Check a Maldives Work Permit on Xpat Before You Fly From Pakistan: Free, With the WP Number
Check a Maldives work permit free on Xpat with the WP number and your passport. The employer then has 15 days to get your work e-Visa. See every step here.
Before you fly from Pakistan to a job in the Maldives, check your work permit on the free Work Permit Verification page of the Xpat Online System at xpat.egov.mv. You need the permit number, which looks like WP00000000, and your name or passport number. If the record does not come up, do not travel until the employer explains why.
Xpat Online is the Maldives government system that holds every foreign worker's permit, quota and visa. We opened its public pages on 20 October 2026, along with the Maldives Immigration work visa page. A Maldives job offer usually reaches a Pakistani worker through an agent, so the only record that counts is the one in the government's own system.
The Work Permit Verification page needs two details
The Work Permit Verification page at xpat.egov.mv asks for two things: the work permit number, shown in the format WP00000000, and either the employee's name or passport number. No login is needed. The page is open to anyone who has those two details.
Ask the agent or employer for the permit number in writing before you pay anything or resign from a job in Pakistan. A real employer gets that number when the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology approves the permit. If an agent cannot give it, that is the first warning sign.
- Open xpat.egov.mv and choose Work Permit Verification on the home page.
- Type the work permit number exactly as given, starting with WP.
- Type your name as in your passport, or your passport number.
- Submit and read the result. Note the employer name and the permit status.
- Match the employer name with the offer letter and your contract.
- Save a screenshot with the date, and keep it with your travel papers.
You need an Entry Pass when you land, not a visa sticker
A new worker must hold a valid Entry Pass when they land in the Maldives. The Entry Pass is the work permit approval issued by the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology. Maldives Immigration lets new workers in on it alone.
Work visa stickers in passports stopped being valid after 23 November 2025, according to Maldives Immigration. Only an approved e-Visa now counts as a work visa. So if an agent hands you a passport with a printed sticker and calls it your Maldives work visa, treat it with suspicion and check the permit number online.
| Stage | What it is | Who does it | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work permit (Entry Pass) | Approval to come and work | Employer, through Xpat | Before you fly |
| Arrival | Entry on the Entry Pass | You, at the airport | On landing |
| Work e-Visa | Permission to live and work | Employer, through Xpat | Within 15 days of arrival |
| Renewal | New e-Visa, up to 1 year | Employer | Before the old one ends |
Your employer has 15 days to get your work e-Visa
After you arrive on the Entry Pass, the employer or its representative must apply for your work e-Visa within 15 days, through the Xpat Online System. The application needs your recent photo and a clear colour copy of your passport data page.
Once the e-Visa is approved, an e-Visa logo appears in the visa section of your record in Xpat. You can view or download it at any time. Ask the employer for a copy in the first two weeks. A worker without an approved e-Visa after 15 days is in a weak position if anything goes wrong.
The e-Visa lasts only as long as the work permit
Maldives Immigration says the work e-Visa is valid for as long as the approved work permit. A renewed work visa lasts one year at most. If the employer does not pay the work permit fees, the linked visa shows as invalid.
That last point matters to Pakistani workers. Your legal status depends on your employer paying fees on time. Check your own record in Xpat every few months. If it shows as invalid, raise it with the employer at once, and keep proof that you raised it.
Your passport also has to match. If you renew your Pakistani passport while working in the Maldives, make sure the visa record shows the new passport number before you travel. Immigration may hold the passport for checks if the numbers do not match.
Fingerprints and medicals are part of the record
Xpat has a separate public check for fingerprint enrolment. You enter your passport number and your country, here Pakistan, and it shows whether your biometrics are on record. Missing biometric updates can lead to service restrictions on the employer's Xpat account.
In the Greater Male' area, biometrics are taken only with an appointment booked by the employer through the appointment portal, between 2 pm and 4 pm on working days. Outside Male', the employer arranges it with the local council office. Work permit medical checks are done by providers registered with the Ministry, which publishes their list.
Check the agent and the Pakistan side too
Two more checks protect you. The Maldives publishes a registry of employment agencies registered under its 2022 regulation on Xpat. In Pakistan, a worker going abroad for a job also needs Protector of Emigrants clearance, which FIA checks at the airport.
Read how the Protector of Emigrants process works before you book a ticket, and carry the papers FIA asks for so you are not offloaded at a Pakistani airport. The Maldives president's state visit to Pakistan from 20 to 22 October 2026 may bring new MoUs, but no rule on worker permits has changed yet.
Common questions
Where do I check a Maldives work permit?
On the Work Permit Verification page of the Xpat Online System, xpat.egov.mv. Enter the permit number and your name or passport number.
What does a Maldives work permit number look like?
The Xpat page shows the format WP00000000: the letters WP followed by digits.
Is a work visa sticker in my passport valid?
No. Maldives Immigration says work visa stickers stopped being valid after 23 November 2025. Only an approved e-Visa counts now.
How long does my employer have to get my e-Visa?
15 days from your arrival on a valid Entry Pass, according to Maldives Immigration.
How long is a Maldives work visa valid?
As long as the work permit. A renewed work visa is issued for a maximum of one year.
Who do I call about Xpat?
The Xpat help centre number on the system is 1485. Maldives Immigration's call centre is +960 1434.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 20 October 2026. The verification fields, the fingerprint check, the biometrics appointment hours, the agency registry and the help centre number come from the Xpat Online System home and public pages, which we opened on 20 October 2026. The Entry Pass rule, the 15 day e-Visa deadline, the end of visa stickers after 23 November 2025, the one year renewal limit and the passport matching rule come from the Maldives Immigration work visa page, updated 6 September 2026, read the same day. We did not run a verification with a real permit number, because we do not hold one. We could not find the Maldives work permit fees on a public page, so we do not state them.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
