Maldives Immigration has urged foreigners working in the Maldives to ensure that they possess a valid e-visa that has not expired when traveling out of the country and returning back.
The Maldives introduced its e-visa service on 23 November last year, becoming the first in the region to do so.
According to Maldives Immigration, all visa-related services are now online, changing how visas are issued to foreigners. Foreigners with a work permit can enter or exit the Maldives on a work visa only if they have a valid e-visa.
Furthermore, newly arriving foreigners with a work permit must get an unexpired entry pass from the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology before entry.
Highlighting employer responsibility in managing expatriate related matters, Immigration said employers registered in the Expat Online system must confirm the validity of any previously issued unexpired work visas of employees. The e-visa validity aligns with the work permit’s validity.
A foreigner can depart from the Maldives without completing the work visa process only once, and only within 15 days of entry, provided their work permit is still valid.