Effective from 15 September 2026, foreign nationals who enter the Maldives on a Business Visa or Special Visa will not be eligible to obtain a Work Permit while remaining in the Maldives.

Accordingly, Work Permit applications submitted through the Xpat System for individuals who entered the Maldives on a Business Visa or Special Visa will not be accepted.

Employers are advised to ensure that a Work Permit Entry Pass is obtained prior to the individual's entry into the Maldives for employment purposes.

With reference to Amendment No. 3 to the Regulation on Expatriate Employment (R-120/2025), salaries payable to expatriate employees working in the Maldives under their employment agreements must be deposited into a bank account opened in the respective employee's name at a bank registered with or authorized by the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA).

Accordingly, all employers are advised to ensure that bank accounts are opened for their expatriate employees at the earliest opportunity, and that salaries are deposited directly into the employees' personal bank accounts.

Furthermore, in investigations conducted by the Labour Relations Authority concerning wage disputes involving expatriate employees, salary payments will only be recognized as settled if the funds have been deposited into the employee's personal bank account at a bank registered with or authorized by the MMA.

All employers are therefore advised to ensure compliance with this requirement.