Resort life in the Maldives: staff housing, meals, days off and island rules (2026)

Most resort staff in the Maldives live on the island where they work. In 2022 only 9% of resort employees commuted to work daily; the rest lived at the resort (Maldives Bureau of Statistics).

Housing, meals and transfers are usually part of the job, but the details vary from resort to resort. This guide describes what resort adverts and staff policies typically offer, and the rules the law sets.

Who you will work with

Resorts employed 55,874 people at the end of 2022, and 59% of them were foreign. Resort teams are also mostly male: women were 11% of resort staff in 2022 (Maldives Bureau of Statistics).

In practice you will share a workplace, a canteen and often a room with colleagues from several countries.

Staff housing

Resorts typically house staff in a staff village or back-of-house area, away from guest areas. Junior staff usually share rooms; supervisors and managers more often get a single room. Check what your offer says, because it varies.

The law sets minimum standards for accommodation an employer arranges for its staff (Regulation 2021/R-15, Annex 1):

• Rooms must keep out sun and rain, stay at a reasonable temperature and have enough light and cross-ventilation.
• Except for married couples, people sharing a room must be of the same sex.
• There must be at least one toilet for every 10 residents, with separate facilities for men and women if they are outside the living area.
• Drinking and washing water must meet World Health Organization standards.
• There must be somewhere to keep valuables safe, and maintenance must be carried out regularly.
• The fire and emergency procedure must be on display, with a fire drill twice a year.
• If the accommodation is not on an inhabited island, the employer must arrange a way to buy everyday goods.

The Ministry can fine an employer up to MVR 2,000 for breaking these standards (section 4).

For foreign staff, the employer must also arrange accommodation for as long as you work there (Regulation 2025/R-120, article 60). The Ministry can inspect worksites where foreign staff work (articles 70 to 74).

Meals

Most resorts feed their staff in a staff canteen, and resort adverts often list meals as part of the package. Ask how many meals a day are included and whether they continue on your days off.

Staff canteens are one of the few outlets that do not have to add service charge (Service Charge Regulation, section 3(b)).

Working hours and days off

The Employment Act limits normal work to 48 hours a week, not counting overtime, and requires 24 hours' rest after 6 consecutive days (section 32). Two exceptions apply to tourist resorts and tourist vessels:

• Your contract can let your weekly day off build up, to be taken later as one day for every six days worked.
• You can work 2 extra hours a day, but those hours must be paid as overtime.

Many resort jobs run on six-day weeks, and restaurant and bar staff often work split shifts. The employment law guide covers overtime rates, public holidays and sick leave.

Leave, tickets and going home

You are entitled to 30 days of paid annual leave after a year of employment (Employment Act, section 39). Resort adverts often add an annual air ticket home, and some let you add banked days off to your leave.

When your contract ends without renewal, the employer must arrange your return home (Regulation 2025/R-120, article 64). Read the leave and ticket clauses of your contract before you sign.

Getting on and off the island

Resorts are reached by speedboat, seaplane, or a domestic flight followed by a boat. The employer arranges your first transfer: it must meet a new foreign employee at the port of arrival (Regulation 2025/R-120, article 60).

After that, leaving the island depends on the resort's boat schedule and your manager's permission. Resorts near Malé or an inhabited island may run staff boats; remote resorts may not. Ask how often staff can leave, and who pays the transfer.

Staff facilities

Resorts commonly provide a staff canteen, a recreation room, sports and gym facilities, laundry and Wi-Fi in staff areas. Larger resorts may also have a staff shop and a medical room.

If you are injured at work, the employer must arrange treatment without charging you, under the Occupational Safety and Health Act 2024 (ILO summary). Ask what medical insurance comes with your job and what it covers.

Rules on resort islands

Resorts have staff handbooks, and you will be asked to follow yours from your first day. Handbooks typically cover:

• when and where staff may enter guest areas, beaches and restaurants;
• uniforms, grooming and name badges;
• contact with guests outside work, and photographing guests or posting about them;
• visitors, quiet hours and conduct in staff housing;
• alcohol, smoking and staff bar rules, where the resort has one;
• how to ask permission to leave the island.

Maldivian law applies on resort islands as it does everywhere in the country. Breaking a handbook rule can lead to warnings or dismissal under your contract, so read it carefully.

Some rules protect you regardless of the handbook:

• Your employer may not keep your passport. Confiscating passports or identity documents is an offence under the Anti-Human Trafficking Act (ILO summary).
• Since late September 2026, salaries of foreign staff must be paid into a bank account in their own name (2026/R-69).
• You must receive your share of service charge each month, by the end of the following month (service charge guide).

Money on a resort

Resort pay is usually a basic salary plus a monthly share of service charge, which varies by resort and month. With housing and meals provided, your main costs are usually phone data, personal spending and money sent home.

Resorts rarely publish salaries. CareersMV shows the pay that listings do state at /insights/salaries.

Every resort and contract is different. If something in your housing, hours or pay looks wrong, raise it with human resources first, then with the Labour Relations Authority.

Questions people ask

Do Maldives resort staff live on the island?

Most do. In 2022 only 9% of resort employees commuted to work daily; the rest lived at the resort. Staff live in a staff village away from guest areas, and junior staff usually share rooms.

Do resorts provide free food for staff?

Most resorts run a staff canteen, and adverts often list meals as part of the package. Check your offer letter for how many meals are included and whether that continues on days off.

How many days off do resort staff get in the Maldives?

The law requires 24 hours' rest after 6 consecutive working days. At resorts, your contract can let these days build up and be taken later, one for every six days worked. You also get 30 days of paid annual leave after a year.

Can resort staff leave the island on days off?

Usually, with your manager's permission and if a boat is running. Resorts near Malé or inhabited islands often make it easier than remote ones. Ask about staff transfers before you accept the job.

Do resort staff pay for accommodation?

Resort adverts usually include staff accommodation. For foreign staff, the employer must arrange accommodation by law. Check your letter of appointment for what is provided and whether anything is deducted from your pay.

Do resort staff share rooms?

Junior staff usually do, and the law sets minimum room sizes: at least 8.55 m² for four people in two bunk beds. Rooms can be shared only by people of the same sex, unless they are a married couple.