Guide
KEI Malta: the Key Employee Initiative and the SEI compared
Updated
The KEI in Malta and its sister scheme, the SEI, are both the single permit with a shorter queue. The salary, the post and the wait separate them.
Question 1
What passport do you hold?
Nationality decides whether a work authorisation is needed at all, before anything else is considered.
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Side by side
| Key Employee Initiative | Specialist Employee Initiative | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum annual gross salary | €45,000 | €30,000 |
| The post | Managerial or highly technical, requiring relevant qualifications or adequate experience | Any post matched by an MQF Level 6 qualification, or a lower qualification plus 3 years' directly related experience |
| Stated processing time | 5 working days | 15 working days |
| Fee | €600 first time, €150 a year on renewal | €600 |
| Job advert requirement | One advert, at least two weeks, within the two months before applying | One advert, at least two weeks, within the two months before applying |
| Initial permit length | One year, then renewable for up to three years | Under the Single Permit Regulations, S.L. 217.17 |
Both sets of criteria are Identità's own (KEI eligibility, SEI eligibility), read on the updated date above.
A discrepancy worth knowing about
Two Maltese authorities publish different salary floors. Identità, which issues the permits, states €45,000 for the Key Employee Initiative and €30,000 for the Specialist Employee Initiative.Jobsplus, which runs the labour market test, describes the KEI as targeting earners of at least €35,000 and the SEI at least €25,000 (jobsplus.gov.mt). We publish Identità's figures because Identità decides. Do not budget a salary between the two without written confirmation from Identità.
Renewing a KEI permit
An approved KEI applicant gets a residence permit valid for one year in its initial year. Renewal for up to three years needs a valid definite or indefinite contract. It also needs the original annual tax declaration form stamped by the Inland Revenue Department. The process follows the regular single permit, due diligence included; only the speed differs.
The EU Blue Card alternative
For higher professional qualifications there is also the EU Blue Card under Subsidiary Legislation 217.27. Identità requires professional qualifications, a contract of at least six months, and a salary of 1.5 times the average gross annual salary in Malta. The National Statistics Office publishes that average in the Labour Force Survey.
The first card is valid for two years, renewable at the holder's option for three. Fees are €600 first time and €150 a year for the permit's duration, up to three years (identita.gov.mt).
The Blue Card carries EU mobility rights and counts towards long-term residence in a way a national permit does not. Identità notes that a Blue Card is distinct from a permit issued for highly qualified purposes under national policies such as the KEI.