Maldives visa: who needs it and how to get it

For a tourist trip to the Maldives, no pre-arrival visa is required. Citizens of all countries receive it upon arrival to the state. Basically, a visa is issued for 30 days (but there are exceptions for some countries) and strictly prohibits employment in the Maldives. Find out more about who and for how long can get the Maldives visa, what is needed for this, as well as other formalities, below in our article.

Airport in the Maldives | Asad Photo Maldives

Who can receive a visa and for what period

Russian citizens

Russia is one of two countries (the second one is India) with which the Republic of Maldives has signed an Agreement for the Mutual Exemption of Visa Requirements (June 2019).

The document states that citizens of the Russian Federation and the Maldives can enter, leave, transit, and also continually stay on the territory of the states of each other without visas for 90 days.

CIS states citizens

For citizens traveling to the Maldives from the CIS countries, a tourist visa for a maximum of 30 days is available. The length of stay depends on the Immigration Service decision and can be any period of less than thirty days, but not more. The granted visa term is indicated on the confirmation in the passport. You should definitely check it and take into consideration. It is also important that many countries (including Ukraine) do not have embassies directly in the Maldives. Their functions are performed by the country's embassy in India. Check this before departure, just in case.

Citizens of the EU and America

Citizens of America and the European Union also receive a visa for 30 days on arrival to the Republic of Maldives. For America, the Department of Immigration and Emigration regularly approves requests for the extensions of stay for up to 90 days. The travelers may obtain it if they provide evidence of sufficient funds, stay at a resort or hotel, or present a letter from a local sponsor. Anyone who has resided in the Maldives for more than 60 days without a proper permission is subject to heavy fines and deportation.

How and where to apply for a visa

Immediately after arriving at the Male International Airport, everyone passes border control. After passport and all the necessary documents examination, the immigration officer sets a cherished seal into the passport.

Costs

A visa for 30 days upon arrival (90 days for Russians) is free of charge. But you will have to pay to get an extension. It costs about 750 Maldivian Rufiyaas for prolongation up to 60 days. A visa fee is not charged if the extension does not exceed 30 days, including days provided upon arrival.

Documents required to obtain a visa

To get a tourist visa at the Maldives, the following documents must be submitted:

1. Passport, valid for at least 1 month from the start of the trip
2. A valid ticket from the Maldivian islands on a date no later than 30 days after entering the country
3. Evidence of sufficient funds to cover the expenses for the duration of the stay in the Maldives ($150 for each day or the confirmation of a reservation at a tourist resort or a hotel)
4. A completed migration card

Please note that minors must be accompanied by adults, and if this is not one of the parents, then he must have a legally certified power of attorney from the child's parents.

Children can enter the Maldives only with adults

Migration card

Usually, a migration card is handed out on the plane, if not, it can be obtained at the airport at a special counter upon arrival. The card must be filled out in capital letters in English. The migration card contains the following clauses:

• Full name, as indicated in the passport
• Nationality
• Date of birth (in DD-MM-YY format)
• Gender (male / female)
• Passport ID
• Country of birth
• Passport expiration date (must be at least 6 months from the moment of your arrival)
• Duration of stay in days (in most cases, should not exceed 30 days)
• The flight number stated in your ticket (for landing in the Maldives)
• Address in the Maldives (usually the name of a hotel or a resort is enough)
• The purpose of the visit should be selected from the list: vacation, transit, business, conferences, official, employment, visits to friends / relatives and more (in this case, indicate the reason)
• Holders of a residence permit must fill in additional fields - “category and number of the last permit”, “expiration date of the permit” (DD-MM-YYYY format)

It should be signed at the bottom. The card is filled in for everyone who arrives in the country, including children.

For arrivals from endemic regions of yellow fever (countries of South America and Africa), you must also fill out the block "Health Information". Here you must indicate the list of countries visited during the previous two weeks and the date of the last yellow fever vaccination.

The last block of the form is dedicated to the customs formalities and includes the following fields:

• Full name
• Passport ID
• Nationality
• The number of carry-on bags
• The amount of checked luggage

Please note that the following things are obligatory for declaration:

• Goods, purchased abroad, with a total value over of 6,000 Maldivian Rufiyaas (approximately $ 390)
• Samples for business and / or goods in commercial quantities
• A cash equivalent equal to or bigger than $ 30,000 (in this case, you need to fill out a cash declaration form).

