An amendment has been made to the Regulation on Employment of Foreigners in the Maldives, where small and medium enterprises (SME) are exempt from paying fees up to 20 quotas. 

The Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology stated that an amendment to the regulation was made on 1st April, Wednesday, and that the concession would apply to businesses via the XPat System.

The ministry said that with the amendment, more than 30,000 SMEs would be granted a quota fee concession.

Previously, bringing in expatriate workers have a fee attached to it, with an yearly fee of MVR 2,000 per quota.

According to the ministry, the amendment was brought about after SMEs had expressed their concerns to President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu during the meeting that was held on 17th December 2025.

To prevent human trafficking, the regulation also states that the concession will not be repeated for businesses that share the same owner, shareholder, or partner. The ministry stated that with the amendment, they will publish the user guidelines to the XPat system as well.

The ministry also stated that the government is working to solve systemic issues within two years and expand the role of the businesses in the Maldivian economy.