NextSpring

A Student Permit for at Least a Year, Nine Months to Find Work Afterwards, and a Separate Employment Licence Before Any Part-Time Job

Answer

The general rule applies to you

No exception is recorded for citizens of Ecuador on this topic. That is the answer, not a gap - everything below is the rule you get, unchanged.

172 exceptions recorded across 63 countries · none match Ecuador to Malta · Residency as a student

Admission for study is governed by S.L. 217.22, which transposes the Union's research-and-studies directive and covers researchers, students, trainees and volunteers in one instrument. The general conditions in regulation 7 apply to all of them: a travel document covering the planned stay, parental authorisation for a minor, sickness insurance for all risks normally covered for Maltese nationals, any applicable fee, and sufficient resources to cover subsistence without recourse to the social assistance system, plus the return journey. Regulation 8 adds what a student must show specifically: acceptance by a higher education institution, that the institution's fees have been paid, sufficient knowledge of the language of the course, and resources to cover the study costs. The authorisation runs for at least one year, or for the duration of the studies if those are shorter, and at least two years for a student on a Union or multilateral programme. The part worth planning around is work. Regulation 21 entitles a student to be employed outside study time - but only if he holds an employment licence issued under article 11(3) of the Immigration Act, which is the same licence any other foreign worker needs. The number of hours is set by the employment authorities after examining the labour market, and the regulations put a floor under it rather than a ceiling: not less than 15 hours a week. Failing to respect those limits, or not making sufficient progress in the studies, is a ground on which the authorisation can be withdrawn. After finishing, a student or researcher may stay at least nine months to look for work or set up a business, on a residence permit issued for that purpose.

Verified with official sourceStable2026-10-11

At a glance

Length of the authorisation
At least 1 year, or the duration of studies if shorter

Regulation 16(2) of S.L. 217.22, which also makes it renewable unless regulation 18 excludes renewal.

On a Union or multilateral programme
At least 2 years, or the duration of studies if shorter

Regulation 16(2) of S.L. 217.22, which extends the same to students covered by an agreement between two or more higher education institutions.

Working while studying
Permitted outside study time, but only with an employment licence

Regulation 21(1) of S.L. 217.22 requires a licence issued in terms of article 11(3) of the Immigration Act - the same licence a foreign worker needs.

Minimum hours a student must be allowed
Not less than 15 hours per week, or the equivalent in days or months per year

Regulation 21(2) of S.L. 217.22. The actual maximum is set by the employment authorities after examining the labour market situation; the regulation fixes only the floor.

Stay to look for work after finishing
At least 9 months

Regulation 22(1) of S.L. 217.22, on a residence permit issued for that purpose, to seek employment or set up a business.

Qualification level that may be demanded for that stay
No higher than level 7 of the European Qualifications Framework

Regulation 22(1) of S.L. 217.22. The authorities may set a minimum level; the regulation caps where they may set it.

Sufficient resources
No amount in the regulations; the Chief Executive Officer may indicate a reference amount

Regulation 7(3) of S.L. 217.22, which requires the assessment to be based on an individual examination of the case; regulation 7(1)(e) lets a grant, a scholarship, a fellowship or a work contract count.

Losing the permit
Breaching the hours limit, or not making sufficient progress in the studies

Regulation 18(2)(f) of S.L. 217.22; on progress the Chief Executive Officer must consult the education authorities.

Fee for a study residence permit
€50, on application and on renewal

Item 2(b) of regulation 2 of L.N. 164 of 2025, in force 1 August 2025.

Fee for the post-study job-search permit
€50

Item 2(c) of regulation 2 of L.N. 164 of 2025.

Fee for the employment licence a working student needs
€250 on application

Item 4(c) of regulation 2 of L.N. 164 of 2025 - five times the permit fee, and charged on application rather than on issue.

Requirements

  • Acceptance by a higher education institution to follow a course of study
  • The institution's fees paid
  • Sufficient knowledge of the language of the course
  • Sickness insurance for all risks normally covered for Maltese nationals, valid for the planned stay
  • Sufficient resources for subsistence and for the return journey, and resources to cover the study costs
  • A travel document whose validity covers the planned stay, and parental authorisation if you are a minor
  • A separate employment licence under article 11(3) of the Immigration Act before taking any job

What applies to you

Nothing changes for a citizen of Ecuador

We have no rule recorded that treats your citizenship differently here, so the general rule above is the one that applies to you. That is an answer, not a gap.

What the law says

Text layer - verbatim verifiedConditions of Entry and Residence of Third-Country Nationals for the Purposes of Research, Studies, Training and Voluntary Service in the Mobility Project for Young People: Voluntary Projects Regulations · Regulation 7(1)
«(b) if the applicant is a minor, a parental authorisation or an equivalent document for the planned stay; (c) evidence that he has applied for sickness insurance for all risks normally covered for Maltese nationals which shall be valid for the duration of the planned stay; (d) evidence that any fee that may be applicable has been paid; (e) evidence that during the planned stay, the applicant will have sufficient resources to cover subsistence costs without having recourse to the national social assistance system in Malta as well as return travel costs:»

The conditions common to researchers, students, trainees and volunteers.

