Tourist Visa
Tourist visa is granted for all nationalities on arrival to the Maldives. As such, a foreigner travelling to Maldives as a tourist does not require pre-approval for the visa. However, the person must satisfy the basic entry requirements to get immigration clearance upon arrival.
The basic entry requirements are as follows;
- A passport or a travel document with Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) with at least 1 month validity. (Passengers with an extended validity in their passports are not allowed to enter.)
- A complete travel itinerary including return journey confirmed tickets, with a prepaid confirmed hotel booking at a registered hotel, or provide proof of financial means for sufficient funds to support the stay in Maldives, or hold a pre-approved visa sponsorship Maldives Immigration.
- Entry requirements to their onward destinations; for example, the visa and passport validity.
- Traveller Declaration must be filled in and submitted by all travelers travelling to and from Maldives, within 96 hours to the flight time. The form has to be submitted electronically via IMUGA.
- Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate, if applicable. Children under 1 year of age are exempt from Yellow Fever vaccination. Please visit Maldives Immigration website to check the list of Yellow Fever endemic countries.
Please note that:
Children / minors must have their own passport to enter the Maldives.
Transit travellers are defined as those travelling to another country via Maldives, without clearing Maldives arrival immigration.
A complete travel itinerary (return journey confirmed tickets, prepaid confirmed hotel booking at a registered hotel, if not provide proof of financial means for sufficient funds to support the stay in Maldives) does not guarantee entry to Maldives. Entry will be granted at the port of entry after the determination of admissibility by Immigration officers, as in accordance with Section 7 and 8 of The Maldives Immigration Act 2007.
Renewal of Tourist Visa
A visitor can get their tourist visa extended for a further 60 days by applying directly to the Department of Immigration and Emigration before the expiration of the initial 30 day visa. For more information, please visit the website of the Department of Immigration and Emigration.
Note: Undertaking employment when on a tourist visa is strictly prohibited. Visitors who stay beyond the approved duration of their visa may be deported.
The issuance of tourist visas ultimately lies at the discretion of the Immigration Officer; a full 30 day visa is not a right of tourist to claim. Immigrations Officers are not authorised to issue visas for more than 30 days.
Visas for Foreign Journalists
If you are visiting the Maldives for the purpose of undertaking any journalistic work, you are required to submit the following documents to Maldives Immigration.
- IM32 Vetting form,
- IM24 Application form (Professional Occupation Category will assist you in following out the Business Visa form (IM24))
- Passport bio-data page copy
- Expatriate health insurance
- Fee (MVR 750 per three months or part of three months)
Photojournalists, videographers, and professionals with recording equipment will need to submit a request to the National Centre for Arts (NCA) to obtain a permit for the use of such equipment. In addition the NCA request should comply with the following conditions:
- The request must be made through a local sponsor,
- Include a summary of the purpose of visit,
- Provide a detailed list of equipment that will be used, and
- Other details of locations they may want to cover and/or other important information
As both processes require the involvement of a local sponsor, the applicant may seek assistance from the local sponsor in getting the processes done locally; have them be the focal/ contact point with Maldives Immigration and for the visitor to liaise with the sponsor in attending to these processes.
Note: It can take up to 21 days to process the visa and it would be advisable to carry forward both processes in parallel in order to save time.
Other types of visas
Further information on entry requirements, other types of visas, and tourist visa extensions is available on the website of the Maldives Department of Immigration and Emigration.
The Maldives Embassy does not issue any visas under any circumstances.