Malta expands partnership with VFS Global for consular services, skills assessment, workforce development

The Government of Malta and VFS Global have signed a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) to expand cooperation on mobility, citizen services and skills development, the company said on Thursday (Oct 8). The agreement brings together Malta's Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs (MFEA), Identità, the country's identity management agency, and the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS) under an expanded framework of cooperation. The declaration was signed in Valletta on the sidelines of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit in Malta. It was signed by Christopher Cutajar for MFEA, Col. Edric Zahra for Identità, Pierre Fenech for ITS and Zubin Karkaria, founder and CEO of VFS Global.

The expanded partnership will include citizen and consular support services for Maltese nationals living overseas, in coordination with the MFEA. It will also broaden skills assessment services currently provided in collaboration with ITS. The existing partnership with ITS has focused on facilitating interviews for candidates in the hospitality and tourism sectors. Under the new framework, the scope will be extended to support talent requirements across other sectors, VFS Global said.

The collaboration will also seek to facilitate a skilled and verified workforce to meet Malta's evolving employment needs and support initiatives aimed at positioning the country as a destination for international education. The agreement builds on VFS Global's longstanding partnership with the Maltese government and Identità, which currently covers short-stay and long-stay visa services as well as skills assessment.

"Our partnership with the Government of Malta has evolved significantly since it began in 2008, and this MoU marks an important new chapter in that journey," Karkaria said. He said the expansion into citizen services for Maltese nationals overseas and skills development across strategic sectors reflected the confidence placed in VFS Global as a partner.

VFS Global has worked with the Maltese government since 2008 and currently provides visa services on its behalf in 73 countries through 155 dedicated visa application centres. The company clarified that its role in the visa process is limited to administrative tasks such as collecting applications and documents and enrolling biometrics. Decisions to grant or refuse visas remain solely with the concerned embassy or Identità. The signing comes as Malta seeks to strengthen mobility, citizen services and workforce capabilities across key sectors.