Malta Work Permit Health Screening 2026: New Mandatory Online System
As of 4 May 2026, Identità has switched the health-screening process for work-permit applications to a new automated system run by Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (HPDP). Paper submissions are no longer accepted. Here is what applicants, doctors and employers need to know.
Key dates at a glance
- • 4 May 2026 — automated HPDP system becomes mandatory for all work-permit health screening
- • 30 April 2026 — last date a paper submission can be dated
- • 5 May 2026 — final cut-off for receiving the dated paper submission. Anything received later is not processed.
1. Overview
Malta requires most third-country national (TCN) workers to complete a health-screening process before a work permit is issued. Until now the process relied on paper-based forms submitted through the doctor and the Industrial Diseases Control Unit (IDCU) at Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (HPDP). On 4 May 2026, Identità announced that the process is now fully automated and paper submissions are no longer accepted.
The change applies equally to new applications, renewals, and changes of employer. The clinical content — which tests are required, in which situation — has not been relaxed; it has been digitised.
2. What Is Changing on 4 May 2026
Before (until 30 April 2026)
- • Paper application forms accepted
- • Limited to specific job categories
- • Manual handling and posting
- • Country/risk checks done on paper
After (from 4 May 2026)
- • Submissions made online via the HPDP automated system
- • Covers all TCNs, including from low-TB-risk countries and "other" job categories
- • Doctors complete the file digitally with applicant identifiers
- • System cannot proceed without complete information and documents
Identità has stated that paper submissions dated on or before 30 April 2026 are accepted only if they reach Identità by 5 May 2026. Anything received after that date is no longer processed and the applicant must restart on the automated platform.
3. Who Needs Health Screening
Health screening is a clinical filter, not an immigration filter. It is driven by two factors:
Country of origin / residence
Applicants from countries classified by HPDP as High or Very High TB Risk, or who spent six months or more in such a country, require a chest X-ray taken within six weeks of submitting the application. The current high-risk country list is published by HPDP and updated periodically (October 2025 list at the time of writing).
Job category
Healthcare workers, carers, nannies, child carers, food handlers and laboratory staff face additional checks (measles, hepatitis B, vaccination cards, food handler QR card). Other applicants must still meet baseline polio and diphtheria immunity.
The new system explicitly extends to applicants from low-TB-risk countries and to those previously grouped under "other" job categories — both must now go through the automated process even if no chest X-ray is ultimately required.
4. Required Tests & Vaccinations
| Test / Requirement | Who needs it | Validity / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chest X-ray (TB screening) | Applicants from High/Very High TB-risk countries, or who spent 6+ months in one | Must be taken within 6 weeks of application |
| Polio & Diphtheria immunity | All employees, regardless of role | Vaccination card or blood test |
| Measles immunity | Healthcare workers, carers, nannies, child carers | Two documented doses or immunity blood test |
| Hepatitis B | Healthcare professionals, carers and certain related roles | Blood test or completed vaccination course |
| Food Handler's Document | Food handlers (catering, food production, food retail) | Card with QR code |
| Profession-specific blood investigations | Varies by job (e.g. lab work, healthcare) | Specified by HPDP based on the role |
Local private sector: Tests must be carried out locally in Malta in the private sector. Tests done abroad are generally not accepted unless HPDP confirms otherwise. Costs are paid by the applicant and vary between clinics.
5. Exempt Job Categories
If you are not from a high TB-risk country and your role is in one of the categories below, HPDP's rules indicate that no health screening is required. The exemption disappears the moment either condition fails.
Even when the role is exempt, all employees must still satisfy the polio and diphtheria immunity requirement.
6. The New Application Procedure
Identify the applicant
Provide the doctor with full name and surname, ID card number, passport number, residence-system number, or HS code. Without these the doctor cannot open a file in the automated system.
Complete medical assessments
Carry out the chest X-ray (if required), vaccination checks, and any role-specific blood investigations at a local private clinic. Keep the original results — the doctor uploads them through the system.
