If the carer you'd like to employ for your mum or dad is from outside the European Union, they'll need a single permit before they can start work. It's one combined residence and work permit, issued by Identità, the government body that handles permits for non-EU nationals.
The live-in carer version costs far less than the standard permit, but it comes with firm rules. This guide explains each step, what it costs, how long it takes, and what changes if the carer is already in Malta. Every figure links to the official source, checked on 20 October 2026.
Two routes: live-in carer, or everyone else
Identità treats live-in carers differently from other household workers.
| Live-in carer | Nanny, housekeeper or live-out carer | |
|---|---|---|
| Who applies | The person who needs the care (often your mum or dad), as the employer. The carer may apply directly if the employer endorses it (source: Identità: single permit) | You, as a "household employer" (source: Identità: non-EU employment FAQ) |
| Fee | €27.50 (source: Identità: single permit) | €600 for a first-time single permit (source: Identità: single permit). Identità's FAQ lists €150 a year for live-out carers of older or disabled people (source: Identità: non-EU employment FAQ) |
| Jobsplus/EURES advert first? | No, elderly and disability care is exempt (source: Identità: Labour Migration Policy, second phase) | Nanny: 2 weeks. Housekeeper: 3 weeks. Live-out carer of an older person: exempt (sources: Identità: Labour Migration Policy, second phase; Labour Migration Policy implementation document (Jul 2025)) |
| Where the carer lives | In the employer's own home, free of charge (source: Identità: Form CEA C2) | Their own accommodation |
| Medical referral | Yes: the employer's doctor confirms they need a full-time carer (source: Identità: live-in carer checklist, new application) | Not on this route |
The rest of this guide focuses on the live-in route, because it's the one built for an older person who needs a full-time carer at home. Nannies, housekeepers and live-out carers are covered further down.
The live-in carer route: who applies and what's needed
The employer applies. Identità's rule is that "Single Permit applications may only be submitted by the employer". For live-in carers there's one exception: they "may apply directly, provided that the application is endorsed by the employer" (source: Identità: single permit). Online, the employer signs in to singlepermit.gov.mt with their own e-ID and chooses "Apply for a Live-In Carer as Individual" (source: Identità: single permit).
Often the person who needs the care is your mum or dad, and they may not be able to apply themselves. In that case Identità requires a power of attorney (prokura), drafted and authenticated by a notary in Malta, for whoever submits on the employer's behalf (sources: Identità: single permit; Identità: live-in carer checklist, new application). The power of attorney must state how many live-in carers the employer needs at any one time (source: Identità: live-in carer checklist, new application).
The employer must need full-time care. The checklist asks for "a Medical referral from the employer's doctor/medical consultant, confirming that the employer requires a full-time carer" (source: Identità: live-in carer checklist, new application).
The documents. Identità's checklist for a new live-in carer application has 12 items (source: Identità: live-in carer checklist, new application):
- Form CEA C2 (New Application, Live-In Carer), completed and signed.
- A full copy of the carer's passport, including the blank pages.
- A work contract signed by both of you, stating the basic wage and the length of employment, "in line with DIER regulations".
- A position description on Identità's template, consistent with the contract.
- The Jobsplus Declaration of Suitability, completed and signed by the employer.
- The medical referral described above.
- The notarial power of attorney, if someone other than the employer submits.
- A copy of the employer's ID card, front and back.
- The health screening approval email from IDCU. Its requirements are on the government's Health Promotion and Disease Prevention website (source: IDCU: health screening).
- A health insurance policy "with a minimum coverage limit of €100,000", including hospital cover, valid for the whole first year of the permit (source: Identità: live-in carer checklist, new application).
- A Pre-Departure Course certificate (see below).
- Any other document Identità asks for.
The carer lives with you. On Form C2, the employer declares that the carer "is being accomodated free of charge in my own habitual residence" (Identità's spelling). The employer also promises to tell Identità if the carer stops living there (source: Identità: Form CEA C2).
The fee for a live-in carer application is €27.50 (source: Identità: single permit). Identità confirms that when other permit fees rose in August 2025, live-in carers were "only charged €27.50" (source: Identità: non-EU employment FAQ). Fees aren't refunded, even if an application is refused, withdrawn or found inadmissible (source: Identità: information for non-EU nationals).
