Teach English in Malta 2026: Salary, ELT Permit & Visas

To teach English in Malta you need an ELT teaching permit from Malta’s ELT Council, and most jobs are at licensed language schools teaching international students in Sliema, St Julian’s and nearby towns. EU citizens can start work straight away; non-EU teachers need an employer-backed Single Permit, which is difficult to get for language-school roles. Here is what the job pays in 2026, the permit rules, living costs and how to get hired.

Table of Contents

• Is There Demand for English Teachers in Malta?
• Requirements: The ELT Teaching Permit
• Visa and Work Permit Rules
• English Teacher Salaries in Malta
• Types of Jobs and Where to Find Them
• Cost of Living in Malta
• Pros and Cons
• How to Get Hired: Step by Step
• Related Guides
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Conclusion

Is There Demand for English Teachers in Malta?

Malta is one of Europe’s busiest English-language-travel destinations. English is an official language alongside Maltese, and dozens of ELT Council-licensed schools teach students who fly in from across Europe, Latin America and Asia for courses lasting a week to several months.

Demand is seasonal. Schools hire heavily for the summer junior season, roughly June to September, when teenage groups arrive, and run smaller adult programmes the rest of the year. That makes Malta a good place for a first summer contract, and a harder place to find a stable 12-month timetable. Our guide to teaching English as a second language abroad explains how Malta fits among other first-job markets.

Requirements: The ELT Teaching Permit

Unlike most countries, Malta regulates who can teach English as a foreign language. You must hold an ELT permit issued by the ELT Council before you teach at a licensed school.

Permit	What you need	Validity
Temporary permit (3 months)	A-level English grade C or above (MQF Level 4) or a pass in the TELT test, plus a TEFL certificate from an ELT Council-approved centre	3 months; cannot be reissued in the same year
Temporary permit (5 months)	An international MQF Level 5 ELT certificate such as CELTA or Trinity CertTESOL	5 months
Full ELT permit	Level 4 English qualification, ELT Council-approved methodology qualification (CELTA covers both), SEPTT Band 3 or higher, and a recent police conduct certificate	4 years; renew with 32 hours of approved CPD

• TEFL: a basic online 120-hour TEFL course is only accepted if the provider is approved by the ELT Council, so check the approved list before you buy. CELTA, DELTA and CertTESOL are recognised without extra vetting.
• Foreign qualifications: other certificates and degrees must be level-rated by the MFHEA before the ELT Council will accept them.
• Degree: not part of the permit rules, but several schools list a bachelor’s degree as preferred.
• Age and background: you must be at least 18 and provide a police conduct certificate.

Visa and Work Permit Rules

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can live and work in Malta freely and only need to register for residence once settled. This is why most teachers at Maltese schools are EU nationals.

Non-EU citizens need a Single Permit, which combines residence and work rights and is issued by Identità. The process works like this:

1. The ELT Council first confirms you are eligible for a teaching permit.
2. The employer usually has to advertise the vacancy through Jobsplus (and EURES) for at least three weeks to show no local or EU candidate is available.
3. The employer files the Single Permit application online; you endorse it. The fee is €600 for a first permit, with €150 a year for renewals.
4. New applicants must also complete Malta’s pre-departure course on living and working in Malta, which costs €250.
5. Processing can take up to four months, and you may start work only once you hold the interim receipt or residence card.

Two other schemes are often mentioned but rarely fit teachers. The Key Employee Initiative fast-tracks managerial or highly technical roles paying at least €45,000 a year, far above ELT pay. The Nomad Residence Permit needs at least €42,000 a year in remote income and forbids working for Maltese companies, so it suits online teachers with foreign clients rather than school jobs. For other sectors and visa routes, see our guide to finding work abroad in Malta.

English Teacher Salaries in Malta

Most ELT work is paid by the hour, and schools often scale the rate to your qualification. A 2025 advert from a year-round school in Pembroke, for example, offered €16 an hour with a Level 4 TEFL, €17 with CELTA or Level 5, and €19 with DELTA, for at least 25 hours a week.

Job type	Typical pay (EUR)	Approx. USD	Notes
Language school teacher (hourly)	€16–€19 per hour	$18–$22	Rate rises with CELTA/DELTA; summer and less-qualified roles can pay less
Language school teacher (monthly)	€1,000–€2,000 per month	$1,150–$2,300	Depends on contact hours and season
Public school teacher	from about €2,333 per month	from about $2,680	Requires a teaching warrant; Maltese often preferred
International school teacher	about €2,500+ per month	about $2,875+	Licensed teachers only
Private tutoring	€10–€20 per hour	$12–$23	Side income, often online

Some schools add a relocation package for teachers who commit to a year, and summer contracts sometimes include accommodation. Malta is not a high-earning TEFL market; if savings matter most, compare it with the highest-paying TEFL countries.

