Sciberras Advocates

Sciberras Advocates is a boutique Maltese law firm founded and led by Dr Adrian Sciberras, an advocate who is also a certified public accountant. Its main office is on the Birkirkara Bypass in Birkirkara, a central town a short drive from Valletta and Sliema, with a second office in Valletta that sees clients by appointment. The firm is best known to newcomers for its immigration and work permit practice, but it also acts in commercial, employment, property, family, intellectual property and litigation matters.

On VisitMalta.co.uk it sits in our directories of immigration consultants in Malta and lawyers in Malta. If you are a UK national still weighing up a move, our Malta relocation guide covers the everyday practicalities, and the firm can handle the legal paperwork that follows.

A boutique practice with a business outlook

The firm is built around lawyers who also bring business, corporate and accounting experience. That mix is useful when a legal problem is really a commercial one: a contract dispute that depends on how a company is structured, or an employment case that turns on the accounts. Its stated values are clarity, integrity, accountability and excellence, and its advocates are members of the Maltese Bar and the Maltese Chamber of Advocates.

The firm aims to be accommodating and available, offering practical, cost-effective answers and long-term relationships rather than one-off transactions. It handles both private individuals and companies, and both local and foreign clients.

Immigration, work permits and residence

Immigration law is the firm's flagship area. It deals with overstays, visa refusals, refused single permits, appeals and return orders, and it also supports employers who do not know how to complete the paperwork. For a third-country national, meaning someone from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, a Single Work Permit is needed to work and live in Malta. The firm can prepare the permit application for an employer, follow the process through the visa stage at the nearest consulate or embassy, and then help with the Maltese residence card once the employee arrives. It also handles Key Employee Initiative and Specialist Employee Initiative applications, and EU Blue Card applications.

The firm is clear about its limits: it is a law firm, not a recruitment agency, and it does not find jobs. Its work is legal, such as appealing work permit and visa refusals and dealing with Identità, Jobsplus and the Immigration Police. A free-standing guidebook on work permits, called Identitas, is published by its immigration team.

For EU nationals the firm handles residence permits too, whether the basis is employment, self-employment, family, study or being self-sufficient, including retirees. It has designed a self-employment route for EU freelancers who want Malta as their invoicing base, which it recommends for people whose income does not exceed €70,000 a year. British readers who now count as third-country nationals will find the third-country routes more relevant, and our Malta tax guide for UK nationals is a good companion read.

Relocation programmes

The relocation service covers four main routes. The Nomad Residence Permit gives third-country nationals who work remotely for an employer outside Malta a one-year permit, renewable for up to three years, provided they earn a minimum gross yearly income of €42,000. The Global Residence Programme is aimed at people who are not nationals of the EU, EEA or Switzerland and are not long-term residents, and holders may still work if they qualify for a work permit. Dr Adrian Sciberras is an Authorised Registered Mandatory for that programme under registration number ARM5203.

The Key Employee Initiative fast-tracks work and residence permits for highly specialised third-country nationals with the right qualifications and an annual gross salary offer of at least €45,000, while the Specialist Employee Initiative does the same for skilled workers with a salary offer of at least €30,000. The site also offers a dedicated page in Russian for Russian nationals moving through employment. Remote workers can compare options in our digital nomad guide to Malta.

Commercial, employment and other practice areas

Beyond immigration, the practice list is long. It includes commercial and contract law, mergers and acquisitions, data protection, IT and intellectual property law, Malta and EU trademarks, employment and labour law, family law with amicable separation and divorce, family business and wealth, financial crime, property law, ship and yacht registration, aircraft registration, defamation, cannabis law and litigation and arbitration. It also assists with VAT and tax summons and with appeals to the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal.

For companies, the team prepares contract documentation such as private writings, business sales and heads of terms, and advises on regulatory and compliance matters, franchising and agency agreements. Employment work covers litigation, work contracts and terminations. If you are weighing up where a business should be based, our Malta corporate tax structure explainer gives helpful background, and the financial services sector guide shows the wider professional landscape.

Timescales, appeals and life as a permit holder

The firm's answers for third-country nationals are worth reading before you commit to a move. An employer or licensed agency applies for the Single Work Permit while the worker is still abroad, and tourist entry cannot be converted into a work permit. Approval from Identità, the Maltese immigration agency, usually takes 30 to 60 days, after which the applicant has six months to travel, subject to visa clearance. From start to arrival, the whole process commonly takes up to nine months, partly because consulates can be slow to give visa appointments.

If an application or visa is refused, an appeal goes to the Immigration Appeals Board. The window is three days after a refusal letter for a work application and 15 days for a refused visa, and the filing fees quoted are €45 for a residence permit appeal and €120 for a visa appeal. Appeals are made in writing, there is no fast-track route, and a final answer typically takes six to nine months. The firm can review a complete file and lodge the appeal.

Once in Malta, the work permit and residence card are valid for one year, with renewal paperwork due around the tenth month. The residence card is tied to the job, so the firm advises checking that you are registered with Jobsplus, receive a monthly payslip and your annual earnings statement, and that National Insurance contributions are paid. Since 1 August 2025, a permit holder whose job ends has a 30-day grace period, extendable to 60 days with proof of financial self-sufficiency. For flights and planning your arrival, see our guide to flights to Malta from the UK.

The team and languages

The team page lists Dr Adrian Sciberras (advocate and CPA), associate lawyers Dr Roseanne Sant Cortis, Dr Daniil Kazakov, Dr Mariah Ann Fenech, Dr Nicole Attard and Dr Caitlin Turner, and immigration officer Mr Paras Batra. Between them they work in Maltese, English, Italian, French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian and Hindi, which is a real advantage for international clients. English is available throughout the team.

Offices and how to start

The main office is at Abacus Business Centre, Level 0, Dun Karm Street, on the Birkirkara Bypass, Birkirkara BKR 9037. It is next to a medical clinic, with no parking on site but spaces along the road and in a small car park opposite. Buses stop at the Zwejt and Mercer stops either side of the office, and taxi drivers can search by the firm's name. A second office, Kingsway Palace, Office 24, Republic Street, Valletta VLT 1115, is by appointment only. Our Valletta guide helps if you are visiting the capital.

Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 17:30. To book a consultation, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the firm.