DIER’s general rule permits additional employment outside established work schedules, but it is not absolute: employers may prohibit it on specified grounds. Immigration permission and work-hour requirements may also limit a second job.
| Situation | What to know |
|---|---|
| Maltese, EU, EEA or Swiss national | The general employment rule allows additional work outside your established schedule, subject to DIER’s listed employer exceptions. EU, EEA and Swiss nationals have distinct free-movement or similar favourable conditions; check the rights attached to your status. |
| Third-country national with a Single Permit | Your Single Permit does not itself cover paid duties for another employer. For part-time secondary employment, Jobsplus requires a Secondary Employment Licence; the employment must then be registered. |
| Non-EU student | Eligible students may work up to 20 hours per week under course-specific conditions and with a Jobsplus employment licence. Check that the rules and licence cover the work you intend to do. |
| UK national or holder of another residence route | Work rights depend on the exact status and permit conditions. UK nationals have different rules depending on when they arrived and their residence status; other routes, including family, protection and special permits, also have their own conditions. |
Malta’s general rule—and when an employer may object
DIER says employees may take additional employment outside the work schedule established with any employer. However, this is not an unconditional right: DIER separately says an employer may prohibit additional work on grounds such as health and safety, protecting business confidentiality, the integrity of the public service or a possible conflict of interest. The general employment rule also does not give you immigration permission to work for another employer.
Before accepting a second job, check that its hours do not overlap with your existing schedule, whether your employer has a DIER-recognised ground for prohibiting it, and whether your residence status or work authorisation allows the work.
Your nationality and residence route matter
Maltese and EU nationals generally do not need a work permit for employment in Malta. Identità also describes rights for EEA nationals exercising treaty rights and says EEA (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) and Swiss nationals enjoy similar favourable conditions to EU nationals. The exact rules differ by status. Qualifying family members accompanying or joining an EU citizen may have free-movement employment rights, but not every relative or residence document automatically qualifies.
UK nationals have different work arrangements depending on whether they entered Malta before or after 1 January 2021 and on the residence status they hold. Do not assume that the EU-national rule applies to you; check your own document and status.
Other non-EU routes do not all give the same work rights. Identità says long-term residents have access to employment and self-employment without a separate work permit, while a partner of a Maltese national under the relevant temporary route needs a Jobsplus licence to access employment. Jobsplus also says beneficiaries of international protection need an employment licence. Family reunification, Blue Card and other routes have their own conditions, so residence permission alone does not settle whether you may take a second job.
If you hold a Single Permit, a second job needs separate authorisation
A Single Permit is specific to the employer and employment it identifies; it does not itself entitle you to carry out paid duties assigned by another employer. Jobsplus says a third-country national already in primary employment who wants part-time secondary employment needs a Secondary Employment Licence. After the licence is issued, the employer must register the employment with Jobsplus.
Do not treat an application receipt or a pending application as permission to start. Check that the licence has been issued for the job you intend to do and is effective, and that the required Jobsplus registration has been completed. For an overview of the main application route, see the Malta work permit process.
Adding a job is different from changing your main job
Adding authorised part-time work and changing the employer or designation on your main Single Permit are different processes. Jobsplus identifies a Secondary Employment Licence for additional part-time employment. Identità says a permit is specific to its employer and designation and that a change requires the corresponding application. Do not assume the existing permit covers a replacement employer or a changed role.
If you have lost your main job or are moving to a new employer, check the correct process before starting work. The steps for changing employer are not the same as adding authorised secondary employment. See what to check after losing a job in Malta.
Students: check the weekly cap, course rules and licence
The European Commission’s Malta guidance says eligible non-EU students may work outside study time for a maximum of 20 hours per week with a Jobsplus employment licence. Eligibility depends on the course and immigration conditions. For example, its guidance for certain level 1–4 courses specifies that the course must exceed 90 days, a Type D visa is required, and access to employment may be given only after 12 weeks of study. This is not general permission for every student to work.
If you are considering two jobs as a student, ask Jobsplus how the cap and licence apply to your combined work. The published guidance describes a weekly maximum, not separate allowances for each employer; do not assume splitting hours between jobs lets you exceed the applicable limit.
Check working hours and rest across both schedules
DIER says working time generally must not exceed an average of 48 hours a week unless the employee gives written consent to work more. The usual reference period is 17 weeks, but it can be longer in some sectors, including manufacturing and tourism. DIER also describes a minimum of 11 consecutive hours of daily rest and weekly-rest requirements. Sector rules matter, so check the rules that apply to your jobs.
The official guidance reviewed sets out working-time limits and rest periods but does not explain one universal method for adding up hours and rest across separate employers in every case. If your combined schedules approach the limits or leave little time for rest, ask DIER how the rules apply to your situation before committing to the hours.
Questions people ask
Can my employer stop me from taking a second job?
DIER’s general rule allows additional work outside established schedules, but it is not absolute. DIER says an employer may prohibit it on grounds such as health and safety, business confidentiality, the integrity of the public service or a possible conflict of interest. Immigration and work-permit conditions may also restrict the work.
Can I start a second job while a licence application is pending?
Do not assume that you can. If your route requires a licence, check that it has been issued and is effective for the second job, and that the employer has completed any required Jobsplus registration.
Does a student’s 20-hour limit apply separately to each job?
The published guidance describes a weekly maximum for eligible students, not separate per-employer allowances. Confirm with Jobsplus how the cap and licence apply to your combined work; do not assume that splitting hours between jobs lets you exceed the limit.
Do working-time rules definitely add up across two employers?
DIER’s published guidance sets out working-time limits and rest requirements but does not explain one universal method for aggregating schedules across separate employers in every case. Ask DIER how the rules apply to your schedules, especially if your combined hours approach the limits.
Sources
- DIER, Are employees allowed to take up another employment with other employers?
- DIER, Are there cases where the employer can prohibit a worker from taking up another employment?
- Identità, EU Nationals
- Identità, Working & Residing in Malta
- Free Movement of European Union Nationals and their Family Members Order
- Jobsplus, Employing Third Country Nationals
- Identità, Single Permit
- Identità, Change of Designation or Employer
- Identità, Non-EU Employment FAQs
- European Commission, EU Immigration Portal: Student in Malta
- Identità, Long-Term Residence FAQs
- Identità, Partner of a Maltese Citizen
- DIER, Normal Hours of Work
- DIER, Rest Periods
General information, not individual immigration or legal advice. Confirm your own status and current requirements with the relevant authority.