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.
*New forms coming into effect as from 1st August 2020*
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 as ONE (1) PDF document
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 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 health screening for a work permit.
Child carers, Dental Chairside assistants; Nannies; Beauty Therapists; Tattooists and
Masseurs/Masseuse.
Foreigners who are applying for the above-mentioned jobs, irrespective if they come from a high-risk for 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.
3. 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)
WHO SHOULD NOT FILL THE HEALTH SCREENING FOR WORK PERMIT 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. Cleaners / Housekeepers
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
Applicants who were born or have spent more than 6 months in a country reported as High Risk for TB need to take a chest X-Ray within the last 6 weeks prior to submitting application form.
Applicants who are unable to take a chest X-Ray in view of pregnancy, need to specify the gestation weeks on the application form. We will then guide you accordingly.
Any applicant who is re-appling to change job/employer can use the same chest X-Ray if taken within the last year.
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. The full course of requested vaccinations need to be taken before renewal is approved.
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 AND POLIO VACCINATIONS
Applicants who require health screening for work permits need proof of measles and polio vaccinations. If these have not been taken at the country of birth or proof of records are unavailable, vaccines need to be given locally. Both polio and measles vaccinations are available as combination vaccines. Kindly ensure that the administrated vaccine is the reccomended preparation for adults.Vaccination schedules can be accessed through the following link here.
COVID-19 TESTING
All NEW applicants need to take the PCR-testing for Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2) from a local laboratory in Malta prior to applying for work permit. It is important that a valid local mobile number or email address is available to receive the result. A copy of the Covid-19 test result is to be attached with the application form.
Applicants who are changing job or employer, do not need to carry out Covid-19 testing.
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 one (1) PDF document 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 printout of this approval letter to Identity Malta.
If the health screening application form is incomplete or health screening results are unsatisfactory, approval may not be granted.
Application Forms can be downloaded from here:
Thank you for your co-operation,
Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Unit (IDCU)
Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate
Updated 27.07.2020