The government said Tuesday it is postponing the introduction of the mandatory skills pass for Maltese and EU nationals, from the originally planned date of 1 January 2026, to 1 January 2027.

The skills pass was introduced in May 2024 as part of a plan to gradually augment the quality of human resources in the tourism industry, in line with the Malta Tourism Strategy 2021-2030. It has since secured skills pass accreditation to over 13,000 workers in the catering and hospitality sectors.

The successful introduction and smooth implementation of the Skills Pass were made possible through extensive collaboration and continuous collaboration between the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS), which manages this accreditation, and stakeholders across the industry.

In full coordination with these stakeholders, and in alignment with the recently announced Malta Labour Migration Policy, the government is rescheduling the next step of this plan, retaining the skills pass as obligatory to third country nationals, while deferring it for Maltese and EU nationals by one year, to 1 January 2027.

This realignment, to be introduced through Legal Notice 113 of 2025, will ensure a seamless continuation of this plan, while maintaining the collaborative approach that has led to the positive results achieved so far. It also opens new opportunities for the government to extend the success of the skills pass to other industries, beyond tourism and hospitality.

Over the course of the coming year, the government said it will continue to engage with all relevant partners and stakeholders to ensure that the goals of this initiative are met, while continuing to support the industry's path towards a higher quality tourism offering. It remains committed to support the sustainable growth of the industry while ensuring that the labour market is strengthened with the right skills and talent necessary for the continued development of the country's economy.