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About this source

The Government of Malta's statute book, published on the internet by the Minister responsible for the Law Commission under article 12 of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 (Act XL of 2021). It carries the Constitution, every Chapter of the revised edition with amendments incorporated, every piece of subsidiary legislation under them, and Acts and Legal Notices as enacted. Addresses follow a stable ELI shape: /eli/cap/<n>/<lang>/pdf for a Chapter, /eli/sl/<chapter>.<n>/<lang>/pdf for subsidiary legislation, /eli/act/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf and /eli/ln/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf for instruments as made, and /eli/const/<lang>/pdf for the Constitution. Both official languages are served at the same address with eng or mlt substituted. Article 12(4) of the 2021 Act gives the text on this site a statutory presumption: unless proof is brought to the contrary it is deemed to be a true representation of the law, incorporating all amendments up to the date indicated on the site.

Standing: Maintains the text in force

Cannot be cited for: It is not the authentic text. Under article 10(2) of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 the authentic text is the revised edition itself, which is the sole and only proper text in all Courts of Justice; the internet publication carries only the rebuttable presumption in article 12(4), so the site is official but defeasible. Two consequences follow for citation. First, the presumption runs only up to the date indicated on the site, and that date appears on the HTML page rather than inside the PDF, so a PDF taken on its own states no cut-off and none should be invented for it. Second, where the Maltese and English texts conflict the Maltese prevails - article 74 of the Constitution for any law, article 10(3) of the 2021 Act for a revised edition - so an English quotation here is the subordinate text and should not be relied on against a Maltese one. It cannot be cited for administrative practice at all: who may apply, what documents are wanted and what a programme currently charges in processing terms are matters for Identita, the Residency Malta Agency and the Commissioner for Revenue, and the instruments repeatedly delegate them to guidelines those bodies may issue.

We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source

Text layer - verbatim verifiedConditions of Entry and Residence of Third-Country Nationals for the Purposes of Research, Studies, Training and Voluntary Service Regulations · Regulation 7(3)
«The Chief Executive Officer may indicate a reference amount which he regards as constituting ‘sufficient resources’ as referred to in sub-regulation (1)(e). The assessment of the sufficient resources shall be based on an individual examination of the case.»

A power to publish a figure, not a figure. Nothing read for this record exercises it.

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About this source

The Government of Malta's statute book, published on the internet by the Minister responsible for the Law Commission under article 12 of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 (Act XL of 2021). It carries the Constitution, every Chapter of the revised edition with amendments incorporated, every piece of subsidiary legislation under them, and Acts and Legal Notices as enacted. Addresses follow a stable ELI shape: /eli/cap/<n>/<lang>/pdf for a Chapter, /eli/sl/<chapter>.<n>/<lang>/pdf for subsidiary legislation, /eli/act/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf and /eli/ln/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf for instruments as made, and /eli/const/<lang>/pdf for the Constitution. Both official languages are served at the same address with eng or mlt substituted. Article 12(4) of the 2021 Act gives the text on this site a statutory presumption: unless proof is brought to the contrary it is deemed to be a true representation of the law, incorporating all amendments up to the date indicated on the site.

Standing: Maintains the text in force

Cannot be cited for: It is not the authentic text. Under article 10(2) of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 the authentic text is the revised edition itself, which is the sole and only proper text in all Courts of Justice; the internet publication carries only the rebuttable presumption in article 12(4), so the site is official but defeasible. Two consequences follow for citation. First, the presumption runs only up to the date indicated on the site, and that date appears on the HTML page rather than inside the PDF, so a PDF taken on its own states no cut-off and none should be invented for it. Second, where the Maltese and English texts conflict the Maltese prevails - article 74 of the Constitution for any law, article 10(3) of the 2021 Act for a revised edition - so an English quotation here is the subordinate text and should not be relied on against a Maltese one. It cannot be cited for administrative practice at all: who may apply, what documents are wanted and what a programme currently charges in processing terms are matters for Identita, the Residency Malta Agency and the Commissioner for Revenue, and the instruments repeatedly delegate them to guidelines those bodies may issue.

