ARMED FORCES OF MALTA
Call for enlistment of Officer Cadets in the Armed Forces of Malta (Regular Force)
1. The Armed Forces of Malta invites applications for the enlistment of:
a) Officer Cadets;
b) Sea going Officer Cadets;
c) Air Pilot Officer Cadets,
on an initial twelve month engagement in the Regular Force of the Armed Forces of Malta.
2. Applicants must:
a) be citizens of Malta;
b) be medically fit for duty to Regular Force Standards. This includes a minimum height requirement of 1.57m for males and 1.52m for females and of acceptable body weight in proportion to height;
c) be of good moral character;
d) be able to swim;
e) be 18 years of age by 31st December, 2025, and not having attained the age of 30 by 30th April, 2026;
f) not sport excessive tattoos, but definitely not on face and neck and any part of the hand or tattoos that are offensive, extremist, indecent or racist on any part of the body.
3. Applicants must:
a) if applying for the posts of Officer Cadets, be in possession of passes in:
(i) six subjects at Ordinary Level of the SEC or General Certificate of Education (minimum Grade 5 in the case of SEC and Grade 4/C in the case of Edexcel (London) examinations). These six subjects must include Maltese, English Language, Mathematics and one Science subject (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, or Computer Studies).
OR A qualification at MQF Level 3 or higher (with a minimum of 60 ECTS), provided that Maltese, English Language, Mathematics and a Science subject (Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Computer Studies) are listed in the transcript as individual study units at MQF level 3 or higher;
AND
(ii) two subjects at Advanced Level (MATSEC or General Certificate of Education with a minimum Grade D or better);
OR have a Diploma at MQF Level 4 (with a minimum of 120 ECTS);
OR have a Diploma at MQF Level 5 (with a minimum of 60 ECTS);
OR have a Bachelor's Degree at MQF Level 6 (with a minimum of 180 ECTS);
OR have a Postgraduate Diploma at MQF Level 7 (with a minimum of 60 ECTS);
OR have a Master's Degree at MQF Level 7 (with a minimum of 90 ECTS);
OR have a Doctoral Degree at MQF Level 8.
b) if applying for the posts of Sea going Officer Cadets, be in possession of requirements stated in para 3(a)(i) and (ii) and have successfully completed the course leading to Certification as an Officer-in-Charge of a Navigational Watch or the course leading to Certification as an Officer-in-Charge of an Engineering Watch at the MCAST Maritime Institute;
c) if applying for the posts of Air Pilot Officer Cadets, be in possession of requirements stated in para. 3(a)(i) and (ii) and be in possession of a Commercial Pilot Licence.
ECDL/ICDL qualifications are not accepted as part of the basic requirements.
In the case that a qualification higher than MQF Level 3 is used to satisfy the requirements of para 3(a)(i), this same qualification cannot be considered to satisfy the requirements of para 3(a)(ii).
Applicants who are waiting for the publication of results of any of the qualifications indicated above may still apply provisionally but will have to present their required certificates by the date of the interview.
4. The Selection Process shall consist of:
Part I – Fitness Efficiency Test
Part II – Psychometric Test
Part III – Military Test
Part IV – Interview
Part V – Medical examination
Applicants shall be provided with relevant information on the conduct of the Selection Process in due course.
Results shall be published on the Armed Forces of Malta Official Website or sent via email.
Applicants who at any time are found not to fulfill the requirements laid out in paragraph 2 and 3 shall not be allowed to proceed with the Selection Process or shall have their results annulled.
Part I – Fitness Efficiency Test
5. Applicants will be checked for height to ensure that they meet the requirements stipulated in para. 2 of this call.
6. The minimum standards to be reached in each of the fitness tests are as follows:
a) 1 mile run ‒ not more than 8 minutes 30 seconds for males and 10 minutes 18 seconds for females;
b) Push-ups ‒ not less than 30 repetitions for males and 11 repetitions for females in a timed period of 2 minutes;
c) Sit-ups ‒ not less than 37 repetitions for males and 35 repetitions for females in a timed period of 2 minutes.
