Malta's Pre-Departure Course for Filipino applicants: interview arrangements and how the certificate fits the Single Permit.
Direct answer
What should Filipino Pre-Departure Course applicants do first?
Start on the official portal and confirm your route before you register. Identità’s 28 February 2026 notice lists who is exempt from the Pre-Departure Course. The Skills Pass FAQ lists excluded roles. Follow the booking instructions you get for your interview.
Never send documents, login details or payment to this guide. The guides linked below cover the process and the interview.
About this guide
Applying from the Philippines? This guide explains Malta's programme requirements. Our advice: confirm your interview centre through the official booking process.
This guide explains Malta’s Single Permit Pre-Departure Course for Filipino applicants from Philippines. Identità’s 28 February 2026 notice sets out the application categories and exemptions. Your country of origin alone does not decide whether you need the course.
What the Pre-Departure Course requires
Identità’s 28 February 2026 notice covers new applicants and those still abroad. It exempts current or former Single Permit holders, except first-time reapplications after leaving Schengen and Still Abroad applications. It also exempts third-country nationals who have lived in Malta for eight years or more.
You take the course on the official Skills Pass portal, in two parts:
- Online learning. Identità gives 42 days for Part 1, including its interview. The Tourism Skills Pass process page gives 42 days for Phase 1. The two cover different things.
- Interview. Identità and Home Affairs describe 20 minutes online at ITS or an authorised centre. The Skills Pass FAQ describes 30 minutes in person at VFS.
You get the certificate after you pass both parts. It goes with your Single Permit application.
Our advice: practise everyday workplace English before the interview. See how to prepare for the Phase 2 interview.
Where to sit the interview, from Philippines
Interview centres: the Skills Pass obtaining page names VFS. Identità’s Pre-Departure Course page names ITS Malta or an authorised Global Assessment Centre. Check the available locations on the official portal before you arrange travel.
Follow the interview confirmation you receive. If the centre or appointment details are unclear, ask Skills Pass before you travel.
Doing Phase 1 from Philippines
You can do the online learning from Philippines. The Skills Pass obtaining page describes Coursera lessons and online exams. You register and buy the course on the official portal.
Identità gives up to 42 days for Part 1. The Tourism Skills Pass process page gives 42 days for Phase 1. Neither says the 42 days start at registration. Ask Skills Pass to confirm your deadline.
Common questions
Where can I do the Phase 2 interview if I am in the Philippines?
The Tourism Skills Pass process page directs visa-requiring candidates to their nearest VFS centre and visa-exempt candidates to ITS Malta; it does not list Philippine locations. Our advice: follow your official interview confirmation and instructions.
Can OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) start the Pre-Departure Course before their Malta deployment?
Yes — the Skills Pass obtaining page describes online learning. Identità gives 42 days for Part 1, including the interview; the Tourism Skills Pass process page gives 42 days for Phase 1. Neither states a registration-start trigger. Our advice: confirm your deadline before planning deployment.
Does POEA (now DMW) have any role in this course?
The Tourism Skills Pass User Guidelines describe ITS administering the portal and assessments; Identità's 28 February 2026 notice describes certificate verification. Neither explains Philippine deployment requirements or a POEA/DMW role. Our advice: ask the relevant Philippine authority about any separate obligations.
Will my employer in Malta arrange this for me?
The Skills Pass How to Register page describes applicants creating accounts. The Tourism Skills Pass User Guidelines require employers to check certificates before Single Permit applications. They do not specify employer-assisted registration or who pays. Our advice: agree practical assistance and costs with your employer.
We never collect official login details, documents, or payment data. Use this guide for context, then take action only on the official portal. Full citations are listed at the end of this page.
Read the official Identità Pre-Departure Course guidanceOpens the official website