More than 1,200 foreign nurses working in Malta, together with their union, have raised serious concerns over new Budget 2027 measures that impose additional financial burdens on third-country nationals, warning that the changes could put the country’s healthcare and elderly care services at risk at a time when they are already under severe pressure. The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses, known as MUMN, has strongly criticised the package announced by Finance Minister Clyde Caruana on 26 October, which includes raising the work permit application fee from €600 to €800, adding a new annual infrastructure contribution of €400, ending free public transport and Gozo ferry access for TCNs without five years of residency with a new monthly charge of €33, introducing an €83 monthly charge for holding a category B driving licence, and removing eligibility for free childcare and the €150 annual payment for atypical working hours, meaning a new foreign nurse could face nearly €1,200 in upfront costs in their first year alone.
MUMN argues that these measures are being imposed without prior consultation or impact assessment, despite the fact that hospitals, Mater Dei and elderly care homes already depend heavily on foreign nurses to keep essential services running, with foreign-born workers making up about 40 percent of Malta’s total workforce and more than 70 percent in sectors like hospitality, transport and care. The union stressed that TCNs are not an additional burden on the healthcare system but an essential part of the workforce that keeps it functioning, covering emergency care, specialist services, night shifts, weekends and public holidays, and supporting older people and people with disabilities throughout Malta, and warned that making Malta financially less attractive will worsen existing staff shortages, increase workloads for Maltese colleagues, lengthen waiting lists and put patient safety under pressure. The Medical Association of Malta has echoed the warning, saying that higher commuting costs and restrictions on childcare will make it harder for staff to cover shifts patients rely on, while over 1,000 foreign workers have already signed a http://Change.org petition saying those earning between €1,200 and €1,600 a month will be hit hardest. MUMN is now calling on the government to exempt nurses working in healthcare and elderly care from the additional charges and has requested an urgent meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Ian Borg, arguing that government cannot on one hand depend on TCNs to sustain its health and elderly care services and on the other hand introduce measures that make working in Malta financially less attractive, especially when plans to open new healthcare facilities are at stake.