We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source

Text layer - verbatim verifiedConditions of Entry and Residence of Third-Country Nationals for the Purposes of Research, Studies, Training and Voluntary Service Regulations · Regulation 8(1)
«a third-country national submitting an application for admission for the purpose of studies, shall provide evidence that: (a) he has been accepted by a higher education institution to follow a course of study; (b) the fees charged by the higher education institution have been paid;»
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About this source

The Government of Malta's statute book, published on the internet by the Minister responsible for the Law Commission under article 12 of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 (Act XL of 2021). It carries the Constitution, every Chapter of the revised edition with amendments incorporated, every piece of subsidiary legislation under them, and Acts and Legal Notices as enacted. Addresses follow a stable ELI shape: /eli/cap/<n>/<lang>/pdf for a Chapter, /eli/sl/<chapter>.<n>/<lang>/pdf for subsidiary legislation, /eli/act/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf and /eli/ln/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf for instruments as made, and /eli/const/<lang>/pdf for the Constitution. Both official languages are served at the same address with eng or mlt substituted. Article 12(4) of the 2021 Act gives the text on this site a statutory presumption: unless proof is brought to the contrary it is deemed to be a true representation of the law, incorporating all amendments up to the date indicated on the site.

Standing: Maintains the text in force

Cannot be cited for: It is not the authentic text. Under article 10(2) of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 the authentic text is the revised edition itself, which is the sole and only proper text in all Courts of Justice; the internet publication carries only the rebuttable presumption in article 12(4), so the site is official but defeasible. Two consequences follow for citation. First, the presumption runs only up to the date indicated on the site, and that date appears on the HTML page rather than inside the PDF, so a PDF taken on its own states no cut-off and none should be invented for it. Second, where the Maltese and English texts conflict the Maltese prevails - article 74 of the Constitution for any law, article 10(3) of the 2021 Act for a revised edition - so an English quotation here is the subordinate text and should not be relied on against a Maltese one. It cannot be cited for administrative practice at all: who may apply, what documents are wanted and what a programme currently charges in processing terms are matters for Identita, the Residency Malta Agency and the Commissioner for Revenue, and the instruments repeatedly delegate them to guidelines those bodies may issue.

We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source

Text layer - verbatim verifiedConditions of Entry and Residence of Third-Country Nationals for the Purposes of Research, Studies, Training and Voluntary Service Regulations · Regulation 8(1)(c) and (d)
«(c) he has sufficient knowledge of the language of the course to be followed; (d) he will have sufficient resources to cover the study costs.»

The language condition is about the course, not about Maltese: a degree taught in English is satisfied in English.

Read it at the source
About this source

The Government of Malta's statute book, published on the internet by the Minister responsible for the Law Commission under article 12 of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 (Act XL of 2021). It carries the Constitution, every Chapter of the revised edition with amendments incorporated, every piece of subsidiary legislation under them, and Acts and Legal Notices as enacted. Addresses follow a stable ELI shape: /eli/cap/<n>/<lang>/pdf for a Chapter, /eli/sl/<chapter>.<n>/<lang>/pdf for subsidiary legislation, /eli/act/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf and /eli/ln/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf for instruments as made, and /eli/const/<lang>/pdf for the Constitution. Both official languages are served at the same address with eng or mlt substituted. Article 12(4) of the 2021 Act gives the text on this site a statutory presumption: unless proof is brought to the contrary it is deemed to be a true representation of the law, incorporating all amendments up to the date indicated on the site.

Standing: Maintains the text in force

Cannot be cited for: It is not the authentic text. Under article 10(2) of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 the authentic text is the revised edition itself, which is the sole and only proper text in all Courts of Justice; the internet publication carries only the rebuttable presumption in article 12(4), so the site is official but defeasible. Two consequences follow for citation. First, the presumption runs only up to the date indicated on the site, and that date appears on the HTML page rather than inside the PDF, so a PDF taken on its own states no cut-off and none should be invented for it. Second, where the Maltese and English texts conflict the Maltese prevails - article 74 of the Constitution for any law, article 10(3) of the 2021 Act for a revised edition - so an English quotation here is the subordinate text and should not be relied on against a Maltese one. It cannot be cited for administrative practice at all: who may apply, what documents are wanted and what a programme currently charges in processing terms are matters for Identita, the Residency Malta Agency and the Commissioner for Revenue, and the instruments repeatedly delegate them to guidelines those bodies may issue.

We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source

Text layer - verbatim verifiedConditions of Entry and Residence of Third-Country Nationals for the Purposes of Research, Studies, Training and Voluntary Service Regulations · Regulation 16(2)
«The period of validity of an authorisation for students shall be at least one year, or for the duration of studies, where this is shorter and the authorisation shall be subject to a renewal unless this is excluded as provided in regulation 18: Provided that the duration of the authorisation for students who are covered by Union or multilateral programmes that comprise mobility measures or by an agreement between two or more higher education institutions shall be at least two years, or for the duration of their studies, where this is shorter»
Read it at the source
About this source

The Government of Malta's statute book, published on the internet by the Minister responsible for the Law Commission under article 12 of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 (Act XL of 2021). It carries the Constitution, every Chapter of the revised edition with amendments incorporated, every piece of subsidiary legislation under them, and Acts and Legal Notices as enacted. Addresses follow a stable ELI shape: /eli/cap/<n>/<lang>/pdf for a Chapter, /eli/sl/<chapter>.<n>/<lang>/pdf for subsidiary legislation, /eli/act/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf and /eli/ln/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf for instruments as made, and /eli/const/<lang>/pdf for the Constitution. Both official languages are served at the same address with eng or mlt substituted. Article 12(4) of the 2021 Act gives the text on this site a statutory presumption: unless proof is brought to the contrary it is deemed to be a true representation of the law, incorporating all amendments up to the date indicated on the site.