Types of Jobs and Where to Find Them

• Licensed language schools: the main employer. Well-known names include EC Malta, NSTS English Language Institute and Atlas Language School; the ELT Council publishes the full list of licensed schools.
• Summer junior programmes: residential and day courses for teenage groups, hiring from spring for June to September.
• Public and international schools: for qualified, licensed schoolteachers rather than TEFL holders.
• Private and online tutoring: a common top-up; see the requirements to teach English online if you want a remote income.

Vacancies appear on TEFL.com, Jobsinmalta.com and school career pages. Because the island is small, many teachers also apply speculatively to every licensed school in early spring.

Cost of Living in Malta

Rent is the biggest challenge, especially in Sliema and St Julian’s where most schools are. Many teachers share flats or live in cheaper towns and commute by bus.

Monthly expense (single person)	Cost (EUR)	Approx. USD
One-bedroom flat, Sliema / St Julian’s / Gzira	€1,000–€1,300	$1,150–$1,500
One-bedroom flat, St Paul’s Bay / Mellieħa	from about €1,000	from about $1,150
One-bedroom flat, Gozo	from about €550	from about $630
Room in a shared flat	about €585	about $675
Water and electricity	€80–€150	$90–$175
Fibre internet / mobile	€25–€45 / €15–€30	$29–$52 / $17–$35
Buses	Free for residents with a personalised Tallinja card	Free
Menu of the day	€12–€20	$14–$23

Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
English is an official language, so daily life and admin are in English	Hourly pay against high rents leaves little to save
Clear, regulated permit system and licensed schools	Heavy summer peak; fewer hours in winter
Multinational adult and teenage students	Non-EU work permits are slow and hard to secure for ELT roles
Mediterranean climate, short commutes and free buses	Crowded, built-up coastal towns in high season

For other Mediterranean and European options, look at teaching English in Italy, where summer camps and academies hire in large numbers, or teaching English in the UK, which has a similar summer-school market.

How to Get Hired: Step by Step

1. Check your eligibility. An EU passport makes things simple; non-EU applicants should target employers willing to sponsor a Single Permit.
2. Choose an approved qualification. CELTA or CertTESOL is the safest choice; otherwise confirm your TEFL provider is ELT Council-approved.
3. Book the SEPTT or TELT if needed. These ELT Council tests are part of the permit routes, so plan them early.
4. Apply to schools in early spring. Send your CV to licensed schools from February to April for the summer season.
5. Apply for your ELT permit. Submit the form, qualifications, police conduct certificate and €15 fee to the ELT Council.
6. Settle in. Register your residence, get a personalised Tallinja card and open a local bank account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a permit to teach English in Malta?

Yes. Anyone teaching English as a foreign language at a licensed school in Malta needs an ELT permit from the ELT Council. Temporary permits last three or five months, and the full permit lasts four years. The fee is €15, and you need approved qualifications plus a police conduct certificate.

How much do English teachers earn in Malta?

Language schools typically pay about €16 to €19 an hour for qualified teachers, with higher rates for CELTA or DELTA holders. Monthly income usually falls between €1,000 and €2,000 depending on hours and season. Public school teachers start from about €2,333 a month, and private tutoring pays roughly €10 to €20 an hour.

Can non-EU citizens teach English in Malta?

Yes, but it is difficult. A Maltese employer must sponsor a Single Permit through Identità, usually after advertising the job locally for three weeks. The permit costs €600, takes up to four months, and requires a pre-departure course. Most language schools prefer EU citizens, who can start work without a permit.

Do I need a degree to teach English in Malta?

No. The ELT Council permit does not require a degree. You need an English qualification at A-level standard or a pass in the TELT test plus an approved TEFL certificate, or CELTA or CertTESOL plus the SEPTT speaking test. Some schools still list a bachelor’s degree as preferred, and it can help with visas.

Is a 120-hour online TEFL enough for Malta?

Only if the course provider is approved by the ELT Council, and it then qualifies you for a three-month temporary permit when combined with A-level English or the TELT test. For longer permits and better-paid roles, schools prefer a Level 5 certificate such as CELTA or Trinity CertTESOL.

When is the best time to look for teaching jobs in Malta?

Apply from February to April. Schools recruit then for the busy summer junior season, which runs roughly June to September and brings the most vacancies. Adult courses continue all year, so some year-round posts open in autumn, but there are far fewer of them and competition from returning teachers is stronger.

Conclusion

Malta is an easy, English-speaking base for EU teachers who sort out their ELT permit first and apply early for the summer season; non-EU teachers should line up a sponsoring school before planning a move. Get an ELT Council-approved qualification, then use our complete guide to teaching English abroad to compare Malta with other destinations.