Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Maldives will no longer be required to pay quota fees if they employ fewer than 20 foreign workers, following a recent amendment to regulations.

Previously, businesses were required to pay a quota fee of MVR 2,000 for each foreign worker brought into the country. This fee had to be paid within 12 months to a designated authority under the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology.

Under the newly amended employment of foreigners in the Maldives regulations, SMEs are now exempt from paying quota fees if the total number of foreign workers they recruit is below 20. However, the regulation specifies that this exemption does not extend to other SMEs established by the same shareholder or responsible individual.

If an SME exceeds the 20-worker threshold, quota fees will apply starting from the 21st worker onward.

Additionally, the amendment states that any outstanding quota fees for allocations made before the regulation’s enforcement will be waived for SMEs from the date of its publication in the Government Gazette.

The revised rules also allow the Ministry to grant a one-month extension to employers who fail to pay work permit fees on time, depending on individual circumstances.