USD 1,000 medical allowance for Maldivians traveling at own expense limited to six countries

The Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) announced on Tuesday that the USD 1,000 medical allowance granted for Maldivians who travel overseas for medical purposes at their own expense will be limited to six designated countries.

In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, the central bank said that only Maldivians traveling at own expense for medical purposes to India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be eligible for the USD 1,000 allowance.

The MMA said it made the decision to ensure that foreign currency supplied for medical purposes are spent for that purpose alone.

People traveling overseas for medical purposes at own expense will continue to receive US dollars via banks.

The MMA said that people who travel overseas via the state health insurance scheme Aasandha will continue to have access to USD 2,000 as usual.

In August 2025, the government raised the amount of dollars sold to Maldivians travelling overseas for medical purposes to USD 2,000 for people traveling with Aasandha coverage and aid from the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA), and to USD 1,000 for those travelling at own expense.

MMA says that there has been an “unusually high” increase in dollars sold for medical purposes since then.

Statistics shared by the central bank shows USD 41.1 million was sold for medical purposes between January and September. This is nearly triple the USD 18.51 million sold during the entirety of last year.

USD 29.2 million - more than half of the dollars sold this year – went to Maldivians who travelled abroad for medical purposes at own expense.

MMA says the three-fold increase creates questions regarding possible misuse of the allowance.

Such measures are crucial to maintaining the Maldives’ foreign currency reserves, mitigating negative effects on the economy, and facilitating fair access to US dollars for citizens who truly need it, said the central bank.