Pay and conditions must meet Maltese employment law. Our guide on how to employ a carer in Malta covers the contract, Jobsplus and payroll steps. What a live-in carer costs sets out the legal minimum wage and the other costs.
The Pre-Departure Course
Since January 2026, Malta has required a Pre-Departure Course for "all Third-Country Nationals (TCNs) applying for a Single Permit for the first time" (source: Identità: single permit). From 1 March 2026, Identità checks the course certificate as part of the permit process (sources: Identità: single permit; Identità: Labour Migration Policy, second phase). The course certificate is item 11 on the live-in carer checklist (source: Identità: live-in carer checklist, new application).
- Cost: "The Pre-Departure Course fee is €250" (source: Identità: single permit). Identità doesn't say whether the employer or the applicant pays it.
- What it involves: Part 1 has two online modules, "Living and Working in Malta" and "Rights and Obligations in the Workplace", each with 10 to 12 hours of learning. It ends with a 20-minute live online interview that checks English and understanding of the course. There are up to 42 days to finish Part 1 (source: Identità: single permit). Part 2 applies only to sectors with their own rules, such as tourism and hospitality (source: Identità: single permit).
- Where: applications go through the Skills Pass portal (sources: Identità: single permit; Skills Pass portal). That doesn't mean your carer needs a Skills Pass. Identità describes the Skills Pass as a requirement for hospitality and food-service roles (source: Identità: non-EU employment FAQ), and the live-in carer checklist doesn't list one (source: Identità: live-in carer checklist, new application).
- Who doesn't need it: Identità's FAQ says people who already hold a valid single permit generally don't need the certificate, unless they apply again as first-time applicants (source: Identità: non-EU employment FAQ). The change-of-employer checklist for live-in carers doesn't list it (source: Identità: live-in carer checklist, change of employer).
Timeline: from application to the first day of work
Identità doesn't publish a timeline just for live-in carers. These are the general single permit figures.
| Step | What happens | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Before applying | The carer takes the Pre-Departure Course (if needed) and the health screening; you arrange insurance, the contract and the medical referral (sources: Identità: live-in carer checklist, new application; Identità: single permit) | Course Part 1: up to 42 days (source: Identità: single permit) |
| 2. Application | You (or your attorney) submit online and pay (source: Identità: single permit) | |
| 3. Processing | Identità checks the application | The law allows four months; Identità says the "average processing time is closer to two (2) months", counted from a complete application (source: Identità: single permit) |
| 4. Approval in Principle | If the carer is still abroad, you both get an Approval in Principle letter by email (source: Identità: single permit) | |
| 5. Visa, if needed | Carers who need a visa apply for a national (D) visa | "approximately eight weeks" (source: Identità: working and residing in Malta) |
| 6. Arrival and biometrics | The carer books a biometrics appointment and brings the original documents (sources: Identità: single permit; Identità: live-in carer checklist, new application) | |
| 7. Authorised to work | Identità issues an Interim Receipt and Temporary Authorisation to Work, then the residence card (sources: Identità: single permit; Identità: working and residing in Malta) |
When work can legally start. The Approval in Principle letter "does not authorise the third-country national to take up employment until the process of the biometrics has been finalised" (source: Identità: single permit). Identità's general rule: "The applicant can only start employment after receiving official documentation in the form of an Interim Receipt or the actual eResident document" (source: Identità: working and residing in Malta).
Once the application is in, the carer can track its status through the link Identità emails them (source: Identità: single permit).
Once your carer starts: one employer, renewals, ending the job
One employer, one role. A single permit doesn't allow its holder to "carry out paid duties assigned by parties other than the identified employer", or to "carry out unauthorised work not related to the specific employment activity indicated in their application" (source: Identità: single permit). So your live-in carer can't also work for your sister, or take cleaning jobs on their day off. For live-in carers, Identità says "a change in designation is not permittable, a new application will be required to apply for any other position" (source: Identità: non-EU employment FAQ).
Renewal. The single permit "is generally renewed annually". Start the renewal 90 days before it expires, or 30 days before if the carer needs health screening (source: Identità: single permit). Most permits last one year, "though some cases may qualify for 2–3 years" (source: Identità: working and residing in Malta). Identità's FAQ says carers can apply for two or three years if the employment contract covers that period (source: Identità: non-EU employment FAQ). The live-in carer renewal checklist asks for the last three months' payslips and an FS3 for the previous year (source: Identità: live-in carer checklist, renewal).
