USD 1,000 sales for self-funded medical travel limited to six countries

The Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) has restricted the USD 1,000 available for medical travel to six countries commonly visited by Maldivians for treatment.

The MMA said today that the USD 1,000 offered to Maldivians travelling abroad for medical treatment at their own expense will now be available only to those travelling to India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and the UAE.

The MMA said the decision was made to ensure that foreign currency provided for medical treatment is spent directly on that purpose.

The sale of USD 1,000 to Maldivians travelling abroad for medical treatment at their own expense began in August 2025.

The MMA said USD 41.1 million had been sold for medical purposes by the end of September this year, three times the amount sold during the same period in 2025. The authority said foreign currency provided to Maldivians travelling abroad for treatment at their own expense accounted for a large share of that amount.

According to the MMA, USD 29.2 million had been sold by the end of September this year to Maldivians travelling abroad for medical treatment at their own expense.

Dollars will continue to be made available through banks to Maldivians travelling for medical treatment at their own expense, as before. The USD 2,000 provided to those travelling for treatment under Aasandha will also remain available as before.