Looking to escape it all, particularly during the pandemic? The idea of living in the Maldives is a fantasy for many but I ended up living there for five years, and have now been writing about everything I've learned about this fascinating country for a decade due to demand for writers who genuinely know the Maldives rather than just drop in for holidays.
Although it's not the easiest place to find a job, each year hundreds of other people do manage to make their dream of working in the Maldives come true, too. So if you’ve always wanted to work on a far-flung island surrounded by turquoise water and white sandy beaches, read on to find out how to make this become a reality.
Jobs for temporary migrants
Like pretty much all countries, the Maldives relies upon migrants/immigrants to help strengthen the economy and fill employment gaps with their skills. The most common jobs for foreign workers are English teachers, pilots, scuba diving instructors, sommeliers, guest relations officers at resorts and other resort staff including chefs, managers, sales and marketing managers, receptionists, waiters and yoga instructors.
Random footnote: The temporary migrants of all nationalities and races refer to themselves as 'expats' in the Maldives, but Maldivians use the word 'expat' to refer specifically to Bangladeshi immigrants in the Maldives - they call everybody else simply a 'foreigner'. This is pretty exceptional, as the usual debate around connotations of privilege around the word 'expat' don't apply here in the same way as it does do in the rest of the world, since the people that Maldivians call 'expats' (Bangladeshis) are actually the most under-privileged sector of Maldivian society. Plus the other nationalities who call themselves 'expats' are by no means exclusively European and/or wealthy, often working for less than $1,000USD/month. But I digress, I should probably write a whole other post on that!
Where to find a job in the Maldives
The
first thing to note is that you should never go to the Maldives as a tourist to
look for work. It’s illegal to search for jobs if you’re on a tourist visa. If
you have the time (and money), you might want to visit as a tourist just to see
how you like it there, but don’t take any risks with job-hunting as you could
end up being booted out of the country.
Most
jobs in the Maldives are advertised on the country’s jobs board, www.job-maldives.com. It’s like Monster or Indeed, but
specifically for the Maldives. It’s rare to ever see jobs in the Maldives
advertised anywhere else, although occasionally you can spot one or two on
teaching websites.
You
send your application letter and resume by email, and if you’re selected for
interview you’ll usually do a skype interview rather than fly to the Maldives
for an interview. This is because the country is in such a remote location that
it’s quite expensive to get to, so most employers are used to recruiting staff
over the internet.
You got the job! What next?
Your
employer will ask you to email some personal documents to support their
petition to the Employment Ministry and Immigration Department for a one-year
work visa or 3-month business visa for you (depending on the type of job and
your contract). These typically include a digital copy of your passport, a
digital photo for a visa, birth certificate, college degree (if you have one)
or any other type of relevant qualification.
They
will then contact you when it’s approved and you’ll discuss a start date. Some
employers will also negotiate paying for your flight to the Maldives and it’s
common for them to also provide accommodation as part of the deal. However,
they rarely pay for relocation costs such as for shipping your belongings.
Arriving in the Maldives
When
you arrive at Velana International
Airport, join the line marked ‘Maldivians and Work Permit Holders’ rather than
the line for tourist arrivals. Take your passport to the counter and they’ll
have your name on a list for work visas or business visas, then will put it in
your passport then and there.
It
might take a bit of time and it’s a good idea to bring a copy of a letter
confirming your job with you, as well as the phone number of your employer,
just in case of any problems.
Some red flags
Some
employers in the Maldives try to get you to fly there on a tourist visa then
will send you to neighboring Sri Lanka and back after you’ve been working for a
couple of weeks so you can re-enter the country again on a work visa. This is
very bad practice. Not only is it illegal but also a BIG red flag.
If
you arrive as a tourist and then start work it means you’re working illegally
and aren’t protected by Employment Law either. So if you’re caught you will be
deported, or if they decide they don’t want you to keep working for them/don’t
pay you, you have no legal recourse. It’s not worth the risk.
Also, don't ever let your new employer have your passport. Many local employers mistakenly think they can hold your passport for you while you're working for them, but this of course is totally illegal everywhere in the world, including here! Take a look inside your passport; you'll see it states it is the property of the sovereign of your home country (in my case, The Queen!), nobody else. Your Embassy or Consulate can help you get it back if you have any problems.
Teachers
Most
English teachers in the Maldives have either a TEFL or CELTA certificate which only takes
a few months to get, although some have a teaching degree. English is the
second language of the Maldives, and is essential for tourism, so there’s
always a lot of demand for teachers. Most foreign teachers work at the schools
in Male’ such as Billabong High
International School, at resorts (to teach some of the staff) or occasionally on
the smaller inhabited islands, although the latter usually can’t afford foreign
staff.
