Over 8,000 Suspended from Expat System for Unpaid Foreign Worker Fees

The Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology has suspended more than 8,000 accounts from the online Expat system after users failed to pay fees related to foreign workers. The action forms part of the government’s ongoing initiative to address undocumented expatriate workers.

The suspensions are a component of a multi-agency effort launched in December 2023 to tackle the long-standing issue of undocumented foreigners in the Maldives. The strategy focuses on strengthening the Expat system, recovering outstanding payments, and bringing all foreign workers into a legal framework.

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Minister of State for Homeland Security and Technology Abdul Majid Ibrahim confirmed that more than 8,900 accounts have been suspended. The decision followed a one-month grace period during which employers were expected to update workers’ biometrics, a requirement many failed to complete.
The government has also prioritised the recovery of substantial outstanding fees. According to the Ministry, USD 77.8 million has been collected out of USD 110.2 million owed in Expat-related charges.

The system is being reconfigured so that individuals with unpaid fees will be denied future services, making timely payments a requirement for all expatriate transactions.

Individuals with significant fines have been allowed to settle their dues in instalments. While the original one-year deadline for payments was set to expire in October, the Ministry has granted an extension to give those on payment plans additional time to clear their balances.

These measures follow earlier steps to regulate foreign labour, including the completion of biometric registration for 150,000 expatriate workers in May. The government’s broader crackdown on undocumented foreigners has also included multiple large-scale operations and deportations throughout 2025.