Standing: Maintains the text in force

Cannot be cited for: It is not the authentic text. Under article 10(2) of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 the authentic text is the revised edition itself, which is the sole and only proper text in all Courts of Justice; the internet publication carries only the rebuttable presumption in article 12(4), so the site is official but defeasible. Two consequences follow for citation. First, the presumption runs only up to the date indicated on the site, and that date appears on the HTML page rather than inside the PDF, so a PDF taken on its own states no cut-off and none should be invented for it. Second, where the Maltese and English texts conflict the Maltese prevails - article 74 of the Constitution for any law, article 10(3) of the 2021 Act for a revised edition - so an English quotation here is the subordinate text and should not be relied on against a Maltese one. It cannot be cited for administrative practice at all: who may apply, what documents are wanted and what a programme currently charges in processing terms are matters for Identita, the Residency Malta Agency and the Commissioner for Revenue, and the instruments repeatedly delegate them to guidelines those bodies may issue.

We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source

Text layer - verbatim verifiedConditions of Entry and Residence of Third-Country Nationals for the Purposes of Research, Studies, Training and Voluntary Service Regulations · Regulation 21(1)
«21. (1) Outside his study time, a student shall be entitled activities by students. to be employed and may be entitled to exercise self-employed economic activity, subject to the rules and conditions applicable to the relevant activity in Malta as well as to the limitations provided for in sub-regulation (2): Provided that such student is in possession of an employment licence issued in terms of article 11(3) of the Act.»

"Economic activities by students." is the margin note, which the extraction splits across the sentence. "the Act" is the Immigration Act, Chapter 217.

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About this source

The Government of Malta's statute book, published on the internet by the Minister responsible for the Law Commission under article 12 of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 (Act XL of 2021). It carries the Constitution, every Chapter of the revised edition with amendments incorporated, every piece of subsidiary legislation under them, and Acts and Legal Notices as enacted. Addresses follow a stable ELI shape: /eli/cap/<n>/<lang>/pdf for a Chapter, /eli/sl/<chapter>.<n>/<lang>/pdf for subsidiary legislation, /eli/act/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf and /eli/ln/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf for instruments as made, and /eli/const/<lang>/pdf for the Constitution. Both official languages are served at the same address with eng or mlt substituted. Article 12(4) of the 2021 Act gives the text on this site a statutory presumption: unless proof is brought to the contrary it is deemed to be a true representation of the law, incorporating all amendments up to the date indicated on the site.

Standing: Maintains the text in force

Cannot be cited for: It is not the authentic text. Under article 10(2) of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 the authentic text is the revised edition itself, which is the sole and only proper text in all Courts of Justice; the internet publication carries only the rebuttable presumption in article 12(4), so the site is official but defeasible. Two consequences follow for citation. First, the presumption runs only up to the date indicated on the site, and that date appears on the HTML page rather than inside the PDF, so a PDF taken on its own states no cut-off and none should be invented for it. Second, where the Maltese and English texts conflict the Maltese prevails - article 74 of the Constitution for any law, article 10(3) of the 2021 Act for a revised edition - so an English quotation here is the subordinate text and should not be relied on against a Maltese one. It cannot be cited for administrative practice at all: who may apply, what documents are wanted and what a programme currently charges in processing terms are matters for Identita, the Residency Malta Agency and the Commissioner for Revenue, and the instruments repeatedly delegate them to guidelines those bodies may issue.

We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source

Text layer - verbatim verifiedConditions of Entry and Residence of Third-Country Nationals for the Purposes of Research, Studies, Training and Voluntary Service Regulations · Regulation 21(2)
«The authorities responsible for employment, in consultation with the education authorities and the Chief Executive Officer, shall determine, following the examination of the labour market situation, the maximum number of hours per week or days or months per year allowed for such an activity, which shall not be less than 15 hours per week, or the equivalent in days or months per year.»

A floor on the permitted maximum, not a cap on what a student may work.

Read it at the source
About this source

The Government of Malta's statute book, published on the internet by the Minister responsible for the Law Commission under article 12 of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 (Act XL of 2021). It carries the Constitution, every Chapter of the revised edition with amendments incorporated, every piece of subsidiary legislation under them, and Acts and Legal Notices as enacted. Addresses follow a stable ELI shape: /eli/cap/<n>/<lang>/pdf for a Chapter, /eli/sl/<chapter>.<n>/<lang>/pdf for subsidiary legislation, /eli/act/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf and /eli/ln/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf for instruments as made, and /eli/const/<lang>/pdf for the Constitution. Both official languages are served at the same address with eng or mlt substituted. Article 12(4) of the 2021 Act gives the text on this site a statutory presumption: unless proof is brought to the contrary it is deemed to be a true representation of the law, incorporating all amendments up to the date indicated on the site.

