New regulation lifts age bar on using pension savings for Hajj reservations
A regulation gazetted on 5 November 2026 removes the age limit that stopped MRPS members aged 65 and over from using their retirement savings for a Hajj reservation, the Maldives Pension Administration Office says.
An age restriction that prevented older Maldives Retirement Pension Scheme (MRPS) members from using their savings to secure a place on the mandatory Hajj no longer applies, the Maldives Pension Administration Office announced on 5 November 2026.
According to the Office, the change took effect once the regulation required by the Maldives Pension Act's sixth amendment was gazetted. Its Gazette reference is Regulation No. 92-R/2026, dated 5 November 2026.
Who was excluded before
Funds in a member's Retirement Savings Account (RSA) were previously off limits for a reservation once the member was 65 or older, or reached 65 before the place was confirmed. Eligible members may now reserve regardless of age, the Office said, including anyone turned away on grounds of age and anyone who reaches 65 while awaiting confirmation.
Conditions
- The member must not yet have performed the mandatory Hajj.
- The RSA balance must be at least MVR 336,000.
- Members who have pledged pension savings as Housing Benefit collateral must retain MVR 336,000 once the collateralised sum is excluded.
Payment
- The member first pays the Maldives Hajj Corporation 20 percent of the full Hajj price.
- The place is then booked following the established order.
- The balance of 80 percent is not removed from the RSA immediately but remains invested until it is paid over to the Maldives Hajj Corporation.
Money earmarked for Hajj will not be counted when pension payouts are worked out for existing pensioners and for MRPS members who are newly retiring, the Office said.
The Pension Office's hotline is 1441.
