Public Authority

Identity Malta Agency (IMA)

Description of the department/directorate/entity’s structure

Identity Malta Agency is led by a Chief Executive Officer and has its own Board of Directors, which is headed by a non-Executive Chairperson.

The Agency incorporates seven previously separated government entities, which include the Passports Unit, Public Registry Unit, Public Registry Searches Unit, Central Visa Unit, Citizenship Unit, Expatriates Unit & ID Card Unit.

Furthermore, the Agency’s corporate structure consists of the following Units: (i) Administration & Finance, (ii) IT, (iii) Human Resource Management, (iv) Legal, (v) Policy (vi), Operations, (vii) Customer Care and (viii) Marketing & Communications.

Description of the department/directorate/entity’s functions and responsibilities

Identity Malta Agency offers a specialized service in the processing of personal documentation. The main objective of the Agency is to execute functions pertaining to the processing and issuing of identity documents, which include passports, visas, work and residence permits, birth and death notifications as well as other acts of civil status.

The Agency was established in 2013 through the Subsidiary Legislation 497.07 and incorporates seven previously separate government entities. These functions were grouped under an umbrella organisation so as to strengthen work cooperation and establish standard operational procedures.

All in all, Identity Malta Agency is rooted towards offering a quality Public Service.

• Procurement documentation
• Human Resources documents
• Health and Safety documents
• Policy documents
• Legislation (Local and EU)
• General Correspondence and Minutes
• Internal Memos
• Standard Operating Procedures of all Units
• Customer Care Manual
• Project Proposals and Implementation Reports
• Copies of applications and supporting documents in accordance to Maltese and EU Legislations
• Department statistical data

• Appeals registry
• Court judgement decrees
• Volumes of Hypothecs, Privileges, Enrolled Notes and References
• Copies of Marriage Banns
• Birth Certificates
• Death Certificates
• Notes of enrolment in cases of separations/reconciliations and change of gender procedures
• Notarial deeds required for cohabitation
• Marriage, Conversion of Civil Union to Marriage, and Divorce Certificates with Annotations
• Free Status, Marriage, Civil Union, Cohabitation, Separation and Divorce Certificates
• Archived documents
• All original civil status certificates are kept on the Public Registry Archives

Description of all manuals and similar types of documents which contain policies, principles, rules or guidelines in accordance with which decisions or recommendations are made in respect of members of the public (including bodies corporate and employees of the public authority in their personal capacity)

• Public Service Management Code
• Standard Operating Procedures
• Maltese and EU Legislations
• Public Procurement Regulations Searches

Statement of the information that needs to be available to members of the public who wish to obtain access to official documents from the public authority, which statement shall include particulars of the officer or officers to whom requests for such access should be sent.

FOI Officer,
Identity Malta Head Office,
Valley Road, Msida, MSD 9020.
Malta

(+356) 2590 4000
[email protected]

Details of Internal Complaints Procedure

An applicant whose request for information is refused, or who is otherwise not satisfied with the information provided, its format or the extension of the deadline for the submission of the notification indicating whether a request would be met or not, may address a complaint to the Identity Malta.

The complaint should be addressed to the Public Authority’s FOI Officer, who shall bring the complaint to the attention of the Chairman of Identity Malta.

The officer responsible shall reply to the applicant within 10 working days from the receipt of the complaint. The applicant shall also be informed that he or she may appeal the decision or otherwise address a complaint to the Information and Data Protection Commissioner in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act (Cap. 496 of the Laws of Malta).

The officer responsible shall inform the applicant of the decision taken with respect to his or her complaint, and in the event of confirmation of a decision not to release the pertinent information, shall explain the reasons thereof.

Whenever the applicant’s complaint is related to the format of the information provided or to an extension of the deadline for the submission of the notification indicating whet-her a request would be met or not by the Public Authority and the original decision is upheld, the applicant shall be given an explanation as to why his or her complaint cannot be positively addressed.

An applicant may also make use of the Internal Complaints Procedure to report failure to meet deadlines or to send notifications. In those cases where the request for information can be met, but has not been met within the deadlines specified by the Act, the officer responsible shall waive any applicable fees for the submission of information.

Other Information

Address:
Identity Malta Agency,
Valley Road, Msida, MSD 9020.
Malta

(+356) 2590 4000

Cheques are payable to Identity Malta Agency.

Opening hours of Identity Malta [Corporate Services]:

Monday to Friday: from 7:00am to 15:00pm

Applicants shall submit their FOI request or complaint via their E-ID or by using the online form found on the FOI Portal www.foi.gov.mt.

Public Authority Contact Details

Identity Malta Agency,
Valley Road, Msida, MSD 9020.
Malta

Website: https://www.identitymalta.com/

OPM FOI Website: https://opm.gov.mt/en/Pages/FOI.aspx