Maldives work permit and work visa: fees, medical and permit check (2026)

Your employer applies and pays: MVR 2,000 a year for a quota slot and MVR 350 a month for your work permit. You supply documents and pass a medical. You should never pay anyone for the paperwork.

The rules are in Regulation 2025/R-120, in force since 14 December 2025, and in the Employment Act. The regulation is published in Dhivehi only. Older websites still quote the 2021 and 2023 regulations it replaced, so their fees and deadlines may be out of date.

Who does what

Almost every step is your employer's job, done on the government's Xpat system. The office in charge is the Department of Foreign Labour at the Ministry of Homeland Security, Labour and Technology. Older pages call it the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology.

Since 1 September 2024 the Employment Act requires the worksite, quota and permit before a foreign worker is brought in. Under the regulation, a foreigner can be hired only after the job was advertised on the Job Center and no suitable Maldivian was found.

For the application you provide these documents (R-120 Annex 4, section 11):

• a colour copy of your passport data page and a digital passport photo
• a police report from your home country, less than 6 months old
• proof of the vaccinations the Ministry of Health requires
• certificates accredited by the Maldives Qualifications Authority, if the job needs a qualification

Your passport must be valid for at least one year if you arrive on an entry pass (Annex 4, section 10).

When you land you hold a 30-day conditional work permit. Your employer has 30 days to complete the full permit, plus 15 more if needed (Articles 34 and 36). If no permit is issued within those 45 days, you may move to another employer without your employer's consent.

The regulation counts its deadlines without government holidays (Article 83), so they run longer than calendar days.

Within 45 days of arrival you and your employer must sign an employment contract, and you get a copy (Article 58). You must also get a written job description within 20 days of starting (Article 59).

How much a work permit costs

A work permit costs your employer MVR 350 a month plus MVR 2,000 a year for the quota slot: MVR 6,200 a year. The Maldives Inland Revenue Authority confirms the MVR 350 rate and that the employer of the expatriate is liable for it.

Since 1 April 2026, micro, small and medium businesses pay no quota fee on their first 20 slots (Regulation 2026/R-19). The Employment Act lets the government review both fees at least every three years, but not within 18 months of the last change. Any rise is capped at 30% (sections 65-4 and 65-5).

Your work permit stays valid only for the months the fee has been paid (R-120 Article 38). It also lapses if a required document, such as your medical or insurance, expires.

Work e-visa: what changed on 23 November 2025

Work visa stickers in passports have not been valid since 23 November 2025; only an approved work e-visa counts. Maldives Immigration now allows entry and departure only with a valid e-visa, except for new arrivals on a valid Work Permit Entry Pass.

• Your employer applies through the Xpat system and must get your work e-visa within 15 days of your arrival on an entry pass.
• The e-visa lasts as long as your work permit. Renewed work visas are issued for one year at most.
• An e-visa linked to an unpaid (expired) work permit fee shows as invalid in the system.
• If you get a new passport, make sure your visa shows the new passport number before you travel.

The medical test

You take two medicals: one before you travel and one in the Maldives after you arrive. The first is done in your home country if the Maldives pre-departure scheme runs there. The Ministry of Health guideline of August 2025 sets the tests for every work permit applicant:

• medical history and a physical examination
• chest X-ray
• HIV screening, hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis C screening
• a syphilis test (VDRL or RPR)
• antigen tests for lymphatic filariasis and malaria, if you come from an area where they are common
• a measles-rubella (MR) vaccination

The pre-departure results are valid for 3 months. Grade A means you are cleared to work in the Maldives; Grade B means you are not eligible. The clinic uploads your results and fingerprints to the Maldives system within 2 days.

After you arrive, the guideline requires a further health assessment within 30 days. Since 4 January 2024 the Xpat system has asked for it within 15 days of arrival, so go as soon as your employer books it.

The Maldives medical is valid for one year and must be current to extend your permit.

The medical must be done at a provider registered with the ministry, using the Ministry of Health's tests (R-120 Annex 4, section 13). If you are found unfit, no permit is issued and your employer must arrange your return home. For a condition that is not contagious and can be treated, the ministry may issue a conditional permit.

The Ministry of Health guideline also says you must be insured from the day you arrive.

The work permit card

Regulation 2025/R-120 does not mention a physical work permit card. The official Xpat MV app, published by the Ministry of Economic Development, holds a digital card instead.

• You add a card by entering the work permit number and passport number.
• The card's data comes from the Xpat portal, and its QR code checks the permit against the portal in real time.
• The app was last updated in 2023. If it stops working, use the verification page below.

Your work e-visa can be viewed and downloaded in the Xpat system once it is approved. Your employer holds the account, so ask them for a copy.

How to check your work permit, step by step

You can check a permit on the official Xpat portal, but you need the work permit number as well as your name or passport number. There is no official check by passport number alone.

