What happens if you lose your job in Malta depends on two things: your passport and your social security record. In the first few days there is a register to join, a benefit claim that only starts once you are on that register and, if you hold a Single Permit, a residence deadline that runs from your official termination date. None of it is complicated, but the order matters.
Job losses happen here like anywhere else. An iGaming company restructures, a fixed-term teaching contract is not renewed, or a seasonal hospitality role ends when the summer crowds go home. The newcomers who handle it best are usually not the ones with the biggest savings. They are the ones who sort the paperwork in the first week, cut costs in a sensible order and keep seeing people while they job-hunt.
This guide follows that order. It is general information for newcomers, not individual legal or tax advice. If your case involves a dispute, a pending permit application or an unusual contribution history, speak to the relevant office or a qualified adviser before you act.
What happens if you lose your job in Malta: the first-week checklist
The first week is about protecting your options, not about sending fifty CVs. Work through this list in roughly this order:
- Get the termination in writing. Ask for a letter or email that states your official last day of employment. For permit holders, that date is the start of your grace period, so you need it in black and white.
- Check your final pay. Ask HR when your last wages will be paid, whether any notice period is being worked or paid in lieu, and how unused annual leave will be handled under your contract.
- Register with Jobsplus under Part 1. This is the step that matters for benefits, covered in detail below.
- If you are a third-country national: confirm that your employer has notified Jobsplus and Identità, and write your grace-period end date somewhere you will see it every day.
- Check your health cover. Find out whether private insurance through your employer ends on your last day and what public cover you still have.
- Review your budget. Work out how many months of rent and food your savings cover, with and without any benefit.
- Tell a few people. Former colleagues, friends and your landlord (if rent might become tight) are more helpful when they hear early.
Keep copies of everything in one folder on your phone or laptop: contract, termination letter, last payslips, ID or residence card, and any emails from your employer about the exit. You will be asked for the same documents more than once.
Registering with Jobsplus under Part 1
Jobsplus is Malta’s public employment service, and it is the gateway to almost all state support for jobseekers. The Department of Social Security’s guidance on servizz.gov.mt is blunt: you must register under Part 1 of the Unemployment Register with Jobsplus to access unemployment support. Once you are successfully registered under Part 1, the application for the state Unemployment Benefit is typically initiated automatically, so you are not filling in a separate benefit claim from scratch.
It helps to have your ID or residence card, your termination letter and recent payslips ready when you register. Jobsplus will tell you exactly what it needs for your situation, and requirements can differ between Maltese citizens, EU nationals and permit holders.
What registration involves afterwards
Registration is not a one-off form. Expect to stay in contact with Jobsplus, attend appointments and show that you are actively looking for work. Jobsplus also runs job-matching and training courses, which can be useful if you want to move sector, for example from hospitality into an office role.
Why register even if you think you will not qualify
Plenty of newcomers assume they have not been here long enough and skip registration. That is a mistake. Without registration you cannot be assessed for either the contributory benefit or the means-tested assistance, and you also miss out on vacancy alerts and training. Let the system tell you that you do not qualify, rather than deciding for it.
Unemployment Benefit vs Unemployment Assistance
Malta has two main payments for people out of work, and which one you can get depends on your contribution history.
For the contributory Unemployment Benefit, you must have paid a minimum of 50 Class 1 and/or Class 2 social security contributions since entering the system, plus 20 paid or credited contributions in the last two consecutive calendar years before your claim (Department of Social Security). Class 1 contributions are the ones deducted from an employee’s salary; Class 2 are paid by the self-employed.
Even when you qualify, the support is time-limited: the benefit is typically paid for a maximum of 156 days, roughly six months, provided your historical contributions are sufficient (socialsecurity.gov.mt).
If your record is too short, there is the non-contributory route: Unemployment Assistance requires you to be over 23, registered under Part 1 with Jobsplus, and to pass a capital means test where resources must not exceed €16,000 for a single person or €26,000 for a couple (servizz.gov.mt).
| Payment | Based on | Who it usually suits | Main catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Benefit (contributory) | Your social security contribution record | People who have worked and paid contributions in Malta for a reasonable stretch | Time-limited; recent arrivals often fall short of the contribution test |
| Unemployment Assistance (non-contributory) | Age, Jobsplus registration and a capital means test | Older jobseekers with low savings and no qualifying contribution record | Savings above the limit rule you out; age threshold applies |
| No state payment | Not meeting either set of conditions | Many newcomers in their first year | You rely on savings, notice pay and leave pay while you look |
Rules last checked June 2026 on the official sources linked above. Always confirm your own eligibility with the Department of Social Security.
