If you are traveling to the Maldives, you will need the following documents:
- Valid passport (valid for 6 months from the date of arrival)
- Booked round-trip airline tickets
- Proof of booking or hotel rental agreement, or tour program if you are traveling as a tourist
- Traveler's declaration
- Certificate of yellow fever vaccination if you are traveling from a country where yellow fever is common
- Health insurance policy
Visa to the Maldives: who needs it, types of visas, rules of registration
A tourist visa to the Maldives is granted to citizens of all countries upon arrival. Thus, a foreign citizen traveling to the Maldives as a tourist is not required to obtain prior approval for a tourist visa. However, all travelers who wish to obtain a tourist visa upon arrival must meet the basic entry requirements, which are checked by the immigration authorities upon their arrival.
To find out more about visa requirements in the Maldives, how to obtain a visa, or how long you can stay in the country without needing a visa, depending on your nationality, use the search engine on the page by entering your nationality.
Visa on arrival in the Maldives
A Maldivian tourist visa is issued upon arrival for a period of up to 30 days from the date of entry into the country. It is intended for travelers who come to the Maldives for a short-term stay for tourism purposes. For a fee, the tourist visa can be extended for another 60 days.
Below are the steps that tourists need to take to obtain a visa upon arrival in the Maldives:
1. Make sure that all the necessary documents are ready for arrival in the country.
2. Fill out the traveler's declaration within 96 hours before departure to the Maldives.
3. Upon arrival at the port of entry, present the required materials to the immigration officer.
4. If all the requirements are met, you will receive a 30-day tourist visa. Immigration officials have the right to refuse entry to travelers who do not meet their requirements.
5. After receiving the visa upon arrival, the traveler is free to travel in the Maldives and engage in their activities for 30 days.
How to extend a tourist visa in the Maldives?
You can extend your Maldives visa upon arrival by contacting the Maldives Immigration Service in Male before your current tourist visa expires. To do this, you need to fill out a visa extension form at the main office of the Immigration Department during official business hours. The Immigration Department will check whether you have sufficient financial resources to cover the extended period of stay.
The maximum period of stay in the Maldives is 90 days. If your current visa is valid for 30 days, you can get an extension for another 60 days.
A tourist visa upon arrival in the Maldives is free of charge, but a visa fee is charged for its extension. The fee for extending a tourist visa is 750 rupees if the total number of days of stay in the Maldives (including days on the original tourist visa) exceeds 30. If your stay in the Maldives does not exceed 30 days, you do not need to pay the fee even if you are extending your visa.
Medical insurance for the Maldives
You may need a health insurance policy to travel to the Maldives. You can apply for insurance on the Visit World website here. Remember that a reliable insurance policy is the key to your confidence while traveling. Do not risk your own finances and health, choose the right insurance package and let your trip leave only pleasant memories.
1. Speedboats and ferries:
Speedboats and ferries are a common mode of transportation for short to medium distance travel between islands.
Average cost: Short distance transfers (e.g. from Male to neighboring islands) can cost between 20 and 50 euros. Longer trips can cost up to 100 euros.
2. Domestic flights:
Domestic flights are available for longer distances, connecting different atolls and islands.
Average cost: Domestic one-way flights in the Maldives can cost around 50 to 200 euros, depending on the route and distance.
3. Seaplanes:
Seaplanes are a unique and scenic mode of transportation that is often used for transfer to remote island resorts.
Average cost: Seaplane transfers tend to be more expensive, ranging from 100 to 500 euros or more, depending on the destination and distance.
What is prohibited to bring to the Maldives:
- any alcohol in any quantity, even if purchased at Duty Free;
- pork and any products containing it;
- poisons, psychotropic and narcotic drugs, explosives, ammunition, weapons;
- pornographic products (this includes those that are considered light erotica in European countries);
- weapons for underwater hunting.
What is prohibited to export from the Maldives:
- tortoise shells, corals, any products made of them (unless they are purchased in special souvenir shops);
- cutting and piercing objects in hand luggage.
What you can take on the plane to the Maldives
- one disposable lighter per person;
- up to 2 kg of dry ice per person for cooling food
- no more than 100 ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide per person;
- harmless aerosols, gels, liquids up to 100 ml per person (provided that they are placed in a sealed plastic bag with a volume of up to a liter);
- baby food for the required number of meals.
