Every official source this guide relies on, with the institution, purpose, and date last checked.
How we choose sources
When a page on this site makes a claim about a process, requirement, or cost, it is grounded in one of the official sources below, in this order of authority:
- Identità — for Single Permit and employment-related permit requirements.
- Skills Pass official pages — for the Pre-Departure Course and sector-specific Skills Pass operational details.
- Human Rights Directorate — for I Belong Programme updates.
- Other Malta government pages.
Secondary, non-official sources are used only to discover where to look — never as the final authority for a claim shown on this site.
Official sources referenced on this site
- Malta Environmental Health Directorate (opens in a new tab)
Opens the official website
https://environmentalhealth.gov.mt/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Restaurant-EHD-Form-EN.pdf
Restaurant inspection checklist: cold food below 8°C, hot food above 63°C, labelled storage conditions and temperature records.
Last checked:
- London Fire Brigade (opens in a new tab)
Opens the official website
https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/safety/the-workplace/fire-safety-training/
General training principles for alarm, escape and evacuation procedures; not Malta legislation or assessment rules.
Last checked:
- NHS (opens in a new tab)
Opens the official website
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/burns-and-scalds/
Thermal-burn first-aid guidance supporting the corrected 20-minute cooling advice; not Malta assessment policy.
Last checked:
- Identità (opens in a new tab)
Opens the official website
https://identita.gov.mt/expatriates-unit-main-page/noneu-nationals/employment-related-permits/single-permit/expatriates-unit-single-permit-pre-departure-course/
Primary description of the Single Permit Pre-Departure Course requirement for non-EU nationals.
Re-checked 2026-06-14. Describes the interview as a 20-minute live online interview conducted at ITS Malta or an authorised Global Assessment Centre, followed by an in-person verification interview at a designated assessment centre worldwide — see the interview page for how this differs from the Skills Pass FAQ wording.
Last checked:
- Ministry for Home Affairs, Security and Employment (opens in a new tab)
Opens the official website
https://homeaffairs.gov.mt/predeparture-course/
Ministry-level description of the Pre-Departure Course: the two-part structure, the two Part 1 modules, the learning hours, the interview, the 42-day completion window, the fee, and the rollout dates.
Newly catalogued 2026-07-23, read via browser (this host returns HTTP 403 to automated fetches). It is the clearest official statement of the Part 1 / Part 2 split: Part 1 (the Pre-Departure Course) is mandatory for all first-time Single Permit applicants; Part 2 is sector-specific certification that applies only to certain occupations, such as tourism and hospitality, and forms part of the Phase 2 interview. Publishes: two Part 1 courses (Living and Working in Malta; Rights and Obligations at the Workplace), approximately 10–12 hours of learning each, a 20-minute live online interview at ITS Malta or an authorised Global Assessment Centre, a 42-day window to complete Part 1, a €250 course cost, portal opening 5 January 2026, and Identità verification of certificates from 1 March 2026. All of these agree with the figures already published across the network — this source corroborates, it does not correct. Re-read in a browser 2026-10-01: unchanged against every figure listed above (two Part 1 modules of about 10–12 hours each, the 20-minute live online interview at ITS Malta or an authorised Global Assessment Centre, 42 days, €250, 5 January and 1 March 2026), and the page still ends with an "Apply here as of 5th January 2026" link. No page's Last verified date was moved on the strength of this re-read.
Last checked:
- Skills Pass (opens in a new tab)
Opens the official website
https://skillspass.org.mt/
Official Skills Pass programme homepage.
Last checked:
- Skills Pass (opens in a new tab)
Opens the official website
https://skillspass.org.mt/obtaining-the-skills-pass
Official guidance on how to obtain the Skills Pass.
Re-checked directly 2026-08-13. States "Fee: €245 + €5 (Phase 2 Booking Fee for Phase 2 Interview)" for the Pre-Departure Course. Still states the Tourism & Hospitality Skills Pass fee as €230, including a €5 booking fee, and still describes candidates receiving certificates through Hyland — see the homepage cost section and certificate page for how this compares with other official wording.
Last checked:
- Skills Pass (opens in a new tab)
Opens the official website
https://skillspass.org.mt/how-to-register.html
Official walkthrough of the Skills Pass account-registration workflow, including the personal, passport, and contact details the portal collects.
Last checked:
- Skills Pass (opens in a new tab)
Opens the official website
https://skillspass.org.mt/faqs
Official Skills Pass frequently asked questions.
Re-checked 2026-06-16. Still states the Skills Pass price as €225 with a combined total of €475 for both courses, describes certificates as issued digitally weekly through Blockcerts, and describes the onsite interview as physically attended at a VFS centre — see the homepage cost section, certificate page, and interview page for the related source discrepancies.
Last checked:
- Skills Pass (Tourism & Hospitality) (opens in a new tab)
Opens the official website
https://tourism.skillspass.org.mt/
Sector-specific Skills Pass portal for tourism and hospitality roles.
Last checked:
- Skills Pass (Tourism & Hospitality) (opens in a new tab)
Opens the official website
https://tourism.skillspass.org.mt/skillspass
Sector-specific Skills Pass operational details for tourism and hospitality.
Re-checked 2026-06-14. The current fee table states: Pre-Departure Course €245; Tourism and Hospitality Skills Pass €230 including a €5 booking fee; Video Conference Interview no additional payment included. The page still contains an earlier sentence saying candidates book the Phase 2 interview and pay €250, so this is now treated as an internal wording conflict on the official page rather than as a separate fee to add to the total. See the cost page's discrepancy note.
Last checked:
- Skills Pass (Tourism & Hospitality) (opens in a new tab)
Opens the official website
https://tourism.skillspass.org.mt/faqs.html
Sector-specific Skills Pass frequently asked questions.
Re-read 2026-09-23. Lists excluded roles (as of January 5, 2026): Accounts, Marketing, HR, Store employees, Cleaners & Kitchen Porters; the list is non-exhaustive. Also describes the published renewal pathway: a two-year permit may be granted when renewing after one year with no objections; a three-year permit may be granted if qualification level improves and all rules are met.
Last checked:
- Skills Pass (Tourism & Hospitality) (opens in a new tab)
Opens the official website
https://tourism.skillspass.org.mt/user-guidelines.html
Sector-specific Skills Pass user guidelines.
Last checked:
- Skills Pass (Tourism & Hospitality) (opens in a new tab)
Opens the official website
https://tourism.skillspass.org.mt/certification
Official description of how Tourism & Hospitality Skills Pass certificates are issued, stored, and verified through Blockcerts.
Re-checked 2026-06-14. Describes Skills Pass certificates as digital blockchain credentials issued by ITS and stored/imported through the Blockcerts Wallet App.
Last checked:
- Skills Pass (opens in a new tab)
Opens the official website
https://app.skillspass.org.mt/
The official Skills Pass account application — where candidates log in, register, and complete the Pre-Departure Course and Tourism & Hospitality Skills Pass.
Last checked:
When official pages disagree
Occasionally, two official pages describe the same detail differently — for example, how a course fee is broken down. When that happens, we say so in plain language on the relevant page, show both versions, and note that the point needs further verification, rather than inventing a single reconciliation that no official source actually states.
We never collect official login details, documents, or payment data. Use this guide for context, then take action only on the official portal. Full citations are listed at the end of this page.
Visit the official Tourism & Hospitality Skills Pass websiteOpens the official website