Standing: Maintains the text in force

Cannot be cited for: It is not the authentic text. Under article 10(2) of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 the authentic text is the revised edition itself, which is the sole and only proper text in all Courts of Justice; the internet publication carries only the rebuttable presumption in article 12(4), so the site is official but defeasible. Two consequences follow for citation. First, the presumption runs only up to the date indicated on the site, and that date appears on the HTML page rather than inside the PDF, so a PDF taken on its own states no cut-off and none should be invented for it. Second, where the Maltese and English texts conflict the Maltese prevails - article 74 of the Constitution for any law, article 10(3) of the 2021 Act for a revised edition - so an English quotation here is the subordinate text and should not be relied on against a Maltese one. It cannot be cited for administrative practice at all: who may apply, what documents are wanted and what a programme currently charges in processing terms are matters for Identita, the Residency Malta Agency and the Commissioner for Revenue, and the instruments repeatedly delegate them to guidelines those bodies may issue.

We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source

Text layer - verbatim verifiedConditions of Entry and Residence of Third-Country Nationals for the Purposes of Research, Studies, Training and Voluntary Service Regulations · Regulation 22(1)
«22. (1) After the completion of the research or studies, Stay for the researchers and students shall have the possibility to stay in Malta, on purpose of job- searching or the basis of the residence permit referred to in sub-regulation (2), for a entrepreneurship for researchers and period of at least nine months in order to seek employment or set up a students. business: Provided that the authorities responsible for education and employment in consultation with the Chief Executive Officer and may decide to set a minimum level of qualification that students shall have obtained in order to benefit from this possibility which level shall not be higher than level 7 of the European Qualifications Framework.»

"Stay for the purpose of job-searching or entrepreneurship for researchers and students." is the margin note, which the extraction interleaves word by word. The "and" before "may decide" is the publisher's.

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About this source

The Government of Malta's statute book, published on the internet by the Minister responsible for the Law Commission under article 12 of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 (Act XL of 2021). It carries the Constitution, every Chapter of the revised edition with amendments incorporated, every piece of subsidiary legislation under them, and Acts and Legal Notices as enacted. Addresses follow a stable ELI shape: /eli/cap/<n>/<lang>/pdf for a Chapter, /eli/sl/<chapter>.<n>/<lang>/pdf for subsidiary legislation, /eli/act/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf and /eli/ln/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf for instruments as made, and /eli/const/<lang>/pdf for the Constitution. Both official languages are served at the same address with eng or mlt substituted. Article 12(4) of the 2021 Act gives the text on this site a statutory presumption: unless proof is brought to the contrary it is deemed to be a true representation of the law, incorporating all amendments up to the date indicated on the site.

Standing: Maintains the text in force

Cannot be cited for: It is not the authentic text. Under article 10(2) of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 the authentic text is the revised edition itself, which is the sole and only proper text in all Courts of Justice; the internet publication carries only the rebuttable presumption in article 12(4), so the site is official but defeasible. Two consequences follow for citation. First, the presumption runs only up to the date indicated on the site, and that date appears on the HTML page rather than inside the PDF, so a PDF taken on its own states no cut-off and none should be invented for it. Second, where the Maltese and English texts conflict the Maltese prevails - article 74 of the Constitution for any law, article 10(3) of the 2021 Act for a revised edition - so an English quotation here is the subordinate text and should not be relied on against a Maltese one. It cannot be cited for administrative practice at all: who may apply, what documents are wanted and what a programme currently charges in processing terms are matters for Identita, the Residency Malta Agency and the Commissioner for Revenue, and the instruments repeatedly delegate them to guidelines those bodies may issue.

We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source

Text layer - verbatim verifiedConditions of Entry and Residence of Third-Country Nationals for the Purposes of Research, Studies, Training and Voluntary Service Regulations · Regulation 18(2)(f)
«(f) with regard to students, the time limits imposed on access to economic activities under regulation 21 are not respected or a student does not make sufficient progress in the relevant studies.»

A ground for withdrawing the authorisation. Progress is assessed after consulting the education authorities.

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About this source

The Government of Malta's statute book, published on the internet by the Minister responsible for the Law Commission under article 12 of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 (Act XL of 2021). It carries the Constitution, every Chapter of the revised edition with amendments incorporated, every piece of subsidiary legislation under them, and Acts and Legal Notices as enacted. Addresses follow a stable ELI shape: /eli/cap/<n>/<lang>/pdf for a Chapter, /eli/sl/<chapter>.<n>/<lang>/pdf for subsidiary legislation, /eli/act/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf and /eli/ln/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf for instruments as made, and /eli/const/<lang>/pdf for the Constitution. Both official languages are served at the same address with eng or mlt substituted. Article 12(4) of the 2021 Act gives the text on this site a statutory presumption: unless proof is brought to the contrary it is deemed to be a true representation of the law, incorporating all amendments up to the date indicated on the site.

