Working in Malta from Brazil: Visa, Permit, Costs (2026)

Is Malta a realistic target for Brazilian workers?

If you live in Brazil and work in a trade like construction, hospitality, or caregiving, Malta is a real option. Malta is an English-speaking island nation in the European Union that relies heavily on foreign labor to support its growing economy. Unlike some EU countries that have strict annual quotas or closed doors for non-EU workers, Malta actively recruits international workers for skilled and manual roles.

However, you cannot simply buy a flight ticket, arrive in Malta as a tourist, and start working. Malta strictly enforces its immigration rules through an official agency called Identita. The process requires a specific legal pathway, clear documentation from Brazil, and patience. Moving to Malta takes planning, but when you follow the official steps, it provides a safe and legal way to live and earn in Europe.

The Single Permit route: how it works

The primary legal pathway for a Brazilian national moving to Malta for work is the Single Permit procedure. This scheme combines both an employment authorization and a residence permit into one single application.

Here is the critical rule you must know: your employer in Malta must apply first. You cannot start the Single Permit application by yourself from Brazil without a binding job offer.

• Step 1: Employer submission. Your prospective employer in Malta submits the Single Permit application online directly to Identita (the Maltese government agency). They must prove that the position was offered locally first or falls into an approved vacancy category.
• Step 2: Approval in Principle. If Identita approves the initial request, they issue an official document called an Approval in Principle letter. This document is sent to your employer, who forwards it to you in Brazil.
• Step 3: Visa application in Brazil. Once you hold the Approval in Principle letter, you submit your application for a National Long-Stay Visa (Type D) at the official visa application centre (such as VFS Global) or the accredited embassy serving Brazil.
• Step 4: Travel and final card. You travel to Malta on your Type D visa, register your biometrics with Identita in person, and collect your physical Single Permit residence card.

Documents you need from Brazil and legalisation

Maltese authorities require official proof of your identity, clean criminal history, and qualifications. Because Brazil and Malta are both members of the Hague Apostille Convention, your Brazilian documents must go through a specific verification process before Malta will accept them.

You must prepare the following key documents:

• Valid passport: Must have at least two blank pages and remain valid for at least 3 to 6 months beyond your intended initial stay.
• Job contract: A signed employment contract or binding offer letter from the registered Maltese employer, detailing your position, hours, and conditions.
• Police clearance certificate: An official Certidão de Antecedentes Criminais issued by the Brazilian Federal Police (Polícia Federal).
• Proof of qualifications or work history: Work records registered in your Carteira de Trabalho (CTPS), certificates, or official reference letters from previous Brazilian employers proving your trade experience.
• Health insurance: Comprehensive travel medical insurance covering your journey and initial stay until your local Maltese insurance takes effect.
• Medical screening: A chest X-ray or medical declaration if requested by Maltese health authorities depending on your trade.

Legalisation rules: Every official document issued in Brazil (such as your police certificate and diplomas) must be legalised with an Apostille (Apostila de Haia) at a licensed notary office (Cartório) in Brazil. Additionally, any document issued in Portuguese must be translated into English by a recognized sworn translator (Tradutor Juramentado).

Fees, processing times, and real costs in Brazil

Moving across the Atlantic involves both official government fees and real operational costs on the Brazilian side. You should budget carefully so you are not surprised by expenses along the way.

Official government fees and timelines:

• Identita Single Permit fee: Set by Malta at approximately €280. In many cases, the employer pays this directly during the online submission, but check your contract terms.
• National Visa (Type D) fee: Approximately €66 to €100, payable at the visa application centre in Brazil.
• Processing time: The initial Single Permit approval from Identita takes approximately 2 to 4 months. Once approved, visa scheduling and issuance in Brazil take an additional 2 to 6 weeks.

Real out-of-pocket costs in Brazil (estimates):

• Apostille fees: Cartórios in Brazil charge approximately R$ 40 to R$ 120 (€7 to €20) per document for an Apostila de Haia.
• Sworn translations: Expect to pay approximately R$ 80 to R$ 200 (€13 to €33) per page for English translation.
• Federal Police clearance: Issued online by the Polícia Federal free of charge, but legalising it requires a cartório fee.
• Medical check: Private medical declarations or X-rays cost approximately R$ 150 to R$ 400 (€25 to €65) depending on your Brazilian city.
• Flight ticket: A one-way flight from major Brazilian airports (such as São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro) to Malta typically costs approximately R$ 3,500 to R$ 7,500 (€580 to €1,250) depending on season and notice.

Placement fees and scam warning: Under European and Maltese employment standards, no recruiter, agency, or employer may charge a worker a fee simply to give them a job. The employer carries the cost of recruitment. Be extremely careful if an agency in Brazil asks for thousands of Reais to guarantee a visa or a job in Malta. Payment for documents, translations, and official visa fees is normal; paying money to buy a job is a major red flag.

In-demand trades in Malta right now

Malta regularly recruits international workers across several core industries to fill labor shortages:

• Hospitality workers: Hotels, resorts, and restaurants across the island constantly need cooks, kitchen helpers, and room attendants due to heavy year-round tourism.
• Construction trades: Rapid infrastructure expansion creates constant demand for experienced masons, concrete finishers, tile setters, and general construction laborers.
• Caregivers and health aides: Residential care homes and private healthcare agencies actively hire trained caregivers to support elderly and dependent residents.

Myths vs facts

There is a lot of mispurchased advice circulating on social media regarding work in Malta. Here are the facts you need to know:

• Myth: You can fly to Malta as a tourist, find a job, and start working while your visa processes.
  Fact: Working on a tourist status is strictly illegal in Malta and can result in deportation, fines, and a multi-year ban from entering the Schengen zone.
• Myth: You do not need to speak English because Malta has many Portuguese speakers.
  Fact: English is an official language in Malta and the primary language used in workplaces, safety briefings, and contracts. Basic to intermediate English is essential.
• Myth: You must pay an agency in Brazil R$ 10,000 to process your work permit.
  Fact: The Single Permit application is initiated directly by the employer in Malta, and official fees are clear. Paying high recruitment fees to middlemen is unnecessary and often illegal.
• Myth: The EU Blue Card is the standard route for manual and trade workers in Malta.
  Fact: The EU Blue Card is reserved for highly qualified specialists with university degrees or high-level management experience. Skilled trade workers use the standard Single Permit route.

Before you sign

Protect yourself before making commitments or handing over documents. Use this checklist when evaluating a job offer in Malta:

• Verify the employer: Ensure the company is legally registered in Malta and has an active corporate presence.
• Check contract details: Confirm your exact job title, basic hourly rate or monthly salary, weekly working hours, and overtime conditions in writing.
• Clarify permit costs: Ask the employer explicitly in writing whether they cover the Identita processing fee and work license submission costs.
• Confirm accommodation terms: Clarify whether the employer provides housing, assists with finding a rental, or expects you to secure accommodation independently upon arrival.
• Keep savings buffer: Ensure you have enough emergency funds in Reais or Euros to support yourself during your first month in Malta before your first paycheck.

Build your Workuro profile

If you are a Brazilian welder, driver, caregiver, construction worker, or hospitality professional ready to work in Europe, make it easy for legitimate employers to find you. Create a clear profile on Workuro that lists your specific trade skills, your work history in Brazil, your English language level, and your availability date. Having your Brazilian Federal Police clearance and cartório apostilles ready to request shows employers you are serious and prepared.

Workuro is free for workers - employers pay to search the register, and nobody may charge you for a job.