Doctor submits the file digitally
The doctor logs into the HPDP automated system, enters the applicant identifiers, attaches medical reports, vaccination cards, the chest X-ray report (if applicable) and any role-specific certifications, and submits the file. Incomplete files cannot be submitted.
HPDP / IDCU vetting
Vetting takes up to 15 working days from receipt of a correctly completed file. The result feeds back into the Identità work-permit decision.
7. Renewals vs First-Time Applicants
The same automated system handles renewals and changes of employer, but the validity windows for previous results are more generous:
- Chest X-rays are accepted only if taken within 1 year of the renewal application.
- Other blood investigations remain valid for up to 2 years.
- Whether new tests are needed at all depends on the applicant's countries of residence over the past period and on the current job category.
If the previous test results are still valid the renewal can be a quick paperless check; if they have expired the applicant must complete the relevant items afresh before the doctor can submit.
8. Timeline & Common Reasons for Delays
Standard timeline
- • Chest X-ray: same-day at most clinics
- • Blood tests: 1–3 working days for results
- • HPDP vetting: up to 15 working days
- • Health-screening result then feeds the Identità work-permit decision
Common delay triggers
- • Missing residence system / HS code
- • Chest X-ray older than six weeks
- • Polio/diphtheria proof not provided
- • Healthcare role without measles or hepatitis B records
- • Food handler missing the QR-coded card
- • Tests carried out abroad rather than locally
9. Resources & Contact
Official platforms
- • HPDP / IDCU — work-permit screening portal (system access, user manual, training videos, country list)
- • Identità — official notice of the change
Identità contact
- • Phone: +356 2590 4000
- • Address: Identità, Triq il-Wied, L-Imsida, MSD 9020, Malta
- • Website: identita.gov.mt
10. Frequently Asked Questions
Does the new system change which tests are required?
No. The clinical content — TB chest X-ray, polio/diphtheria immunity, measles for healthcare/care roles, hepatitis B, food handler card and so on — is unchanged. What changed on 4 May 2026 is the submission method: paper forms are out, the HPDP automated system is in.
Can I use a chest X-ray taken in my home country?
HPDP requires tests to be carried out locally in Malta in the private sector. Plan the chest X-ray for after arrival and within six weeks of the work-permit submission.
Do EU/EEA/Swiss workers need health screening for a Malta work permit?
The new system is published in the context of work permits for third-country nationals. EU/EEA/Swiss workers do not need a Maltese work permit, so HPDP's work-permit screening process generally does not apply to them — although employers in healthcare and food may still require their own occupational health checks.
What does the doctor need from me to start the file?
Your full name and surname, plus at least one of: ID card number, passport number, residence system number, or HS code. The doctor cannot open or submit the file in the automated system without this.
My employer is changing — do I need a new health screening?
A change of employer goes through the new automated process. Existing chest X-rays remain valid up to one year and other blood investigations up to two years from the test date, so a fresh round may not be needed if your earlier results are still in date and your job category has not changed materially.
What happens if my paper submission arrives after 5 May 2026?
Identità has stated it will not process paper submissions received after 5 May 2026, even if dated on or before 30 April 2026. The applicant must restart on the HPDP automated platform.
Working in Malta? Read our companion guides
The health screening sits inside a wider work-permit and residency process. Check our complete guides for the rest of the picture.
Malta Calculator Editorial Team
Financial Content Specialists | Malta Tax & Employment Experts
Our team specializes in Maltese tax law, social security contributions, and employment regulations. All content is reviewed against official sources from the Malta Commissioner for Revenue and the Department of Social Security.
Official Sources
- Identità Malta — Mandatory Change to Health Screening Process (Work Permits)
- Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (HPDP) — IDCU Work Permits
- Identità Malta — Single Permit
Data verified as of 7 May 2026. Rates and thresholds are subject to change based on Malta government budget announcements.
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