The honest takeaway for most people who arrived in the last year or so: plan as if no benefit will come, and treat anything you do receive as a bonus. That mindset shapes the budget section further down.
Single Permit holders: grace period and changing employer
This is the part of the process with the least room for error. If you are a third-country national (non-EU/EEA/Swiss) working on a Single Permit, the permit is tied to your employment, so when the job ends it loses its legal basis. The previous employer is legally required to notify Jobsplus and Identità’s Expatriates Unit within 4 days, and you are generally granted a 30-day grace period from your official termination date to remain in Malta and look for alternative employment (Sciberras Legal).
An extension may be possible if you can show you are financially self-sufficient, and any new employer has to file a Change of Employer application within its own deadline. Ask a prospective employer early whether they have hired permit holders before, because an employer who knows the Identità process saves you valuable days.
Practical habits that help:
- Put your grace-period end date in your phone calendar with reminders at regular intervals.
- Keep proof of applications and interviews in case you need to show you have been actively looking.
- Do not let a verbal promise of a new job replace an actual application; the clock keeps running until paperwork is filed.
- If a new job will not materialise in time, plan your exit properly rather than overstaying, which can affect future applications.
| Situation | EU/EEA/Swiss citizen | Third-country national on a Single Permit |
|---|---|---|
| Right to stay after the job ends | Based on EU free-movement rules, not on the specific job | Permit linked to the job; short grace period only |
| Who notifies authorities | No permit notification needed; keep your residence details up to date with Identità | Employer must notify Jobsplus and Identità |
| Starting a new job | Start once you have a contract | New employer must apply for a change of employer |
| Biggest risk | Running out of savings | Running out of time |
Last checked June 2026. Immigration rules change; confirm your position with Identità before making decisions.
Final pay, tax paperwork and your lease
Maltese employment law sets minimum notice periods that grow with length of service, and your contract may give you more. You can be asked to work the notice or be paid in lieu. Either way, your last payslip should show wages up to your final day plus how any unused annual leave has been settled under your contract. If something looks wrong, raise it in writing with HR first. If that goes nowhere, the Department for Industrial and Employment Relations (DIER) handles complaints about unpaid wages and conditions, and dismissal disputes can go to the Industrial Tribunal. Time limits apply to claims, so do not sit on a dispute for months.
Keep every payslip. At the end of the tax year your employer issues an FS3 statement of your earnings and tax deducted, which you will want for your records and for any future employer or tax query.
How to get a tax number in Malta for the next job
If you already worked here, you already have a tax number, and you keep it between jobs. If you are wondering how to get a tax number in Malta because a new employer asks for one and you never had one (for example, you were on a foreign payroll as a remote worker), the Commissioner for Revenue (CfR) is the office that issues it. Your new employer’s HR or payroll team will usually tell you what they need and in which format, so ask them before you contact the CfR yourself.
Your lease does not end with your job
Your rental contract is separate from your employment. Losing your job does not let you walk away from a lease, and your landlord can still hold you to the notice terms in your contract. Re-read the early termination clause, and if rent is going to be a problem, talk to your landlord before you miss a payment rather than after. If you need to downsize, our guide to where to live in Malta, with areas, rents and bus links helps you compare cheaper localities that still have decent bus connections.
Healthcare, sick leave and Sunday pharmacies
Health cover is easy to forget until you need it. If your employer paid for private health insurance, assume it ends on your last day unless HR tells you otherwise in writing. Your access to the public system depends on your residence and social security status, so check your own position. Our guide to healthcare in Malta for expats, covering GPs, Mater Dei and insurance explains how health centres, Mater Dei Hospital and private GPs fit together. EU citizens should keep their European Health Insurance Card from home valid as a backup.
Sick leave rules in Malta if you are ill around your exit
Sick leave rules in Malta come from employment law, the wage regulation order for your sector and your own contract, so entitlements differ between, say, a hotel worker and an office employee. If you were on sick leave when your employment ended, or you fall ill during your notice period, keep every medical certificate and send copies to HR in writing. If you think sick leave has been handled unfairly, DIER is the place to ask.
Pharmacies open on Sunday in Malta
Most community pharmacies close on Sunday, but a rota system means a number of pharmacies open on Sunday in Malta in each area. The duty list is published in the local newspapers and online each week, and health centres can point you to the nearest one. If you are cutting costs, ask the pharmacist whether a cheaper generic version of your medicine is available; they are usually happy to help.
