Work in the Maldives from Bangladesh: jobs, permits and pay (2026)

Bangladeshis are the largest foreign community in the Maldives: the 2022 census counted 74,815 Bangladeshi residents, 56% of all foreigners (Maldives Bureau of Statistics). Bangladesh's Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) cleared 40,159 workers for the Maldives in 2025, and you need that clearance before you fly (BMET).

1,599 vacancies are open in the Maldives on CareersMV as of 7 Oct 2026: 1,096 at 123 resorts and 398 in government and the public sector.

Which jobs are open to Bangladeshis

Most vacancies on CareersMV are at resorts, and resorts rely on foreign staff. At the end of 2022, resorts employed 55,874 people, 59% of them foreign. Most staff, 91%, lived on the resort (Employment in Resorts 2022).

Food and beverage was the largest area of resort work, with 33% of jobs. The census found the most foreign workers in Kaafu Atoll, home to many resorts and building projects. Guesthouse islands also had large foreign shares. Bangladeshis tended to stay three to four years (Census 2022).

Bangladesh also sent the most work-permit holders: 123,842 of the 276,778 arrivals between January 2013 and July 2021 (Foreign Labour Statistics).

Some jobs are closing to foreign workers under Regulation 2025/R-120 on employing foreigners. Quotas for electricians end two years after it took effect, nurses after three and primary and secondary teachers after five (Xpat summary, in Dhivehi). Our work permit guide has the full list and dates.

What your employer does in the Maldives

Your employer, not you, gets the quota and the work permit, and you travel on the Work Permit Entry Pass. Within 15 days of your arrival the employer must apply for your work e-visa; visa stickers stopped being valid on 23 November 2025 (Maldives Immigration). Our work permit guide explains each step and who pays which fee.

What you must do in Bangladesh before you fly

The Bangladesh High Commission in Malé says workers on a new Maldives work visa must get the BMET smart card first (High Commission notice). The steps below come from the Overseas Employment and Migrants Act 2013 and BMET's own pages.

1. 01Register with BMET. Section 19 of the Act says everyone who wants to migrate for work must register with the Bureau, stating their occupation. You can register online at employee.oep.gov.bd.
2. 02Check the job is real. Ask for your work permit number and check it on the Maldives Xpat system with your name or passport number.
3. 03Make sure the paperwork is attested. The High Commission in Malé attests the employer's demand letter and the Work Permit Entry Pass, and Maldivian employers register online for this.
4. 04Get emigration clearance. Under section 20, BMET issues clearance on an electronic card with your fingerprints, the smart card. BMET's citizen charter gives three working days for this.
5. 05Pay only the official fees, by the methods BMET sets, and keep every receipt.

BMET's citizen charter, updated 30 September 2026, lists these government fees for one worker.

The welfare fee goes to the Wage Earners' Welfare Board, which runs benefits for migrant workers and their families. Workers with BMET clearance do not need separate Board membership (WEWB).

If you are already in the Maldives on a valid permit without BMET clearance, you can join through the High Commission. Apply at portal.wewb.gov.bd, then take the form, passport and visa copies and the fee to the High Commission (High Commission page).

Fees change, so confirm the amounts with BMET or your district manpower office before you pay.

Agents and fees

Only a recruiting agent with a government licence may do any recruitment work, under section 9 of the 2013 Act. BAIRA is the recruiters' trade association, and its membership certificate is not that licence. Check the licence on BMET's RAIMS list, which shows each agency's licence number, status (Active, Expired or Cancelled) and validity date.

Since the 2023 amendment, an agency may use a sub-agent only if that person is registered under section 14A. Working as an unregistered sub-agent is an offence under section 35, so ask any middleman for proof of registration.

The law sets out what agents may not do:

• Take money on a false promise of a job abroad. The penalty is up to five years in prison and at least Tk 1 lakh (section 31).
• Keep your passport, visa or migration papers without a lawful reason (section 31).
• Buy or sell demand letters, visas or work permits: two to seven years in prison (section 33).
• Publish a recruitment advertisement without government or BMET approval (section 32).

Section 21 lets the government set a maximum migration cost by order. Every licensed agency swears, when it applies for its licence, that it will not take more than the government-set amount. Ask BMET or the High Commission for the current Maldives figure, refuse to pay more, and get a receipt for every payment.

Refuse any offer to fly on a tourist visa and find work later. The work e-visa depends on a work permit your employer gets first (Maldives Immigration). Our guide to fake Maldives job offers lists the warning signs.

Pay

Resorts rarely advertise pay, so most advertised pay on CareersMV comes from government jobs. Resort listings often state that service charge, accommodation and meals are part of the offer. Treat that as what the listing says, and get each figure into your contract. The Maldives has no minimum wage for foreign workers: the Minimum Wage Order, in force since 1 January 2022, covers employees other than expatriates.

Where to get help

• Bangladesh High Commission, Malé: Plot 10982, Street 16, Nirolhu Magu, Hulhumalé. Phone +960 332 0859, email [email protected] (contact page).
• Labour Welfare Wing of the High Commission: +960 302 7961 or +960 302 7962, email [email protected] (wing contacts). Its emergency hotline is +960 764 8006, also on WhatsApp (notice).
• Probash Bondhu call centre, run by the Wage Earners' Welfare Board, 24 hours: 16135 free from Bangladesh, +880 9610 102030 from abroad (WEWB).
• Labour Relations Authority (LRA), Maldives, for unpaid wages, overtime, leave or breach of contract. Use the online complaint form or call +960 332 8282 (contact). It opens Sunday to Thursday, 08:00 to 14:00. The LRA says the Employment Act covers expatriates as well as Maldivians (LRA).

This guide is general information, not legal advice. For your own case, check with BMET or the High Commission before you sign or pay.

Questions people ask

Is the Maldives open to new Bangladeshi workers in 2026?

Recruitment is running. BMET cleared 5,015 workers for the Maldives in September 2026, and 27,262 between 1 January and 6 October 2026 (BMET, read 7 October 2026). We found no current restriction notice from the Maldives Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology in the Government Gazette. The Maldives has paused new Bangladeshi recruitment before, so ask the High Commission before you pay anyone.

How much does it cost to go to the Maldives from Bangladesh?

The government fees in BMET's citizen charter come to Tk 5,000 to Tk 5,150 for a single visa. That is Tk 4,500 welfare fee and insurance, Tk 250 clearance fee and Tk 250 or Tk 400 tax. A licensed agency may also charge you, but not more than the amount the government sets. Ask BMET for the current Maldives figure and get receipts.

Do I need a BMET smart card for a Maldives job?

Yes, for a new work visa. The High Commission in Malé says workers must get the BMET smart card before coming on a new work visa. If you already hold a valid permit without one, you can join the Wage Earners' Welfare Board through the High Commission instead.

How do I check my Maldives work permit?

Use the Work Permit Verification page on the Xpat system. You need the work permit number and your name or passport number. If the permit does not show, do not travel until your employer explains why.

What is the minimum salary in the Maldives for Bangladeshi workers?

There is none. The Minimum Wage Order covers employees other than expatriates, so your pay is whatever your contract says. Get the basic salary, service charge, food and accommodation written down before you sign.

Can I work in the Maldives without a permit?

No. Your employer must get you a work permit and then a work e-visa within 15 days of arrival. The High Commission asks undocumented Bangladeshi workers to get a valid visa and work permit through their current employer.