Following the outbreak of Coronavirus disease (COVID 19), Identity Malta Agency is implementing the following changes to its services with immediate effect.
1. Customer Care Desk
The Expatriates’ customer care desk shall not engage in direct contact with the public and those who will still turn up in person will not be assisted. However, the Expatriates’ customer care service will not suspended and the public can forward their queries to [email protected] or call +356 2590 4800.
Applicants who are required to extend their interim permit should not call in person at the Expatriates Unit but are instructed to submit a request for an extension on [email protected]and ask for a confirmation via email.
2. Third-country workers: single-permit section
2.1 Renewals of residence permits (employment): third-country workers whose residence permit expires between 13th March and 31st March 2020 shall make the necessary arrangements with their employer to submit their application through Identity Malta’s online platform. Identity Malta will only accept the submission of an application in person in those instances where it is not possible to make use of the online application platform.
Queries and guidance on how to use the New Single Permit Online Platform can be sent on [email protected]
2.2 Change of employment:the same provisions in point 2.1 shall apply.
2.3 New applications for a residence permit (employment): third-country applicants and employers must use Identity Malta’s online application platform to submit new applications.
Identity Malta will only accept the submission of an application in person only in those instances where:
(i) it is not possible to use the online application platform, and
(ii) the applicant did not arrive in Malta from abroad in the last 14 days preceding the date of entry in the country.
2.4 Third-country nationals issued with an approval in principle:third-country nationals who are physically present in Malta and had been issued with an approval in principle must submit their application for a residence permit not before 14 days from the date of entry in the country.
2.5 Decisions on applications for a single permit submitted by applicants who are not physically present in the Maltese territory: Identity Malta will not be issuing new decisions with respect to applications submitted by applicants who are not in the Maltese territory. The Agency will be informing the public when this service will resume back to normal.
In order to avoid any doubts, applicants should only turn up at Identity Malta’s premises on the instructions of the Expatriates Unit.
3. Other non-EU applicants [third-country nationals applying for a residence permit or a visa for purposes other than work]: non-EU section
Third-country nationals who intend to apply for a visa or residence permit for purposes other than work and enter/ed the Schengen territory between 1st March 2020 and 31st March 2020 should not visit Identity Malta’s premises before the 1st April 2020 or before 14 days from the date of entry in Malta [third-country nationals arriving in Malta on the 31st March should not visit Identity Malta’s premises before the 15th April 2020].
Third-country nationals who are/were authorised to stay in Malta at any point in time during March 2020 will be allowed to submit an application for a visa or residence permit after 1stApril 2020.
Other third-country nationals who do not intend to apply for a visa or residence permit must leave the Maltese territory immediately upon the expiry of their authorisation to stay.
4. European Union citizens and their family members: EU section
4.1 European Union (EU) nationals and their family members do not require to be in possession of a residence card for a period of three (3) months from the date of entry in Malta. Only those EU nationals and their family members who plan to reside in Malta for a period exceeding three (3) months are expected to apply for a residence document.
4.2 Those EU nationals and their family members who enter/ed Malta from abroad between 1st March and 31stMarch should not visit Identity Malta’s premises before 1st April 2020 or before 14 days from the date of entry in Malta [EU nationals and their family members arriving in Malta on the 31stMarch may submit their application for a residence document from the 15thApril 2020 onwards].
4.3 EU nationals and their family members may apply to renew their residence document if they did not enter Malta from abroad in the 14 days preceding the date they visit Identity Malta’s offices to submit their application. EU citizens and their family members are allowed to renew their residence document even if they do not submit the application before the expiry date of their current document.
4.4 The directives applicable to EU citizens and their family members are also applicable to United Kingdom (UK) nationals residing in Malta and other citizens of the UK who are residing in Malta and have not applied for a residence document yet.