What happens if my Malta residence permit application gets rejected?

You are generally not without options if your Single Permit or residence permit application is refused. Under the framework connected to the Immigration Act, Chapter 217 of the Laws of Malta, and the applicable Single Permit Regulations, an applicant whose application is refused generally has the right to lodge an appeal with the Immigration Appeals Board, though this right typically comes with a strict and quite short time limit, often just a few days from the refusal, meaning it is important to act quickly rather than waiting to gather all supporting information before initiating the appeal. Given the very tight timeframe generally involved, you should request full written reasons for the refusal from Identità immediately if these were not already provided, and consult an immigration lawyer as soon as possible to assess both the merits of an appeal and whether the strict deadline for lodging one can still be met given how much time has already passed since the refusal. If an appeal is not realistically viable, it would also be worth discussing with a lawyer whether a fresh application, addressing whatever specific issue led to the original refusal, might be a more viable path forward.