Can I switch from a student residence permit to a work permit in Malta?

Whether you can transition directly from a student permit to a work-based Single Permit while remaining in Malta, rather than needing to leave and reapply from abroad, generally depends on the specific provisions of the Single Permit Regulations, Subsidiary Legislation 217.17 connected to the Immigration Act, Chapter 217 of the Laws of Malta, which do allow applications to be submitted by an employer while the applicant is legally present in Malta under an existing valid status, such as a student permit, rather than requiring the applicant to be still abroad in every case. Your prospective employer would need to initiate the Single Permit application on your behalf in the same way as for any other non-EU national, and it would be important to ensure your student permit remains valid throughout the transition process, since gaps in legal status can create complications even where the underlying transition itself is generally permitted. Given the potential complexity of timing this transition correctly, particularly around when your student permit expires relative to when your new work-based permit would take effect, it would be advisable to have your employer, alongside an immigration lawyer if needed, plan the timing of this application carefully to avoid any gap in your legal status in Malta.