Most
teachers are based in Male’, the capital city. Male’ is a chaotic concrete
jungle, with 150,000 people crammed into 2.2sq miles, and alcohol is banned
there.
On
the plus side, during your weekends and vacation time you can get discounted
rates at resorts, access to the islands and lagoons and a lively party scene
via Facebook groups such as Maldives Expat Parties (a group I founded) and Expats in Maldives.
Typically
a flight to the Maldives, round-trip flights home once or twice a year and a
private room is part of a foreign teacher’s package in the Maldives. Most
teachers get two days off per week (sometimes just one), and normal school
holidays.
Pilots
There’s normally a very high demand for foreign pilots in the Maldives because there aren’t
enough Maldivian pilots to meet demand. I say normally. Up until the pandemic, seaplane pilots were very
much in demand and salaries were raised to attract new talent. There's currently a hold on recruiting foreign pilots but it's expected that the Maldives will bounce back again by mid 2021.
Tourism
is huge in the Maldives (it’s the country’s largest GDP) so they need pilots
based there year-round. The biggest aviation employers are TMA and Island Aviation Service. TMA is the biggest seaplane
operator and Island Aviation Service has seaplanes and wheel planes.
Pilots
are given a free flight to the Maldives, round-trip flights home several times
per year and a private room. In fact, TMA sends pilots home for a one-month
holiday every three months.
Scuba diving instructors/dive masters
If
you’re already certified as a PADI Diving Instructor or Dive Master, you might be
able to get a job with a dive centre at a resort, on one of the inhabited
islands or on a liveaboard (also called a ‘safari boat’ in the Maldives). With
the Maldives being one of the world’s best scuba diving locations, it’s an
incredible place to work as a diver.
Employment
packages always include accommodation but flights to the Maldives and home are
negotiable.
Resort staff jobs
While you’re less likely to get a job as a foreign waiter at a resort (there are plenty of Maldivians with this skill-set already) there are lots of jobs for multilingual guest relations officers, sommeliers, receptionists, English teachers and yoga instructors at resorts, as well as senior management such as general managers, assistant managers, CFOs and sales and marketing/PR managers.
All
resort job packages include free accommodation at the island, although, unless
you’re senior staff you probably won’t get a private room (dorm rooms are
common). The resorts usually pay for you to fly there and for a return trip
home once a year. Most resorts only give you one day off per week and you work
very long hours.
What it takes to work in the Maldives
The harder side of living
in the Maldives is something very few people think about but definitely
needs consideration. Working at a resort is completely different to working on
an inhabited island. This is mostly because the resorts are almost always on an
island of their own, isolated from the rest of the country.
Depending
on the location, it might be really hard to leave your island to visit any
other islands during your day off. So you can sometimes get ‘island fever’ (a
kind of claustrophobia) and need to be very resourceful so you don’t get lonely
or depressed. Resorts are particularly intense, with 500 or more staff on one
tiny island usually less than a couple of square miles in size.
Whichever
island you’re on, activities are pretty much all based around the sea
(swimming, diving, snorkeling etc), so if you don’t like the ocean/sun, get
bored easily or suffer from depression, do think hard before accepting a job in
the Maldives as it’s completely different to being on holiday in the Maldives.
Male’ is a different story - it's basically not peaceful or idyllic in any way because it's a capital city island, the center of commerce. At just 2.2sq miles, you make your own fun here. But you do end up with some of the closest friendships you'll ever make in your life, due to the hours you'll spend simply sitting and talking to friends.
Before
you go, also read up on Male’ and the Maldives, learn about the moderate
Sunni Muslim culture and its implications for
you, implications for women
living in the Maldives and read some news articles from a reputable English
language news publication such as the Maldives Independent (currently not operating but hopefully will re-start one day) to get a feel for the place.
That way you’ll be mentally prepared for what is a challenging but also very
rewarding and unique experience.
Final note: Labor laws to protect you
Typically, Friday is the day off for staff although some companies also give you Saturday off. Sunday is the start of the week. This is worth saying again: Do not ever let any employer hold your passport, unless they’re renewing your visa. Some employers in the Maldives genuinely don’t realise it isn’t legal for them to hold your passport. The Maldives has a very good Employment Act based on the UK’s labor laws to protect staff from unfair dismissals etc and a good Employment Tribunal, but if you have any serious problems contact your local Consulate or Embassy immediately as they’ll fight your corner for you.
