Health Screening for Work Permits for First Time Applicants

Employees need to keep a copy of the Medical Records and Vaccination Card for future reference. It is the employee’s responsibility to ensure that the full course of relevant vaccinations is taken prior to renewal of work permits.

Any queries are to be directed to queries.idcu@gov.mt

PROCEDURE FOR APPLICATION

a. Download the appropriate form depending on the job applying for

b. Fill in the form in typed or BLOCK LETTERS

c. Ensure that the employee carries out all the requested investigations as outlined in the application

form specific to the job being applied for. Investigations needed are to be done locally in the

PRIVATE SECTOR

d. Ensure that the form is DULY COMPLETED by both employer, employee and Medical Doctor.

e. Write down the applicant’s name and job applying for in the subject box of email. e.g. Patel Singh – Food Handler

f. The employer is to send the completed health screening application form ONLY and as a PDF document to workpermit.idcu@gov.mt

g. Only One (1) application per email will be accepted for processing

WHO SHOULD FILL THE HEALTH SCREENING FOR WORK PERMITS APPLICATION FORM?

1. Foreigners who were born or have lived for 6 months or more in a country reported as high-risk for tuberculosis

All foreigners who were born or have lived for 6 months or more in a country reported as high-risk for tuberculosis (see attached list) need to complete the Health Screening for work permits application form and carry out the required medical examination and investigations at a local private clinic. The form needs to be duly filled by a private medical doctor and sent by the employer to workpermit.idcu@gov.mt to be able to apply for health screening for a work permit.

2. Doctors, Dentists, Midwives, Nurse and other Regulated Healthcare Professionals; Carers, Child carers, Dental Chairside assistants; Food Handlers; Nannies; Beauty Therapists; Tattooists and Masseurs/Masseuse.

Foreigners who are applying for the above-mentioned jobs, irrespective if they come from a high-risk tuberculosis country or not, need to complete the Health Screening for Work Permit application form and carry out the required medical examination and investigations at a local private clinic. The form needs to be duly filled by a private medical doctor and sent by the employer to workpermit.idcu@gov.mt to be able to apply for a work permit.

WHO SHOULD NOT FILL THE HEALTH SCREENING FOR WORK PERMITS APPLICATION FORM?

Applicants who come from countries where the incidence of Tuberculosis is not high and are applying for the following jobs, DO NOT NEED TO APPLY FOR HEALTH SCREENING APPROVAL AND CAN GO DIRECTLY TO IDENTITY MALTA FOR WORK PERMIT APPROVAL

a. Administrative jobs

b. Construction / Manual workers

c. Footballers

d. Hairdresser / makeup artists

e. Working in transport

f. Others not listed in section 2 above

CHANGE OF JOB

If the employee is changing jobs, she/he may need to reapply for a new work permit and additional investigations might be required. Chest x-rays are only accepted if taken within 1 year from date of this application. Other blood investigations are accepted if taken within 2 years from date of this application

CHANGE OF EMPLOYER

If the employee is changing employer and keeping the same job within the 6 months of Work Permit approval, there is no need to reapply for health screening.

If the employee is changing employer and keeping the same job 6 months after Work Permit approval was issued, the applicant needs to reapply for health screening.

CHEST X-RAY – TO BE DONE LOCALLY AND IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR

Chest X-Ray is required if;

a) Applicant was born in a High tuberculosis (TB) incidence country as per list

b) Applicant has lived for 6 months or more in a High TB incidence country as per list

A chest x-ray for all applicants born or have spent ≥ 6 months in a country reported as High Risk for TB needs to be taken within the last 6 weeks if a new applicant, and in the last year if changing job within the past year of applying.

APPLICANTS WORKING AS FOOD HANDLERS

Applicants working as Food Handlers (those engaged in the preparation, manufacturing and treatment of a food business and who handle or prepare food intended for human consumption, in terms of the Food Safety Act and Subsidiary Legislation 449.27) need Hepatitis A and Typhoid vaccination. Kindly note that full Hepatitis A vaccination course takes up to 6 months to be completed. A temporary approval will be granted for 1 year if only 1st dose of Hepatitis A is taken.

APPLICANTS WORKING AS DOCTORS, DENTISTS, MIDWIVES, NURSES

Applicants working as Doctors, Dentists, Midwives, Nurses need the full course of Hepatitis B vaccination. Applications will only be processed if applicants have taken at least the 1st and 2nd dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine. The full course needs to be taken before renewal is approved.

APPLICANTS WORKING AS CARERS, CHILD CARERS, NANNIES, TATTOOISTS, BEAUTY THERAPISTS, MASSEURS/MASSEUSE AND OTHER REGULATED HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

Applicants working as Carers, Child Carers, Nannies, Tattooists, Beauty Therapists, Masseurs/Masseuse and other Regulated Healthcare Professionals, need the full course of Hepatitis B vaccination. Applications will only be processed if applicants have taken at least the 1st dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine. The full course needs to be taken before renewal is approved.

MEASLES VACCINATION

Regulated Healthcare Professionals and applications for carers and child carers, need proof of measles vaccination schedule. Vaccination schedules can be accessed through the following link here.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Only emails sent by the employers are accepted for work permit processing by the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Unit (IDCU) within the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate. Employees cannot apply directly.

All applications need to be submitted in full as PDF documents via email to workpermit.idcu@gov.mt. If medical findings are abnormal, a copy of the investigation report is to be submitted together with the completed application form.

VETTING OF HEALTH SCREENING APPLICATIONS MAY TAKE UP TO 10 WORKING DAYS TO BE PROCESSED. PLEASE ENSURE THAT APPLICATION FORMS ARE DULY FILLED.

Once the documentation is received, including certification of no abnormalities by the private medical doctor, we will forward the health screening approval via email stating that the health screening required for the job has been found satisfactory. It is important that the applicant takes a print out of this approval letter to Identity Malta.