Part I ‒ Physical Efficiency Test (Points: Maximum 150, Minimum 75)
7. Applicants must at least attain the minimum standard in each part of the physical test to be considered as having gained a pass in the Physical Efficiency Test, but applicants who fail in one feat only i.e. – the 1-mile run or the push-ups or the sit-ups, will be allowed to re-test that one particular event, ten (10) days following the first complete test, but if successful in such re-test, will only be entitled to the minimum pass mark of 75, regardless of the scores obtained in the other feats.
Part II – Psychometric Test
8. Applicants will be required to sit for a psychometric test to assess the candidate's suitability to serve as a Commissioned Officer in the Armed Forces of Malta. Further information on the Psychometric Test shall be made available upon formal request by applicants.
Part III – Military Test
9. This part of the Selection Process shall give applicants an indication of army training to help them determine if they are suitable for military life and discipline. Applicants shall be required to attend a number of military team building exercises.
Applicants who fail, for any reason, to complete this part shall be deemed to have failed the Selection Process. Applicants who display, towards directing staff or other applicants, any form of behaviour, which would constitute a military offence because it is considered detrimental to good order and military discipline, shall be deemed to have failed the Selection Process.
Part IV – Interview
10. Applicants will be assessed by a Selection Board to assess their suitability to serve as a Commissioned Officer in the Armed Forces of Malta. Marks will be allocated as follows:
Maximum Mark
Academic Qualifications 80
Interview (min. 100) 200
Lecturette (min. 35) 70
Maximum: 350
Applicants shall be required to deliver a five (5) minute Lecturette on a subject of their choice. During the Lecturette, applicants may use their choice of lecture aids, such as Power Point presentation. Applicants must attain the minimum standard in both the Interview and the Lecturette to be considered as having gained an overall pass in this phase of the Selection Process.
Part V – Medical Examination
11. Applicants will be medically examined to ascertain that they are fit for the post according to Regular Force Standards. Further information on the Regular Force Standards shall be made available upon formal request by applicants. Applicants applying for the posts of Air Pilot Officer Cadets will, in addition, be required to also satisfy both national and international medical aviation standards. In all cases, the AFM Medical Officers' assessment of each applicant's medical fitness to serve in the Armed Forces of Malta will be final and conclusive.
Applicants give their consent to the AFM Medical Officers to retrieve, at any point in time until they have been officially discharged from the service, personal medical records from any Government and Private hospital. Any irregularity and/or discrepancy can be transmitted, by the said Medical Officers, to the appropriate Officers in the Armed Forces of Malta.
12. The Order of Merit, for those applicants who are successful in all parts of the Selection Process, will be established according to the total marks obtained in Part I (Physical Efficiency Test) and Part III (Interview).
13. Applicants who, for any reason, fail to attend or complete any part of the Selection Process will be considered to have withdrawn their application.
14. The result of the selection process will be valid for a period of six months from the date of its official publication.
Moral Character
15. Applicants shall be of good moral character. Applicants shall, in the application form, give their consent to the Malta Police and other relevant agencies to provide the AFM with their criminal records.
Applicants are to apply at the General Headquarters of the Armed Forces of Malta and pay the applicable fee (€5.50) so that the complete record of criminal convictions (Fedina Penali) is made available to the AFM for vetting purposes. Applicants are to attach a scanned copy of the receipt issued by the AFM to the online application form. Applications submitted without this requirement shall not be deemed valid. Conduct certificates are not accepted.
Vetting will be in accordance with AFM policies. The AFM reserves the right to annul the result of the Selection Process of any successful applicant who at any time is found to have an unacceptable criminal record or has been dismissed from the AFM or any disciplined force.
Application
16. Candidates are to apply through the Recruitment Portal of the Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research, and Innovation (https://edurecruitment.gov.mt) from Friday, 4th July, 2025 till Friday, 18th July, 2025.
17. When applying, applicants must provide:
a) a colour passport-sized photograph which must conform to the standards established by Identità, which can be obtained from (https://identità.gov.mt/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Biometric-photos.pdf)
b) clear scanned copies of all pages of the requested certificates and transcripts including MQF Level statement where applicable;
c) Service and Leave Record Form ‒ GP47 (applicants from the Malta Public Service);
d) receipt (dated after the publication of this call) issued by the AFM on application for issue of record of criminal convictions (Fedina Penali). Conduct certificates are not accepted;
e) an administration fee of €9.30 (non-refundable) ‒ payment is accepted only by means of the abovementioned Recruitment Portal.