Stretching your money while you look
Work out your monthly fixed costs first, then cut in this order, starting with the changes that save the most for the least pain:
- Rent: the biggest line for almost everyone. Consider a room in a shared flat or a cheaper locality once your lease allows it.
- Groceries: switching chains and shopping the weekly offers makes a real difference. Our guide to supermarkets in Malta, with chains, hours and saving tips covers which shops are cheapest for basics. Local markets and greengrocers often beat supermarkets on seasonal fruit and vegetables.
- Transport: if you are resident, a personalised Tallinja card gives you free bus travel, which makes selling or pausing a car worth considering.
- Subscriptions and memberships: many gyms let you freeze a membership rather than cancel it; ask before you pay another month.
- Eating out: swap restaurant meals for cooking with flatmates or picnics at the coast.
Write the numbers down. A simple spreadsheet showing how many months your savings last turns a vague worry into a plan you can act on.
Finding the next job
The job market here is small, and people move between companies constantly, so former colleagues are often your best source of leads. Let them know you are looking and what kind of role you want. Beyond your network, combine Jobsplus vacancies, recruitment agencies that specialise in your sector and LinkedIn. Our guide to jobs in Malta for English speakers and where to apply lists the main channels, and the broader overview of working in Malta, including salaries and work culture helps if you are thinking of switching sector.
When offers arrive, compare them properly. Check the gross salary against the legal floor in our explainer on the Malta minimum wage for 2026, and look at what the package actually includes: health insurance, transport allowance, remote days and probation length.
For permit holders, focus your energy on employers who already hire third-country nationals and understand the change-of-employer process. A slightly lower salary from an employer who can file quickly may be worth more than a better offer that cannot be processed within your grace period.
Keeping a routine and people around you
Losing a job abroad hits harder than at home, because your colleagues were often your main social circle. Without them it is easy to stay in the flat, scroll job boards and see nobody for days. A few habits help:
- Keep office hours for the job hunt, then stop. Evenings are not for refreshing your inbox.
- Work from a café or library a few mornings a week so you are out of the house and around people.
- Keep moving: sea swims, coastal walks and free outdoor exercise cost nothing.
- Say yes to low-cost plans with friends, ex-colleagues and new people: a coffee, a walk along the Sliema front, a board game afternoon.
When you meet someone new, keep it simple and safe: choose a public place, tell a friend where you are going, make your own way there and home, and leave if anything makes you uncomfortable.
Want to turn this into an actual plan? MeetNow is a free app for meeting people in person: a host posts a plan at a public place, says who pays (host pays, split, pay your own or free) and picks who joins. It is live on the web and works in your browser, starting in Malta. The Android app is on Google Play; the iPhone app is not in the App Store yet. Open MeetNow and see the plans posted in Malta.
Between jobs, the free and pay-your-own plans are the ones to look out for: they keep you social without straining the budget. Losing a job is a setback, not a verdict on your move. Sort the paperwork, protect your runway and keep showing up for people.
FAQ
Can I stay in Malta if I lose my job?
EU/EEA and Swiss citizens live in Malta under free-movement rules, so losing a job does not by itself end their right to stay, although they should keep their residence details up to date with Identità. Third-country nationals on a Single Permit are in a different position: the permit is tied to the job, and they generally have only a short grace period from the termination date to find a new employer or leave.
How long does Unemployment Benefit last in Malta?
The contributory Unemployment Benefit is paid for a limited period set by the Department of Social Security, and only if your contribution record is sufficient. Many newcomers who arrived recently do not meet the contribution test, so it is wise to budget as if no benefit will be paid.
Do I need to register with Jobsplus if I don’t qualify for benefit?
Yes, it is still worth registering. Registration under Part 1 with Jobsplus is required to be assessed for both the contributory benefit and the means-tested Unemployment Assistance, and it also gives you access to vacancies, job matching and training courses.
What can I do if my employer doesn’t pay my final wages?
Raise it in writing with HR first and keep copies of your contract, payslips and termination letter. If the issue is not resolved, you can contact the Department for Industrial and Employment Relations (DIER), which handles complaints about unpaid wages and employment conditions. Time limits apply to claims, so act within a reasonable time.
Do I lose my health cover when I lose my job?
Private health insurance provided by your employer usually ends on your last day, so confirm this with HR in writing. Access to public healthcare depends on your residence and social security status, so check your own position and keep a European Health Insurance Card valid if you are an EU citizen.
How do I get a tax number in Malta for a new job?
If you have worked in Malta before, you keep the same tax number between jobs. If you have never had one, the Commissioner for Revenue (CfR) issues it, and your new employer’s HR or payroll team can usually guide you through what they need.
