Health Ministry said the policy was changed to ensure the foreigners that live in Maldives long-term are in good health, and to decrease and control the spread of contagious diseases.
New policy on the procedure to carry out medical checkups on immigrant workers was introduced on Thursday.
The policy was introduced by Minister of Homeland and Security Ali Ihusan, in a press conference held in the Ministry of Health.
Health Ministry said the policy was changed to ensure the foreigners that live in Maldives long-term, excluding tourists, are in good health, and to decrease and control the spread of contagious diseases.
1. All immigrants coming in with a Work Visa, Dependent Visa, Resident Visa, Student Visa, Corporate Resident Visa, and Marriage Visa have to do a medical check-up when they first enter Maldives, in addition to another check-up once a year as per the standards set by the Ministry of Health.
2. To do the medical checkup when the visa is being extended, if the immigrant is from a country where certain diseases the Ministry of Health looks out for.
3. Immigrants applying for the Marriage Visa having to do the medical check up the first time they apply for it.
4. In addition to the diseases checked by the ministry previously, immigrants from countries where filariasis is endemic to have to test for the disease. If the test produces a positive result, the medical certification will released only after the treatment is completed.
The change in the medical rules for foreigners comes two years after foreigners stopped submitting medical applications while applying for visas after a group of foreign nationals were recently diagnosed with filariasis that had been eradicated from the Maldives
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