If the employment ends. The employer must send a termination form to Jobsplus and tell Identità, both "within four (4) days of the termination date" (source: Identità: termination). That's because the permit isn't valid for any other employer or role (source: Identità: termination).
Moving to the other spouse. If a live-in carer changes employer between spouses, for example after the employer dies, Identità handles it as a change-of-employer application. It needs a covering letter, plus a death certificate and a medical referral as applicable. The fee is €27.50 (source: Identità: single permit).
Employing a carer who is already in Malta
Some families employ a carer who already holds a single permit in Malta, for example someone finishing a job with another family. That's a change of employer, and different rules apply. Identità also runs the official process for this.
- The new employer applies. "The new employer may submit a Change of Employer application before the non-EU national terminates their previous employment" (source: Identità: change of employer).
- Fees: €27.50 for a live-in carer (source: Identità: single permit); €600 for a standard change of employer (source: Identità: change of employer).
- No advert needed. Change-of-employer applications are exempt from the Jobsplus/EURES advert (source: Identità: Labour Migration Policy, second phase).
- Documents for a live-in carer (source: Identità: live-in carer checklist, change of employer):
- Form C3;
- the carer's passport and residence card;
- a new contract and position description;
- the Jobsplus Declaration of Suitability;
- the medical referral confirming you need a full-time carer;
- your ID;
- health screening;
- either €100,000 health insurance covering the whole period applied for, or evidence that the carer has paid enough social security contributions to be entitled to healthcare in Malta (for example FS3 forms) (source: Identità: live-in carer checklist, change of employer).
- They can't start with you until it's approved. Identità issues an Interim Receipt with a Temporary Authorisation to Work for change-of-employer applications (source: Identità: single permit). Until then, the carer's permit is valid only for their current employer (source: Identità: termination).
- Time limits after a job ends. Identità's FAQ says that for terminations from 1 August 2025, a worker has 30 days to find new work, plus a possible 30 more with proof of financial self-sufficiency (source: Identità: non-EU employment FAQ). Its change-of-employer page adds that applications within 60 days of termination "may be considered for processing, even though the migration status … is considered irregular" (source: Identità: change of employer). After 60 days, the standard eligibility rules apply (source: Identità: change of employer). If the carer's previous job ended a while ago, ask Identità before you agree anything.
When you meet a carer who is already in Malta, it's reasonable to ask to see their residence card and to know when their current job ends. Our guide to interviewing a carer covers the checks families usually make.
Nannies, housekeepers and live-out carers
If the person won't be a live-in carer for the employer, the route is the standard single permit.
- Household employers. Identità describes a household employer as "a private individual who directly employs a worker, such as a live-out carer, domestic helper, or babysitter". Household employers register on the portal "as a company type" (source: Identità: non-EU employment FAQ). They need no DIER licence, "but they must provide valid employment contracts and register the employee with Jobsplus" (source: Identità: non-EU employment FAQ). Jobsplus adds that household employers need a PE number and must file engagement and termination forms (source: Jobsplus: household employees).
- Fees. A first-time single permit is €600, and renewal is €150 a year (source: Identità: single permit). For live-out carers of older or disabled people, the FAQ lists €150 a year for new applications and €50 a year for renewals (source: Identità: non-EU employment FAQ). Other Identità pages show €150 for renewals, so check the current figure with Identità before applying.
- The job advert. Before a new application, the role must be advertised on the Jobsplus portal and EURES (source: Identità: Labour Migration Policy, second phase):
- standard roles: three weeks;
- Skilled Occupation List roles: two weeks. That list includes "531105 Nanny" and "531100 Child care worker" (source: Labour Migration Policy implementation document (Jul 2025)). Housekeeper and domestic cleaner aren't on it (source: Labour Migration Policy implementation document (Jul 2025)), so they need three weeks;
- elderly and disability care: exempt.
- Consistent details. The salary in the application, the Jobsplus declaration and the contract must be the same, or Identità returns the application (source: Identità: non-EU employment FAQ).
- Nannies and food handling. Identità's FAQ lists "child carers" among people who need a Maltese Food Handler Licence (source: Identità: non-EU employment FAQ). It isn't clear how that applies to a nanny in a private home, so ask Identità.
