Working in Malta from Nepal: Visa & Permit Guide (2026)

The short version for Nepali applicants

As a Nepali citizen you are a third-country national, so working in Malta takes three things: a job offer from a Maltese employer, a Malta work permit obtained under its national rules, and a long-stay (type D) visa to enter. A tourist Schengen visa never allows work.

In short, how Malta's system works: non-EU nationals need a Single Permit combining work and residence in one application. The full Malta detail — routes, the EU Blue Card floor (≈ €34,956 gross/year (2024 EU portal figure), set at 1.5× Malta's average gross annual salary and revised yearly; the portal figure is the conservative reference), language and quotas — is on the Malta country guide linked below. This page focuses on the part that is specific to applying from Nepal.

Applying from Nepal: where and how

Several EU countries have no embassy in Kathmandu, so Nepali applicants often file the long-stay visa at the mission covering Nepal from New Delhi (India) or another regional hub, frequently through a VFS Global centre — confirm the responsible mission before you travel.

• Emigration clearance: nepal requires a labour approval (shram swikriti) from the DoFE before you leave for foreign employment — going without it is irregular migration and strips you of legal protection.
• Documents: educational and other documents usually need verification and, for many countries, translation and attestation (e.g. via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) before a consulate will accept them.
• Recognition: get your qualification assessed through MQRIC — Malta Qualifications Recognition Information Centre — start this early, as it often takes weeks or months.

The Nepali–Malta route: which jobs, realistically

Malta's hospitality and care sectors actively recruit Nepali workers, and English at the workplace lowers the language barrier compared with most of the EU.

In almost all cases you need the signed offer before the permit process can begin — Malta has no general job-seeker visa.

Avoiding recruitment fraud on the Nepal–Malta route

Nepal's foreign-employment corridor is heavily targeted by unlicensed 'manpower' brokers. Use only DoFE-licensed recruitment agencies, never pay for a 'guaranteed' European work visa, and check that the job, employer and permit are real.

• The employer — not you — normally drives and pays for the work-permit process.
• A visa is decided by a government, never by a broker: no legitimate route sells a guaranteed visa.
• Verify the employer, the vacancy and the permit with the Identità (Single Permit) / Jobsplus (labour-market test) before paying anyone.