Standing: Maintains the text in force

Cannot be cited for: It is not the authentic text. Under article 10(2) of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 the authentic text is the revised edition itself, which is the sole and only proper text in all Courts of Justice; the internet publication carries only the rebuttable presumption in article 12(4), so the site is official but defeasible. Two consequences follow for citation. First, the presumption runs only up to the date indicated on the site, and that date appears on the HTML page rather than inside the PDF, so a PDF taken on its own states no cut-off and none should be invented for it. Second, where the Maltese and English texts conflict the Maltese prevails - article 74 of the Constitution for any law, article 10(3) of the 2021 Act for a revised edition - so an English quotation here is the subordinate text and should not be relied on against a Maltese one. It cannot be cited for administrative practice at all: who may apply, what documents are wanted and what a programme currently charges in processing terms are matters for Identita, the Residency Malta Agency and the Commissioner for Revenue, and the instruments repeatedly delegate them to guidelines those bodies may issue.

We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source

Text layer - verbatim verifiedFees payable for Residence Permits and Employment Licences Regulations, 2025 · Regulation 2, item 2(b)
«(b) Application for a residence permit or renewal for the purpose of study €50»
Read it at the source
About this source

The Government of Malta's statute book, published on the internet by the Minister responsible for the Law Commission under article 12 of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 (Act XL of 2021). It carries the Constitution, every Chapter of the revised edition with amendments incorporated, every piece of subsidiary legislation under them, and Acts and Legal Notices as enacted. Addresses follow a stable ELI shape: /eli/cap/<n>/<lang>/pdf for a Chapter, /eli/sl/<chapter>.<n>/<lang>/pdf for subsidiary legislation, /eli/act/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf and /eli/ln/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf for instruments as made, and /eli/const/<lang>/pdf for the Constitution. Both official languages are served at the same address with eng or mlt substituted. Article 12(4) of the 2021 Act gives the text on this site a statutory presumption: unless proof is brought to the contrary it is deemed to be a true representation of the law, incorporating all amendments up to the date indicated on the site.

Standing: Maintains the text in force

Cannot be cited for: It is not the authentic text. Under article 10(2) of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 the authentic text is the revised edition itself, which is the sole and only proper text in all Courts of Justice; the internet publication carries only the rebuttable presumption in article 12(4), so the site is official but defeasible. Two consequences follow for citation. First, the presumption runs only up to the date indicated on the site, and that date appears on the HTML page rather than inside the PDF, so a PDF taken on its own states no cut-off and none should be invented for it. Second, where the Maltese and English texts conflict the Maltese prevails - article 74 of the Constitution for any law, article 10(3) of the 2021 Act for a revised edition - so an English quotation here is the subordinate text and should not be relied on against a Maltese one. It cannot be cited for administrative practice at all: who may apply, what documents are wanted and what a programme currently charges in processing terms are matters for Identita, the Residency Malta Agency and the Commissioner for Revenue, and the instruments repeatedly delegate them to guidelines those bodies may issue.

We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source

Text layer - verbatim verifiedFees payable for Residence Permits and Employment Licences Regulations, 2025 · Regulation 2, item 2(c)
«(c) Application for stay for the purpose of job-searching or entrepreneurship for researchers €50 and students»

The fee for the nine-month stay in regulation 22 of S.L. 217.22. The amount sits in a second column of the printed table, which the extraction folds into the sentence.

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About this source

The Government of Malta's statute book, published on the internet by the Minister responsible for the Law Commission under article 12 of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 (Act XL of 2021). It carries the Constitution, every Chapter of the revised edition with amendments incorporated, every piece of subsidiary legislation under them, and Acts and Legal Notices as enacted. Addresses follow a stable ELI shape: /eli/cap/<n>/<lang>/pdf for a Chapter, /eli/sl/<chapter>.<n>/<lang>/pdf for subsidiary legislation, /eli/act/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf and /eli/ln/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf for instruments as made, and /eli/const/<lang>/pdf for the Constitution. Both official languages are served at the same address with eng or mlt substituted. Article 12(4) of the 2021 Act gives the text on this site a statutory presumption: unless proof is brought to the contrary it is deemed to be a true representation of the law, incorporating all amendments up to the date indicated on the site.