Identità's FAQ says a household employer can also give a formal mandate to a business licensed by DIER to submit applications through the portal (source: Identità: non-EU employment FAQ). Our guide to hiring directly or through an agency explains how to check a DIER licence.
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens
"EU Nationals do not need a permit to reside and work in Malta" (source: Identità: EU nationals). Identità says EEA (Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland), British and Swiss nationals "enjoy some similar favourable conditions" (source: Identità: working and residing in Malta). British nationals are a special case: the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement "does not apply if you only started living in Malta after 31 December 2020", and they must apply for a residence permit under national law (source: Identità: British nationals FAQ). Check Identità's British nationals page before assuming a UK carer needs no permit. EU citizens staying longer than three months register with Identità for an eResidence document (source: Identità: working and residing in Malta).
You still employ an EU carer in the normal way. You file the Jobsplus engagement form "on the first day of employment and no later than four working days" after it starts (source: Jobsplus: employment forms). For an EU national working in Malta for the first time, that means uploading their ID and proof of address in Malta, such as a rent agreement (source: Jobsplus: employment forms). No permit, advert, Pre-Departure Course or permit fee is involved.
Warning signs
Most families and carers deal with each other honestly. A few official facts help you spot when something isn't right:
- An Approval in Principle is not a permit. It doesn't allow work until the biometrics step is done (source: Identità: single permit).
- Official fees are published. €27.50 for a live-in carer, €600 for a standard first-time permit (source: Identità: single permit). Be wary of anyone quoting a large "permit fee" on top.
- Applying doesn't make a stay legal. "Applying for a residence permit to Identità does not regularise one's immigration status" (source: Identità: information for non-EU nationals).
- Never share e-ID logins. "eID credentials must not be shared, given or used by anyone other than the rightful owner", and unauthorised use "is liable to prosecution" (source: Identità: information for non-EU nationals). Nobody else should log in to singlepermit.gov.mt as you.
- Workers never pay for employment services. Maltese law says "No payments or charges shall be demanded or levied on any applicant for any employment services", and nothing may be deducted from wages for those services (source: S.L. 452.130, reg. 10). If someone asks your future carer for a "placement" or "processing" fee, treat it as a red flag.
What CarerMalta does and doesn't do
In practice, CarerMalta:
- doesn't prepare, submit, check or track single permit applications;
- doesn't act under a mandate or power of attorney;
- doesn't sponsor visas;
- never asks for passports, permits or other identity documents;
- never charges carers anything.
The official routes are identita.gov.mt and singlepermit.gov.mt. If you'd like help with the paperwork, a lawyer, or a business licensed by DIER, can act for you under a formal mandate.
When you're ready to look for a carer, browse live-in carer profiles, or post a job setting out live-in or live-out, the hours and the pay using the button below. You choose who to contact, and you stay in charge of every decision.
Sources we checked
Every figure and rule in this guide links to the official page it comes from. We re-check them when the rules or the Budget change.
- Identità: single permit, page updated 27 Aug 2025. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
- Identità: live-in carer checklist, new application. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
- Identità: single permit, page updated 27 Jan 2026. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
- Identità: single permit, page updated 24 Jul 2025. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
- Identità: working and residing in Malta, page updated 14 Jan 2026. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
- Identità: change of employer, page updated 27 Aug 2025. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
- Identità: live-in carer checklist, change of employer. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
- Identità: non-EU employment FAQ, page updated 13 Oct 2026. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
- Identità: single permit, page updated 27 Jan 2026. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
- Identità: single permit, page updated 1 Aug 2025. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
- Identità: termination, page updated 24 Jul 2025. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
- Identità: Labour Migration Policy, second phase, page updated 14 Nov 2025. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
- Labour Migration Policy implementation document (Jul 2025). Checked 20 Oct 2026.
- Identità: EU nationals, page updated 16 Jul 2025. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
- Identità: Form CEA C2. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
- servizz.gov.mt: Carer at Home, page updated 20 Jun 2026. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
- Jobsplus: household employees. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
- Identità: information for non-EU nationals, page updated 24 Jul 2025. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
- Identità: live-in carer checklist, renewal. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
- IDCU: health screening. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
- Skills Pass portal. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
- Jobsplus: employment forms. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
- S.L. 452.130, reg. 10. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
- Identità: British nationals FAQ, page updated 16 Jul 2025. Checked 20 Oct 2026.