Overview
Chefs working in MTA-licensed establishments in Malta fall under the Skills Pass requirement. The specific occupation to select in Phase 1 is "Commis Chef" — the entry-level chef classification that the published occupation list uses.
Official occupation name: Commis Chef
When registering on the official Skills Pass portal (Phase 1), you will select your occupation from a published list. For a chef role, select “Commis Chef”.
Using the wrong occupation classification can cause problems later — particularly if you change roles or employers — so confirm your selection against the official list at the time of registration.
What the assessment covers for this role
All Skills Pass candidates complete two mandatory courses in Phase 1: Basic Customer Care and Basic Maltese Tourism Product. In addition, Phase 1 includes an occupation-specific assessment and Phase 2 (the live interview) covers occupation-specific competency alongside English proficiency.
For the Commis Chef classification, the occupation-specific content focuses on the practical skills and knowledge expected in that role at an MTA-licensed establishment in Malta.
Employer context
Your employer at an MTA-licensed establishment is responsible for ensuring all workers in covered roles hold a valid Skills Pass before starting work. They will verify your certificate via the QR code on your Blockcerts document.
For employer-specific guidance — including who bears the registration cost and how to handle role changes — see the employer guidance pages.
Frequently asked questions
01Does the Skills Pass apply to all chef roles, or only entry-level?
The published occupation list includes "Commis Chef" as the chef classification. Whether sous chefs, head chefs, or executive chefs are treated as the same occupation for Skills Pass purposes — or are excluded at senior levels — is not definitively stated in the materials we have reviewed. If your specific chef role is not entry-level, confirm the correct occupation selection with Skills Pass before registering.
02What does the Phase 1 assessment cover for a chef?
The Phase 1 assessment covers the two mandatory courses (Basic Customer Care and Basic Maltese Tourism Product) that all candidates complete, plus any occupation-specific content linked to the Commis Chef selection. The specific content of the occupation-specific assessment is not published in detail by official materials — but expect questions grounded in kitchen safety, food handling, and the hospitality service context.
03Is the Phase 2 interview different for chefs than for other roles?
Official materials describe Phase 2 as assessing both English proficiency and occupation-specific competency for the role selected in Phase 1. For a chef, expect the open-ended questions to focus on kitchen-specific scenarios — safe working practices, food preparation, and service standards — rather than front-of-house scenarios that would apply to a receptionist or waiter.
04My chef certificate from my home country — does it exempt me from any part of this?
Foreign culinary qualifications or chef certificates do not exempt you from the Skills Pass requirement. The Skills Pass assesses against the Malta Tourism Authority standard, not against prior qualifications. Your experience may help you complete the assessments more easily, but the process applies regardless.