The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade has amended regulations governing the issuance of permanent quotas for foreign workers.

In a statement, the Ministry said permanent and project quotas are issued to employers through the Expat system under the Regulation on Employment of Foreigners in the Maldives, and that changes have now been made to the requirements for obtaining permanent quotas.

Under the revised rules, effective from 1 January 2026, employers applying for permanent quotas will be required to complete worksite registration by submitting a notarised Work Site Declaration Form and an affidavit, in addition to the existing documentation. The Ministry said the required form and declaration are available on the Expat System homepage.

The Ministry also noted that, where a worksite is registered at a rented property, it reserves the right to request additional documents, including a copy of the agreement between the employer and the building or landowner, along with other supporting information.

All employers have been instructed to submit the Work Site Declaration Form and affidavit by 31 January 2026 through the Document Update Request or Site Permit Update options on the Expat system, in order to complete and verify information for registered worksites.

The Ministry said worksites linked to employers who fail to submit the required documents within the specified timeframe will be suspended.