18. Original documents, identification documents, certificates and/or testimonials are to be invariably produced for verification when submitting the application form and during the interview.
It is the responsibility of the applicants in possession of qualifications awarded by educational institutions which are not 'self-accrediting providers', to produce a recognition statement on comparability of qualifications issued by the Malta Qualifications Recognition Information Centre (MQRIC) within the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA), which is to be obtained by submitting an online application at (https://mfhea.mt/academic-qualifications/). Such statement should be attached to the application and the original presented at the interview.
No recognition statement by MQRIC is required in respect of qualifications issued by Maltese self-accrediting institutions, these include the University of Malta, MCAST and ITS, or any Maltese qualification that has been accredited by the MFHEA.
Prior to requesting recognition statements in respect of their qualifications, applicants should first consult the 'List of Licensed Providers and Accredited Programmes' of the MFHEA which can be accessed from (https://mfhea.mt/list-of-licensed-providers-and-accredited-programmes/). Applicants are exempted from submitting a recognition statement if they are presenting qualifications listed therein. A printed copy of such list including the qualification is to be presented by the applicant.
Applicants who are not in possession of such a statement may still apply, provided they submit a copy of the statement to the receiving department/directorate as soon as it is available, and, in any case, by not later than the date of the interview. Applicants may be assessed provisionally whilst still awaiting MQRIC equivalence of their qualification/s. Should the equivalence report be in the negative or not presented by not later than the date of the interview, such applicants will be disqualified from the Selection Process.
19. Prospective applicants are strongly advised not to wait until the last day to submit their application since heavy internet traffic or a fault with the internet connection could lead to difficulties in submission. Applicants are to ensure that after the submission of their application, a copy of the receipt of application received through an email, is to be kept for future reference. Applicants are deemed to have applied by the closing date and time, only if they are in possession of this receipt. Late applications will not be considered.
20. Applicants are granted up to two (2) working days after closing date or up to two (2) working days from date of notification, whichever is the latest, to submit any incorrect or incomplete or missing documents.
21. The AFM shall have the power to deal summarily with any applicant who, while the Selection Process is in progress, is found to be guilty of misconduct or of any other breach of the instructions issued for the guidance of applicants.
22. The AFM reserves the right to annul the Selection Process if any irregularity is detected in connection herewith. Such annulment may be in respect of the whole Selection Process even if the detected irregularity is in respect of only one area or a particular stage of the Selection Process.
Enlistment
22. Successful applicants will be enlisted as Officer Cadets for an initial twelve-month training period and be paid in Salary Scale 11 (€24,039.00). Military training cannot be interrupted for any reason, and cadets who interrupt their military training may be discharged from the Force. Those enlisted may be required to undergo a long period of training abroad. Failure to meet the required standards at any point during the training period may lead to discharge.
On enlistment, cadets will be required to undergo a Security Clearance process to obtain a National Security Clearance Certificate at the required level. Applicants failing this process will be dismissed from the Force.
23. On successful completion of their twelve-month training period, cadets will be commissioned in the rank of Second Lieutenant (Scale 8, €28,792.00, rising by annual increments of €487) for a period of eighteen months. On the expiry of this period and subject to satisfactory performance, the Commissioned Officers will then be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant (Scale 7, €30,507.00, rising by annual increments of €531.00 up to a maximum of €33,694.00). Enlisted Officers may also be eligible to various forms of allowances up to a maximum of €12,282.00 according to rank, on the achievement of military qualifications and type of specialisation conducted. The commission in the rank of Second Lieutenant and subsequent promotion to the rank of Lieutenant may be tied to the successful completion of long courses abroad.
24. Commissioned Officers will be bound to serve in the Regular Force for a minimum period of three years from the date of their commission. It should also be noted that, in terms of current Armed Forces of Malta Regulations, officers and soldiers who undertake overseas training may be required to serve for a period of mandatory service, following the completion of their training.
25. Officer cadets and Officers who fail to complete any of the mandatory periods of service referred to in the previous paragraphs may be required to refund to the Government of Malta all the expenses incurred by the Government both during the first year of basic training and during overseas training, on a pro-rata basis.
26. Further information on the AFM can be found on the AFM website (https://afm.gov.mt/).
4th July, 2025
