To carry out research in Malta:
- you must sign a hosting agreement with an accredited research organisation,
- you must apply for a residence permit with Identity Malta Agency.
Where and how to apply | Hosting agreement You must sign a hosting agreement with a research organisation which is accredited with the Malta Council for Science and Technology. The research organisation needs to obtain the approval of the Council to host a researcher. The hosting agreement will lapse if you are not admitted into Malta or when your legal relationship with the organisation ends. Visa If you are subject to a visa requirement, you must obtain a short-stay visa which would cover your arrival into Malta at the Embassy or Consulate in your country of origin or residence, prior to your intended arrival in Malta. Residence permit You must apply for a residence permit with Identity Malta Agency once you arrive in Malta. You must submit the application to be issued with a residence permit whilst you are legally residing in Malta, and therefore during the period where your stay is covered by a visa, should this be required to enter Malta. |
Documents required | To obtain a residence permit for researchers you must show:
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Duration of validity of permits | The period of validity of an authorisation is at least one year, or for the duration of the hosting agreement where this is shorter and the authorisation is subject to a renewal. The duration of the authorisation for researchers who are covered by Union or multilateral programmes that comprise mobility measures is at least two years or for the duration of the hosting agreement where this is shorter, provided that the general requirements above are met for the two years or for the whole duration of the hosting agreement. |
Appeals | If your application is rejected, you can appeal to the Immigration Appeals board. When the approval of an existing hosting agreement is withdrawn or its renewal is refused, the research organisation may lodge an appeal with the Board. You shall be authorised to remain in Malta pending the decision of the Board in your regard. |
Researchers are entitled to equal treatment with Maltese nationals as provided for in Article 19 of Subsidiary Legislation 217.22
Employment during research
| The researcher may carry out teaching activities in accordance with guidelines issued by the Council of the Teaching Professions set up by virtue of the Education Act Cap.327. |
Employment after research | After the completion of the research, researchers have the possibility to stay in Malta, on the basis of a residence permit for a period of at least nine months in order to seek employment or set up a business. |
Change of status | You may change your immigration status if all the relative conditions are met. |
Family members
| For the purpose of allowing the family members of the researcher to join him in Malta the Family Reunification Regulations apply. Notwithstanding this, the granting of a residence permit to family members shall not be made dependent on the requirement of the researcher having reasonable prospects of obtaining the right of permanent residence and having a minimum period of residence. The integration conditions and measures referred to therein may only be applied after the persons concerned have been granted a residence permit. Residence permits for family members are granted by Identity Malta Agency if the conditions for family reunification are fulfilled, within ninety days from the date on which the complete application was submitted. Identity Malta Agency processes the application for the family members at the same time as the application for admission or for long-term mobility of the researcher, in case where the application for the family members is submitted at the same time. The duration of validity of residence permit of family members ends, as a general rule, on the date of expiry of the authorisation of the researcher. This includes, where applicable, authorisations issued to the researcher for the purpose of job-searching or entrepreneurship. |
Mobility | If you have a permit/visa for research in an EU country, you may conduct research and teach in Malta if you fulfil certain requirements. If the duration of your stay in Malta is shorter than 180 days in a 360-day period you are subject to short-term mobility rules. If the duration of your stay in Malta is longer than 180 days, you are subject to the rules governing long-term mobility. |
Short-term mobility | A researcher who holds a valid authorisation issued by another Member State is entitled to stay in Malta in order to carry out part of his or her research in any research organisation for a period of up to 180 days in any 360-day period. The researcher must provide;
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Long-term mobility | In relation to a researcher who holds a valid authorisation issued by another Member State and who intends to stay in order to carry out part of his or her research in any research organisation in Malta as a second Member State, for more than 180 days, the researcher shall provide:
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Family members
| A family member of a researcher who holds a valid residence permit issued by another Member State is entitled to enter, and stay in, Malta in order to accompany the researcher. |