Standing: Maintains the text in force

Cannot be cited for: It is not the authentic text. Under article 10(2) of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 the authentic text is the revised edition itself, which is the sole and only proper text in all Courts of Justice; the internet publication carries only the rebuttable presumption in article 12(4), so the site is official but defeasible. Two consequences follow for citation. First, the presumption runs only up to the date indicated on the site, and that date appears on the HTML page rather than inside the PDF, so a PDF taken on its own states no cut-off and none should be invented for it. Second, where the Maltese and English texts conflict the Maltese prevails - article 74 of the Constitution for any law, article 10(3) of the 2021 Act for a revised edition - so an English quotation here is the subordinate text and should not be relied on against a Maltese one. It cannot be cited for administrative practice at all: who may apply, what documents are wanted and what a programme currently charges in processing terms are matters for Identita, the Residency Malta Agency and the Commissioner for Revenue, and the instruments repeatedly delegate them to guidelines those bodies may issue.

We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source

Text layer - verbatim verifiedFees payable for Residence Permits and Employment Licences Regulations, 2025 · Regulation 2, item 4(c)
«(c) All other third country nationals Payable on application: €250»

The employment licence a student needs under regulation 21(1) of S.L. 217.22 before taking any job.

Read it at the source
About this source

The Government of Malta's statute book, published on the internet by the Minister responsible for the Law Commission under article 12 of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 (Act XL of 2021). It carries the Constitution, every Chapter of the revised edition with amendments incorporated, every piece of subsidiary legislation under them, and Acts and Legal Notices as enacted. Addresses follow a stable ELI shape: /eli/cap/<n>/<lang>/pdf for a Chapter, /eli/sl/<chapter>.<n>/<lang>/pdf for subsidiary legislation, /eli/act/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf and /eli/ln/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf for instruments as made, and /eli/const/<lang>/pdf for the Constitution. Both official languages are served at the same address with eng or mlt substituted. Article 12(4) of the 2021 Act gives the text on this site a statutory presumption: unless proof is brought to the contrary it is deemed to be a true representation of the law, incorporating all amendments up to the date indicated on the site.

Standing: Maintains the text in force

Cannot be cited for: It is not the authentic text. Under article 10(2) of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 the authentic text is the revised edition itself, which is the sole and only proper text in all Courts of Justice; the internet publication carries only the rebuttable presumption in article 12(4), so the site is official but defeasible. Two consequences follow for citation. First, the presumption runs only up to the date indicated on the site, and that date appears on the HTML page rather than inside the PDF, so a PDF taken on its own states no cut-off and none should be invented for it. Second, where the Maltese and English texts conflict the Maltese prevails - article 74 of the Constitution for any law, article 10(3) of the 2021 Act for a revised edition - so an English quotation here is the subordinate text and should not be relied on against a Maltese one. It cannot be cited for administrative practice at all: who may apply, what documents are wanted and what a programme currently charges in processing terms are matters for Identita, the Residency Malta Agency and the Commissioner for Revenue, and the instruments repeatedly delegate them to guidelines those bodies may issue.

We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source

Practical notes

The right to work while studying is not self-executing. Regulation 21(1) gives the entitlement and then conditions it on holding an employment licence under article 11(3) of the Immigration Act - so a student job in Malta needs the same ministerial licence as any other foreign employment, applied for separately from the study authorisation.

The fifteen-hour figure is a minimum on what the authorities must allow, not a statement of what they do allow. Regulation 21(2) leaves the actual maximum to be determined after an examination of the labour market, and no instrument read for this record states the number currently in force.

The study permit costs €50 and the employment licence that makes a part-time job lawful costs €250, charged on application. The cheaper document is the one most guidance mentions.

The regulations cover researchers, trainees and volunteers alongside students, with their own specific conditions in regulations 9 to 11 and their own durations in regulation 16(1). Only the student provisions are recorded here.

This record rests on S.L. 217.22 alone. The regulations refer to an earlier instrument, the Conditions of Admission of Third Country Nationals for the purposes of Studies Regulations, S.L. 217.09, which was not read for this record.

Sources3 · all accessed 2026-10-10
  • consolidates
    Conditions of Entry and Residence of Third-Country Nationals for the Purposes of Research, Studies, Training and Voluntary Service in the Mobility Project for Young People: Voluntary Projects Regulations, S.L. 217.22

    Laws of Malta

    About this source

    The Government of Malta's statute book, published on the internet by the Minister responsible for the Law Commission under article 12 of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 (Act XL of 2021). It carries the Constitution, every Chapter of the revised edition with amendments incorporated, every piece of subsidiary legislation under them, and Acts and Legal Notices as enacted. Addresses follow a stable ELI shape: /eli/cap/<n>/<lang>/pdf for a Chapter, /eli/sl/<chapter>.<n>/<lang>/pdf for subsidiary legislation, /eli/act/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf and /eli/ln/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf for instruments as made, and /eli/const/<lang>/pdf for the Constitution. Both official languages are served at the same address with eng or mlt substituted. Article 12(4) of the 2021 Act gives the text on this site a statutory presumption: unless proof is brought to the contrary it is deemed to be a true representation of the law, incorporating all amendments up to the date indicated on the site.

