Landing in Malta with a student visa in hand is one milestone. Figuring out whether you're allowed to pick up a part-time job to help cover rent and daily expenses is the next question almost every Bangladeshi student asks us within their first week. The honest answer has more nuance than most Facebook groups let on — and getting it wrong can put your residence permit at risk.
Yes — non-EU students on a valid Malta student residence permit can work part-time, but only after obtaining a separate Employment Licence from Jobsplus, Malta's employment agency. The commonly cited limit is 20 hours per week during term time and full-time during official holidays, though the exact hour cap should be confirmed directly with Jobsplus/Identità before you commit to a job.
Can international students in Malta work part-time in 2027?
Yes, but it isn't automatic. A Malta student residence permit on its own does not give you the right to work — Jobsplus (Malta's national employment agency) confirms on its official site that "Third Country Nationals who are studying in Malta may also work in Malta on a part-time basis if they are issued with an Employment Licence (work permit) by Jobsplus." In plain terms: your study permit gets you into the country and your classroom, but a second, separate document from Jobsplus is what makes it legal to take a job.
This surprises a lot of Bangladeshi families, because in several other popular destinations — the UK, for instance — permission to work a set number of hours is built directly into the student visa. Malta runs it differently, with two authorities (Identità for your residence permit, Jobsplus for your work permit) each controlling their own piece of the puzzle.
How many hours can I legally work as a student in Malta?
Every education-abroad blog quotes the same figure: 20 hours per week during the academic term, rising to full-time (about 40 hours) during official university holidays such as the Christmas break, Easter break, and the long summer recess. This is consistent across many independent sources, including Malta-based institutions' own student-life pages.
We could not find the exact "20 hours" figure written verbatim on Jobsplus's or Identità's own published pages during our research for this article — only on secondary education-consultancy and student-blog sites, which are consistent with each other but are not government sources. Treat 20 hrs/week as the figure to plan around, but have your institution or Jobsplus confirm your specific case in writing before you start a job.
Do I need a separate work permit, or is it part of my student permit?
It's separate. Two documents, two authorities:
| Document | Issued by | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| e-Residence Permit (study) | Identità | Your legal right to live in Malta and attend your course |
| Employment Licence | Jobsplus | Your legal right to hold a specific part-time job with a specific employer |
The Employment Licence is employer-specific. If you switch jobs — say from a café in Sliema to a retail shop in Valletta — the old licence doesn't transfer. You (or more precisely, your new employer) need a fresh application.
How do I apply for a Jobsplus Employment Licence?
- Find an employer willing to sponsor the application. Jobsplus's process is built around the employer submitting the licence request, so you need a confirmed job offer first.
- Gather your documents — passport, valid e-Residence permit, proof of enrolment, and any checklist items Jobsplus specifies for third-country-national students.
- Submit the application through the Jobsplus employer portal, along with the relevant supporting-document checklist for TCN students.
- Wait for processing — commonly reported as roughly 1–2 weeks, though this can vary by season and case load.
- Register the engagement once the licence is issued — the employer submits an engagement form confirming your start.
What happens during semester breaks — can I work full-time?
During officially recognised university holiday periods — Christmas, Easter, and the summer break — students are commonly reported to be allowed to work full-time hours, generally up to 40 hours per week, still under the same Employment Licence framework. Confirm your institution's official holiday dates with your student office, since "full-time during holidays" only applies to periods your university itself recognises as a break, not any personal gap in your timetable.
Can EU, EEA, or Swiss students work without restrictions?
Yes. EU, EEA, and Swiss nationals studying in Malta have the right to work without an hour cap and without a separate Employment Licence, simply by registering with the relevant Maltese authorities. This is the single biggest difference between an EU passport holder's experience and a Bangladeshi student's experience in the same classroom — worth knowing so you don't assume a classmate's work situation applies to you.
What happens if I break the work-hour limit?
Working beyond your permitted hours — or working without an Employment Licence at all — is a breach of your residence permit conditions. It can jeopardise renewal of your e-Residence permit, and in serious or repeated cases has been linked to loss of legal status and removal from Malta. This is not a rule to test.
The safest approach: get the Employment Licence sorted before your first shift, keep your hours honestly logged, and if you're ever unsure whether a break qualifies as a "holiday period," ask your institution's international office rather than guessing.
Which jobs do Bangladeshi students in Malta usually do?
What we see at Eduvisa: most students start in hospitality and retail — café and restaurant service in tourist-heavy areas like Sliema, St Julian's, and Valletta, or shop-floor retail roles. Malta's tourism-driven economy means part-time hospitality demand is fairly steady year-round, with a seasonal spike around summer that lines up conveniently with the full-time-during-holidays window. Some students with relevant coursework also pick up campus-adjacent roles like tutoring or administrative assistance once they've built a track record.
At 20 hours a week and Malta's minimum wage (which has risen in recent years but should be verified for the current year before budgeting), part-time earnings typically supplement — they don't replace — the €950/month minimum funds Identità requires you to show for your permit. Budget your visa finances assuming no job income at all; treat any part-time earnings as a cushion, not your core plan.
Quick checklist before you take a part-time job in Malta
- Valid, current e-Residence permit (study) in hand
- Confirmed job offer from an employer willing to sponsor an Employment Licence
- Employment Licence approved by Jobsplus — not just applied for
- Maltese Tax Identification Number (TIN) from the Inland Revenue Department
- Your university's official holiday calendar, so you know when full-time hours apply
- A clear log of your weekly hours across all employers, since the cap is cumulative
Related guides: For the fuller cost picture, see our Malta cost of living and budget breakdown, and if you're still choosing where to study, our guide to Malta's top universities and programmes is a good next stop.
A note on accuracy: The 20-hour weekly cap, the 90-day waiting period, and the €230 licence fee are widely and consistently reported across education-consultancy sources, but we were not able to verify these exact figures word-for-word on Jobsplus's or Identità's own published pages during this review (Identità's FAQ page structure is accordion/JS-rendered and didn't expose the answer text to our check). Confirm your specific numbers directly with Jobsplus (jobsplus.gov.mt) or Identità before signing an employment contract — Eduvisa can help you make that direct enquiry as part of our post-arrival support.
Want your Malta work rights checked before you sign anything?
Every student's situation is a little different — your course length, your permit renewal date, and your employer's own paperwork all affect what's actually safe to do. Our team walks Bangladeshi students in Malta through the Employment Licence process one-on-one, and we stay with you after you land, not just until your visa is stamped.
Book Free Consultation →
