MMA Limits $1,000 Medical Dollar Allowance to Six Countries

The Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) has decided that the US$1,000 in foreign currency provided for medical treatment will be issued only to Maldivians travelling abroad for treatment at their own expense to six designated countries. The MMA said the allowance will be available for India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and the UAE. The authority said the decision was made to ensure that foreign currency supplied for medical purposes is spent directly on those needs. According to MMA statistics, US$41.1 million had been sold for medical purposes by the end of September 2026, which is three times more than the amount recorded for the same period in 2025. A large share of this amount was foreign currency supplied to Maldivians travelling abroad for treatment at their own expense. The MMA also revealed that since August 2025, when the sale of US$1,000 to Maldivians travelling abroad for medical treatment at their own expense began, the total amount of dollars sold for medical purposes had increased very significantly. By the end of September this year, US$29.2 million had been sold to Maldivians travelling abroad for treatment at their own expense. As before, dollars for Maldivians travelling abroad for medical treatment at their own expense will be issued through banks. The MMA said the US$2,000 provided to those travelling for treatment through Aasandha will be received as before, in line with the existing arrangements.