Your signature must also verify the completion of this part.

When leaving the Maldives, the tourist receives the registration card back.

Visa formalities for those arriving in the Maldives by water transport

No matter where the ship stops, arrivals in the state are met by a representative of the Maldivian customs, police and / or immigration services. Travelers sailing on a private yacht or a boat are granted free visas, usually valid until the expected date of departure. Vessels, anchored in atolls other than Male, must have prior authorization from agents in Male. Those arriving with a dog on board are allowed to anchor, but the dog must not leave the ship.

Refusal of entry

Regardless of citizenship, any tourist arriving in the Maldives may be denied entry. A visa will not be granted if:

• Required documents are missing
• Forms are filled in incorrectly
• The applicant has a criminal record at the time of visa issuing
• The traveler has violated the law during previous visits to the islands
• Tourist is a member of anti-Islamic organizations

According to statistics, in the first half of 2019, about 1% of those who applied for a visa, were denied entry (including working visas).

Conditions of visiting non-resort islands

To travel to an uninhabited island outside the tourist zone or an island that is not a resort (except Male), in addition to a visa, a special Inter-Atoll Travel Permit is required. It can be obtained from the Ministry of Atoll Management, which is located in Male on Boduthakurufaanu Magu Street.

Applications for such permission shall be submitted in writing indicating:

• Name
• Passport number
• Nationality
• Names of the islands / atolls you want to visit
• Dates of visit
• Name and address of the local sponsor
• Name and registration number of the vessel to be used
• Purpose of the visit

The application is submitted along with the passport.

The sponsor must be a resident of the island you want to visit. He must pass word for you, be ready to provide a meal and a place to stay. This support must be provided in writing, preferably with a confirmation from kateeb (the chief of the island) along with your application. The best way is to ask the sponsor to apply on your behalf.

As the purpose of the visit, you can state visiting friends, sightseeing, photographing or private research. The permit will declare which atolls or islands are allowed for visiting. Permits are issued only from 8:30 to 11:00 am on any day except public holidays.

Upon arrival, you must immediately visit the island's management building to present a permit. Traveling to the outer atolls without a permit or violating its conditions may be punished by a fine.

Such permits are needed if you plan to spend more than 24 hours on the island.  If this is a one-day trip to a non-tourist island, organized by the resort, no additional documents are required.

If you are going on a dive or on a safari tour of the atolls on a registered vessel, the company is responsible for obtaining the necessary permissions before starting the trip. In fact, the tour organizers act as a sponsor.

Мальдивцы на их острове

Tourist Visa Extension

A tourist visa can be extended if the concerned person applies to the Immigration Service (located on the ground floor of the Huravee building on Ameer Ahmed Magu Street, Male) before the expiration of the visa already issued (we recommend 7-10 days in advance).

A visa may be extended for a period not exceeding 90 days (including days granted upon arrival).

The main requirement is to confirm that you have a place to stay. That’s why it is better if a resort, a travel agent or a guesthouse manager becomes your sponsor and submits an application on your behalf. To increase the chances, it is worth asking your "sponsor" to sign the form and bring it back to the office along with your passport, passport photo and your ticket for departure from the Maldives. When filling out an application form, you will have to answer the following questions (in English):

• Last and first name
• Gender, you need to choose - M (man) / F (woman)
• Date of birth (DD / MM / YYYY format)
• Place of birth
• Nationality
• Purpose of the visit
• Passport ID
• Date of passport issuing
• Passport expiration date
• Previous passport ID
• Profession
• Previous arrival date (if you have not visited the country before, leave the column blank)
• Previous departure date (if you have not visited the country before, leave the column blank)
• Full address in the country of citizenship
• Previous visa number (if applicable)
• Name of the hotel of residence in the Maldives
• Signature of the applicant

To obtain an extension, you need to confirm the reservation for the new departure date. All these documents must be left at the office of the Immigration Service. Usually, after 2 days you can return for a passport with an extended visa.

Please note that the approved extension of the tourist stay does not guarantee against possible deportation.

Deportation from the Maldives

Any foreigner staying in the Maldives can be deported immediately from the country’s territory in case of:

• He was found working on a tourist visa
• Participation in any illegal activity or even the intention to participate in or initiate it was detected
• The tourist is suspected of violating religious or political harmony or public order.
• He was found with an expired residence permit
• He was found with an expired work permit

Resort Island in Maldives | Asad Photo Maldives