Work permits conditional on registered facility's medical
The ministry has changed the regulation amid public criticism over recent cases of Filariasis among foreign workers in Maldives.
The ministry has decided that work permits will be issued to foreigners entering the country as labourers only after submitting a medical report made by a medical service provider registered with the Ministry of Home Affairs from Thursday onwards.
The ministry announced the change in the regulations for issuing work permits in a document gazetted on Wednesday evening.
According to the ministry's announcement, work permit holders who wish to extend the validity of their permits will have to submit a medical under the same regulations. The medical report should be submitted through the Ministry's Expat system. In addition:
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Those entering Maldives as workers must submit a medical report within 15 days
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If a foreigner whose work permit has expired is currently abroad, he/she can enter Maldives by obtaining a medical report from abroad and submitting it to the Expat system
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Medical reports submitted in this manner shall include all tests prescribed by the Ministry of Health
The ministry has also asked those who have been issued work permits without medicals in the past to submit their medicals through the Expat system by July 4 at the latest.
Foreigners who leave after the 4th of next month will have their work permits canceled if the deadline for the medical report does not expire. If that period has expired, under the Foreigners Employment Regulations, MVR 2,000 will be fined for each year of medical expiry.
Due to the difficulties encountered in obtaining medical for foreigners due to Covid-19, work permits have been issued without medicals. The ministry has changed the regulation amid public criticism over recent cases of Filariasis among foreign workers in Maldives.