    Standing: Maintains the text in force

    Cannot be cited for: It is not the authentic text. Under article 10(2) of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 the authentic text is the revised edition itself, which is the sole and only proper text in all Courts of Justice; the internet publication carries only the rebuttable presumption in article 12(4), so the site is official but defeasible. Two consequences follow for citation. First, the presumption runs only up to the date indicated on the site, and that date appears on the HTML page rather than inside the PDF, so a PDF taken on its own states no cut-off and none should be invented for it. Second, where the Maltese and English texts conflict the Maltese prevails - article 74 of the Constitution for any law, article 10(3) of the 2021 Act for a revised edition - so an English quotation here is the subordinate text and should not be relied on against a Maltese one. It cannot be cited for administrative practice at all: who may apply, what documents are wanted and what a programme currently charges in processing terms are matters for Identita, the Residency Malta Agency and the Commissioner for Revenue, and the instruments repeatedly delegate them to guidelines those bodies may issue.

    We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source

  • consolidates
    Immigration Act, Chapter 217 of the Laws of Malta

    Laws of Malta

    About this source

    The Government of Malta's statute book, published on the internet by the Minister responsible for the Law Commission under article 12 of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 (Act XL of 2021). It carries the Constitution, every Chapter of the revised edition with amendments incorporated, every piece of subsidiary legislation under them, and Acts and Legal Notices as enacted. Addresses follow a stable ELI shape: /eli/cap/<n>/<lang>/pdf for a Chapter, /eli/sl/<chapter>.<n>/<lang>/pdf for subsidiary legislation, /eli/act/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf and /eli/ln/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf for instruments as made, and /eli/const/<lang>/pdf for the Constitution. Both official languages are served at the same address with eng or mlt substituted. Article 12(4) of the 2021 Act gives the text on this site a statutory presumption: unless proof is brought to the contrary it is deemed to be a true representation of the law, incorporating all amendments up to the date indicated on the site.

    Standing: Maintains the text in force

    Cannot be cited for: It is not the authentic text. Under article 10(2) of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 the authentic text is the revised edition itself, which is the sole and only proper text in all Courts of Justice; the internet publication carries only the rebuttable presumption in article 12(4), so the site is official but defeasible. Two consequences follow for citation. First, the presumption runs only up to the date indicated on the site, and that date appears on the HTML page rather than inside the PDF, so a PDF taken on its own states no cut-off and none should be invented for it. Second, where the Maltese and English texts conflict the Maltese prevails - article 74 of the Constitution for any law, article 10(3) of the 2021 Act for a revised edition - so an English quotation here is the subordinate text and should not be relied on against a Maltese one. It cannot be cited for administrative practice at all: who may apply, what documents are wanted and what a programme currently charges in processing terms are matters for Identita, the Residency Malta Agency and the Commissioner for Revenue, and the instruments repeatedly delegate them to guidelines those bodies may issue.

    We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source

  • consolidates
    Fees payable for Residence Permits and Employment Licences Regulations, 2025, L.N. 164 of 2025

    Laws of Malta

    About this source

    The Government of Malta's statute book, published on the internet by the Minister responsible for the Law Commission under article 12 of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 (Act XL of 2021). It carries the Constitution, every Chapter of the revised edition with amendments incorporated, every piece of subsidiary legislation under them, and Acts and Legal Notices as enacted. Addresses follow a stable ELI shape: /eli/cap/<n>/<lang>/pdf for a Chapter, /eli/sl/<chapter>.<n>/<lang>/pdf for subsidiary legislation, /eli/act/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf and /eli/ln/<year>/<n>/<lang>/pdf for instruments as made, and /eli/const/<lang>/pdf for the Constitution. Both official languages are served at the same address with eng or mlt substituted. Article 12(4) of the 2021 Act gives the text on this site a statutory presumption: unless proof is brought to the contrary it is deemed to be a true representation of the law, incorporating all amendments up to the date indicated on the site.

    Standing: Maintains the text in force

    Cannot be cited for: It is not the authentic text. Under article 10(2) of the Statute Law Revision Act, 2021 the authentic text is the revised edition itself, which is the sole and only proper text in all Courts of Justice; the internet publication carries only the rebuttable presumption in article 12(4), so the site is official but defeasible. Two consequences follow for citation. First, the presumption runs only up to the date indicated on the site, and that date appears on the HTML page rather than inside the PDF, so a PDF taken on its own states no cut-off and none should be invented for it. Second, where the Maltese and English texts conflict the Maltese prevails - article 74 of the Constitution for any law, article 10(3) of the 2021 Act for a revised edition - so an English quotation here is the subordinate text and should not be relied on against a Maltese one. It cannot be cited for administrative practice at all: who may apply, what documents are wanted and what a programme currently charges in processing terms are matters for Identita, the Residency Malta Agency and the Commissioner for Revenue, and the instruments repeatedly delegate them to guidelines those bodies may issue.

    We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source