1. 01Get your work permit number from your employer or agent. The portal's example format is WP00000000.
2. 02Open xpat.egov.mv/Home/WorkPermitVerify, or the Work Permit Verification link on the xpat.egov.mv home page.
3. 03Check the address ends in .gov.mv. Maldives Immigration says every official government website ends that way.
4. 04Type the number into the Work Permit Number box.
5. 05In the Name or Passport Number box, type your first name as it appears on the permit, or your passport number.
6. 06Press Verify and read the details shown for that permit.
7. 07If you see "Employee not found. Please Enter correct details", check the number for typing errors and try your passport number instead of your name.

Check that the details match your job and employer, and that the permit has not expired. The only public page on the portal that takes a passport number alone is the Fingerprint Requirement check. It needs your passport number and country, and only tells you whether you must enrol fingerprints.

If fingerprints are pending, your employer must book a slot: in Greater Malé through xpatappointment.home.gov.mv, elsewhere at your local council office (Xpat notices). A permit may not be extended until your biometrics are updated (R-120 Annex 4, section 10).

If your permit is missing or expired and your employer cannot explain why, call the Department of Foreign Labour on 1485 or email [email protected]. You can also contact the Labour Relations Authority.

Changing employer

You can change employer only through a new work permit taken out by the new employer (R-120 Article 43). Normally your current employer must agree.

You do not need your current employer's no-objection letter if your permit fee has gone unpaid. Nor do you need it if the Labour Relations Authority, the Employment Tribunal or a court finds your employer negligent. The same goes if a missing report against you is proved false.

Your employer also cannot change your contract or transfer you to another employer without your consent.

Your salary must be paid into a bank account in your own name at a bank licensed by the Maldives Monetary Authority. Regulation 2026/R-69, published on 25 August 2026, takes effect 30 days after publication.

Can you work without a permit?

No. Since 1 September 2024 the Employment Act allows a foreigner to work only with authorisation, and working without it is prohibited (section 65). After an inspection, the ministry can fine a foreigner found working illegally and refer the case for action under the Immigration Act (section 65-6).

A tourist visa does not lead to a work permit; you need a Work Permit Entry Pass before you travel. Since 15 September 2026, people who entered on a business or special visa cannot get a work permit without leaving (Xpat notice).

Jobs closing to foreign workers

Regulation 2025/R-120 ends quotas for some jobs two to five years after it took effect on 14 December 2025. After each date, existing quotas for those jobs are cancelled and no new ones are issued (Annex 2, Article 26).

The jobs on the list include electricians, accountants, nurses and primary and secondary school teachers. The full list, with the period for each job, is in Annex 2 of the regulation, which is published in Dhivehi; the regulation has been amended since it was published. If your job could be on it, ask your employer or the Ministry ([email protected]) before you accept an offer.

What you should never pay for

You should never pay the government fees for your own permit. Article 77 of Regulation 2025/R-120 says the employer pays all permit fees, service fees and fines under it.

• The quota fee, the work permit fee or the security deposit.
• A recruitment fee. An employment agency may charge the employer, but "no fee shall be taken directly or indirectly from a prospective employee" (Employment Act, section 70).
• Money back out of your salary. An employer may not make you pay back salary or sign a receipt for more than you were paid (section 55).

If anyone asks you for these payments, report it through the Labour Relations Authority complaint form or on 332 8282. If a job listing on CareersMV asks for a fee, report the listing.

Questions people ask

Can a foreigner get a job in the Maldives?

Yes, if an employer with a quota slot hires you and gets you a work permit before you travel. The employer must first advertise the job to Maldivians on the Job Center. Some jobs, including nurse and teacher, are being closed to foreign workers between 2027 and 2030.

How much does a work permit cost in the Maldives?

MVR 350 a month for the work permit and MVR 2,000 a year for the quota slot, so MVR 6,200 for a full year. Your employer pays both, plus a security deposit. Small and medium businesses pay no quota fee on their first 20 slots.

Can I work in Maldives without a permit?

No. The Employment Act prohibits any foreigner from working without authorisation, and the ministry can fine you and refer you to Immigration. You cannot switch from a tourist visa to a work permit inside the country.

How do I check my work permit?

Go to xpat.egov.mv/Home/WorkPermitVerify, enter your work permit number and your first name or passport number, and press Verify. Ask your employer for the number if you do not have it.

Can I check my Maldives work permit by passport number only?

No. The official check needs the work permit number too. The Fingerprint Requirement page takes a passport number alone, but it only says whether you must give fingerprints.

Is my work visa sticker still valid?

No. Work visa stickers stopped being valid after 23 November 2025, and only an approved work e-visa is accepted for entry and departure. Ask your employer to confirm your e-visa shows in the Xpat system before you travel.

What medical tests do I need for a Maldives work visa?

A physical examination, chest X-ray, and tests for HIV, hepatitis B and C and syphilis, plus a measles-rubella vaccination. People from areas where malaria or lymphatic filariasis are common are also tested for them. You repeat a health assessment in the Maldives after you arrive.

Rules change often. Check your own case with the Department of Foreign Labour on 1485 before you pay or sign anything.