The Maldivian government has revised its employment regulations, making it mandatory for all foreign workers in the country to receive their monthly wages directly into personal bank accounts opened in their own names.

Under the third amendment to the Employment of Foreign Workers Regulations, which has now been officially gazetted, employers are legally required to deposit salary payments into accounts held at financial institutions registered or licensed by the central bank, the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA).

The regulatory update is expected to safeguard foreign workers by guaranteeing timely and verifiable salary payments under their employment contracts. Additionally, the move provides state authorities with crucial oversight to monitor outward remittance flows as money leaves the country.

Officials highlight that this mandate serves as a key measure in the government's broader effort to strengthen legal frameworks, protect migrant workers' rights, and curb the long-standing issue of undocumented expatriates operating in the Maldives.