Can I apply for a Malta work permit myself or does my employer have to do it?

For most non-EU nationals taking up employment in Malta for more than six months, the relevant authorisation is issued through the Single Permit system under the Immigration Act, Chapter 217 of the Laws of Malta, and the key point is that you generally cannot apply for this yourself, since the application must be submitted by your employer through the dedicated online portal managed by Identità, with the employer handling the initial submission before you, as the applicant, confirm and complete your part of the application. The process also involves Jobsplus, Malta's public employment service, which reviews the employment and labour market side of the application, including any relevant labour market testing requirements, alongside Identità's handling of the residence and identity side of things. Since your employer needs to initiate this, it's worth confirming with them directly that they understand their role in starting the Single Permit application, and given that processing can take a significant amount of time, sometimes up to several months, starting the process as early as possible, well before your intended start date, is generally advisable.