Welcome to the Maldives Guide!
The Maldives is a country of small islands. Most tourism jobs are on resorts that each fill a whole island, where everyone works for the resort. It suits hotel staff who can live where they work for a year or two.
Who hires
Resorts are the main employers: 179 were open at the end of 2025, with two thirds of all tourist beds. There were also 973 guesthouses and 168 liveaboard boats. The country had about 2.2 million tourists in 2025. About a third of resort beds are in Malé Atoll, around the capital. Outside tourism, foreigners work mainly in construction, then in shops and manufacturing. Far fewer work in health or education.
When hiring happens
Work is year-round: resorts do not close. December to April, in the dry season, is busiest. May, June and September are quietest.
Where you live and what it costs
On a resort island there is nothing to rent: staff live in staff housing. Off the resorts the employer must also house you. Crowd-reported prices (November 2026) put a one-bedroom flat in Malé, if you arrange your own, at about MVR 10,800 to 14,700 a month (about USD 700 to 950). The same reports put a cheap restaurant meal at about MVR 93 (about USD 6).
Daily life
Maldivians speak Dhivehi. The usual week is 48 hours with at least one day off. Leaving a resort island means a boat or a seaplane. Islam is the state religion. Practising another religion in public is illegal. Alcohol is sold only on resort islands and must stay there. Outside resorts, cover your shoulders and upper legs. In Ramadan, do not eat, drink or smoke in public in daylight outside resorts. Vapes are banned and same-sex sexual activity is illegal. Most resorts have a clinic. Fully equipped hospitals are only in Malé and Hulhumalé.
Getting there and around
Velana International Airport, beside Malé, is the main gateway. Most flights come through Gulf airports, Colombo, Indian cities, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. Nearby resorts are reached by speedboat, others by seaplane or a domestic flight and a boat.
What to watch for
- Some jobs are being reserved for Maldivians between 2027 and 2030. Check the first box below.
- Ask whether pay and service charge are in US dollars or rufiyaa (MVR).
- Your pay must go into a bank account in your name in the Maldives: a rule published in August 2026 ends cash pay.
- Banks limit the dollars you can send home: USD 150 a month for tourism workers at one bank in late 2025.
- Read your own government's travel advice for the Maldives before you travel.
Never pay anyone for a job offer or a visa.
Before you apply
Below this guide, "Can I work in the Maldives?" gives the answer for your passport, and "What the job usually comes with" covers housing, meals, flights and leave.
Can I work in the Maldives?
Never pay anyone for a visa or a job offer. A real employer pays the permit costs and never asks you for money.
How it works
How it works: Employer quota and work permit, paid by the employer; some roles are being reserved for Maldivians (2027 to 2030).
Watch for: Cashier jobs are reserved for Maldivians from February 2027; guest relations, tour guides, dive instructors, housekeeping, HR and front office managers follow by about 2030.
Official source: Ministry of Economic Development: Regulation on Foreign Employment. Checked November 2026.
What the job usually comes with in the Maldives
Usual for the Maldives, varies by employer. Checked November 2026.
| Housing | On the island; shared for line staff |
|---|---|
| Meals | Full board |
| Flights | Joining flight and a yearly home ticket |
| Service charge | At least 10%, shared equally by all staff (by law); about USD 250 to 1,000+ a month, more at top resorts |
| Contract | 1 to 2 years; probation 3 months at most |
| Leave | 30 days |
| Income tax | 0% below about USD 3,900 a month, then 5.5% to 15% |
Senior staff often get more than line staff, for example a single room or a yearly home flight. Ask the employer what the job includes before you accept.
Guidance, not legal advice. Rules change; your employer confirms the details for your case.
Plan your move to the Maldives