A food-delivery or courier job where you can't identify the fleet operator. Make sure the fleet operator is real and named.
- ✗ Pressure to pay while the portal still shows "Pending Completion by Employer".
Do hotel and restaurant jobs in Malta need extra documents?
Hotel and restaurant jobs in Malta need extra documents. Since 2024, hospitality roles such as waiters, bar staff, receptionists and cleaners need a valid ITS Skills Pass (Legal Notice 78 of 2024). A Pre-Departure Course was added in January 2026. Without the Skills Pass, Identità treats the application as incomplete or refuses it, according to its FAQ.
- Skills Pass: mandatory for hospitality roles (Identità FAQ, Skills Pass section).
- Pre-Departure Course: launched 5 January 2026 and checked from 1 March 2026 for new and still-abroad hospitality applications (Identità).
An agent who sells a Malta hotel job and never mentions either requirement either doesn't know the official process or is skipping it.
How have Malta job scams targeted Indian applicants?
Times of Malta has reported two patterns of Malta job scams affecting Indian applicants. In one, Indian applicants paid an agency for jobs that turned out not to exist. In the other, agencies charged thousands of euros for a "fast track" that Identity Malta, now Identità, said it does not offer. Both cases are reported news, not official findings.
- Jobs that didn't exist: Times of Malta reported that an employment agency charged Indian applicants about €6,000 (around ₹5 lakh) each. The jobs did not exist on arrival, and one worker got a food-courier permit but never had a job or salary. Officials were charged in India (Times of Malta).
- Paid "fast track": Times of Malta reported agencies charging €1,500–€5,000 per application and promising a fast track. Identity Malta said it offers no fast-track service (Times of Malta).
What should you check before you pay for a Malta job?
Before paying for a Malta job, check twelve things: the official link, matching details, the R-number, AIP validity, the employer, the agency's licence, your Indian agent's registration, the contract, the job title, the job advert, how money is paid, and the Skills Pass for hotel work. Save or print this list for the family.
- ✓ I received the Single Permit email link and opened it myself.
- ✓ My name, passport number, employer and job title match in the portal.
- ✓ The employer (not the agent) gave me the R-number.
- ✓ The AIP is still within its validity date.
- ✓ The employer appears in the Malta Business Registry.
- ✓ Any Maltese agency showed a DIER licence.
- ✓ My Indian agent is registered on eMigrate.
- ✓ The contract is signed by both me and the employer.
- ✓ The job title is the same in every document.
- ✓ The job was advertised with Jobsplus and on EURES. Identità requires at least three weeks within the two months before a new application (Identità: documents required).
- ✓ I have paid nothing in cash or UPI "for the permit".
- ✓ For a hospitality job, the Skills Pass and Pre-Departure Course are covered.
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What if you can't check the documents yourself?
An independent check of your Malta documents is the next step if the agent won't share the link or R-number, if you only have PDFs and screenshots, or if your family needs a written answer before paying. Do it after the official checks above, not instead of them.
Testiy is an independent document check for overseas job offers, work permits and visas, run by ARK Tech & Logistics in Thrissur, Kerala. Testiy is not affiliated with any embassy, VFS Global or immigration agency. An AI scan helps a human expert in Germany find signs of editing, and the expert, not the AI, gives the verdict, often after contacting the employer named in the document. The verdict comes within 24 hours, with a certificate and a public verify link, from ₹1,600 incl. GST.
The service does not issue permits, speed up Identità, or guarantee a visa. See how verification works, pricing and refund terms.
Frequently asked questions
Can I check my Malta work permit with my passport number?
A Malta work permit application can be checked through the link Identità's Single Permit system emails you once your employer files it; we found no passport-number lookup without it. You open the link with your date of birth and passport number. If you never got that email, ask the employer, not the agent, for the application's R-number before paying anything.
What is an Approval in Principle in Malta? Is it a work permit?
An Approval in Principle is a letter from Identità saying Jobsplus and the Police have approved a Single Permit application in principle. It lets you apply for a D visa and book biometrics. It is not a work or residence permit, and you cannot start work with it.
How long is a Malta Approval in Principle valid?
A Malta Approval in Principle is usually valid for 90 days for new applications and 180 days for applications made while still abroad. It cannot be extended. If it expires, the employer must file a new Single Permit application, and the process starts again.
How much does a Malta work permit cost, and can my agent charge me for it?
Identità's fee for a first Single Permit is €600, paid online, and €150 a year for renewals. Identità says employers cannot legally charge employees for permit costs or recruitment fees. Any agency involved in Malta must hold a DIER licence.
How long does a Malta Single Permit take?
Maltese law allows four months to process a Single Permit application. Identità says the average is about two months from a complete application. After approval, you still need the national D visa, travel to Malta and biometrics before you can start work.
How do I know if a Malta job offer is fake?
Warning signs of a fake Malta job offer include no Identità email or R-number, job titles that differ between documents, an employer missing from the Malta Business Registry, an agency without a DIER licence, cash or UPI requests "for the permit", and promises of a fast track. If in doubt, get the file checked before paying.
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Last checked against official sources: 8 October 2026.