Fake Maldives job offers: how to check the employer, the offer letter and the work permit (2026)

A genuine Maldives job never requires you to pay for a quota, work permit, visa or deposit. The employer must pay all of these, and recruitment agencies may not take any fee from you.

Use the checks below before you pay anything, sign anything or book a flight. Rules change, so confirm your own case with the Department of Foreign Labour on 1485.

Who pays what

The fees for employing a foreigner fall on the employer. Article 77 of Regulation 2025/R-120 says the employer pays the fees for the permits issued under it.

Section 70 of the Employment Act lets an agency charge the employer a fee. But "no fee shall be taken directly or indirectly from a prospective employee".

The ILO's fair recruitment principles agree (principle 7): "No recruitment fees or related costs should be charged to, or otherwise borne by, workers or jobseekers."

Check 1: the employer exists

Maldivian companies and sole proprietorships are listed on the government's Business Registry. Search by name or registration number to see a business's registration status, business activities, permits and licences.

• Compare the name, registration number and address on your offer with the registry entry. The offer letter must show the employer's registration number (Regulation 2025/R-120, Schedule 9).
• For a resort, find the resort's own website and write to its human resources team through the contact details there. Ask if the vacancy exists and if your agent works for them.
• For an agency, ask which Maldivian employer it is recruiting for and for that employer's registration number. On the Xpat system, an agency can act for an employer only with a Category A or B licence (article 8).

We found no public list of licensed agencies on the Ministry's websites. If you cannot confirm an agency, call 1485 and ask.

Check 2: the offer letter

The employer must give you a letter of appointment containing everything in the Ministry's template (Regulation 2025/R-120, article 57). It is part of the work permit application made before you travel, and a letter missing any of the template's information is not valid.

The template in Schedule 9 asks for:

• The employer: name, address, contact details or email, country of origin, and registration number or ID card number.
• You: name, permanent address, nationality, date of birth, passport number and an emergency contact.
• The job: job title, work type (as on the quota), basic salary in US dollars and in rufiyaa, and pay date.
• The terms: primary worksite, start date, job description, working hours, permanent or contract status, and contract length.
• The signatory: name, designation, signature, date and company seal.

Your pay must match the employer's job advertisement. Before using a quota, the employer must advertise the job to Maldivians on the government's National Job Center portal for at least 7 days. The foreign worker hired must then get the salary and benefits stated in that advert (Schedule 2, article 18).

Within 45 days of your arrival, the employer must sign a full employment contract with you and give you a copy (article 58). The ILO says migrant workers' contracts should be in a language they understand and given well before departure (principle 8).

Check 3: the work permit

You must have a work permit entry pass before you fly. The employer applies for it on the Xpat system, and it can be used only within the period shown on it (Regulation 2025/R-120, article 34).

Once a work permit has been issued, anyone can check it on the Xpat Work Permit Verification page. Enter the work permit number, which starts with WP, and your name or passport number.

You cannot turn a tourist visa into a work permit. Schedule 4, article 10 of the regulation bars work permits for people in the country on any visa except a work, business or special visa.

From 15 September 2026, people who enter on a business visa or special visa cannot get a work permit in the Maldives either (Xpat notice). The Ministry tells employers to obtain the entry pass before the worker arrives.

The only valid work visa is the e-visa linked to your work permit in the Xpat system. Work visa stickers in passports stopped being valid after 23 November 2025 (Maldives Immigration).

Warning signs

Each of these breaks a Maldivian rule or an ILO fair recruitment principle:

1. 01You are asked to pay for a visa, quota, work permit, deposit, "processing" or a "ministry fee". The employer pays these (article 77), and agencies may not charge you (Employment Act, section 70).
2. 02You are told to fly in on a tourist visa, or on a business visa, and "convert" it later. That route is closed (Schedule 4, article 10, and the Xpat notice of 15 September 2026).
3. 03The offer letter is incomplete: no employer registration number, no salary in both US dollars and rufiyaa, no worksite or working hours (Schedule 9).
4. 04The pay changes between the advert, the offer letter and the contract. The worker must get the advertised salary and benefits (Schedule 2, article 18).
5. 05Someone wants to keep your passport. Employers may not confiscate passports or identity documents under the Anti-Human Trafficking Act, section 29 (ILO summary).
6. 06Your salary will be paid in cash or to another person. Since late September 2026, foreign staff must be paid into a bank account in their own name (2026/R-69).
7. 07The job is closed to foreigners. No quota can be issued for some jobs (Schedule 2, article 26). They include taxi drivers, sea vessel captains, photography work and fruit and vegetable shop cashiers.
8. 08A "ministry officer" contacts you from a personal email address or messaging account. The Ministry's published contacts are the 1485 hotline and [email protected]. Check any such message by calling 1485.
9. 09A state hospital or school job needs a payment. Ministry of Health demand letters say no recruitment fees or charges apply (example, 18 August 2026).

Agencies in India, Sri Lanka and elsewhere

Many offers reach workers through agents in their home country, for example in Kerala, Chennai or Colombo. Maldivian law still applies to the Maldivian side: the employer pays the permit fees, and no Maldivian agency may charge you.

Your home country may also require recruiting agents to hold a licence. The guides for India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and the Philippines explain the rules there.

How to report

Report to the office that deals with the problem; you can report to more than one.

The Employment Act sends complaints about employment agencies to the Minister responsible for employment (section 71). It also lets a foreign employee, or someone on their behalf, take a breach of contract to the Employment Tribunal (section 66).

The Labour Relations Authority's office is at Ma. Kan'dubalaage, Buruzu Magu, Malé, open Sunday to Thursday, 08:00 to 14:00 (contact page). Its complaint form accepts workers of any nationality.

Employers who abandon or neglect foreign workers they brought in face a fine of MVR 50,000 under the eighth amendment to the Employment Act. The Ministry has enforced it through the Xpat system since 15 September 2025 (Xpat notice).

Report a listing on CareersMV

If a CareersMV listing asks you for money, gives an employer you cannot find, or looks copied from a scam, report it at /contact?topic=report. Include the listing link and what happened.

/standards explains how CareersMV checks listings and handles reports. Do not send anyone your passport scan, photos or certificates until you have checked the employer.

Questions people ask

How do I check my work permit?

Go to the Xpat Work Permit Verification page. Enter your work permit number, which starts with WP, and your name or passport number. If nothing matches, ask your employer and call the Department of Foreign Labour on 1485.

Do I have to pay an agent for a Maldives job?

No. The Employment Act says an employment agency may not take any fee, directly or indirectly, from a person seeking a job. Its fee is agreed with, and paid by, the employer.

How much does a work permit cost in the Maldives?

The work permit fee is MVR 350 a month, and the quota fee is MVR 2,000 per quota for 12 months. Both are paid by the employer, not by you.

Can I work in the Maldives on a tourist visa?

No. You cannot work, or get a work permit, while on a tourist visa. Your employer must obtain a work permit entry pass for you before you travel.

What should a Maldives job offer letter include?

It must give the employer's name, address and registration number, and your passport details. It must state the job title, worksite, working hours, start date and basic salary in US dollars and rufiyaa. The company signs and stamps it.

Where do I report a fake Maldives job offer?

Call the Department of Foreign Labour on 1485 about permits and agencies, or contact the Maldives Police Service on +960 332 2111 about fraud. Tell your embassy and your home country's overseas employment regulator too.