How to Obtain a Maldives Visa: Key Information and Tips

Essential Guide to Obtaining a Maldives Visa: Key Information and Advice

The Maldives is a unique tourist destination for anyone looking for a luxurious holiday, surrounded by clear waters and white sandy beaches. Given the popularity and cost of the destination, the Maldives’ visa policy is very lenient, allowing tourists to enter the Maldives without obtaining a visa before arrival, provided the following conditions are met:

• The tourist must have a valid passport with a machine-readable zone (MRZ).
• The passport must be valid for at least 6 months.
• The tourist must have a valid ticket to continue their journey outside the Maldives.
• The tourist must have enough money to cover their expenses for the duration of their stay, or a confirmed reservation at a tourist resort or hotel.

Types of Visas

Here are the types of visas for the Maldives:

Tourist Visa Tourists coming to the Maldives do not need prior approval for a visa before arriving in the country. A free tourist visa is issued to all nationalities upon arrival in the Maldives, for a duration of up to 30 days, as determined by immigration officials. The duration is indicated on the approval stamp placed on the passport, and the holder is not allowed to work under any circumstances.

Tourist Visa Requirements: The following are the basic entry requirements that must be met to obtain this approval from the Immigration Department, which all arrivals to the Maldives must go through upon arrival:

• A machine-readable passport or travel document, valid for at least six months.
• Valid return tickets to leave the Maldives after the tourism period, with the completion of the arrival/departure card approved by the Immigration Department at the Maldives Airport.
• Sufficient funds to cover tourism expenses for the duration of the stay in the Maldives, or a confirmed and prepaid reservation at a specific hotel or resort.
• Entry facilities (visa) to the next destination after leaving the Maldives if required.
• A yellow fever vaccination certificate if required at that time.
• Filling out the health declaration form for travelers 24 days before their travel, which can be done electronically.

Extension of Tourist Visa: The tourist visa can be extended if the tourist submits a visa extension application form to the main Immigration Department office. The conditions and requirements for this are as follows:

• The extension can be requested before the expiration of the previously granted visa.
• Before approving the extension, the relevant authority reassesses the person’s financial situation for the extended stay period.
• If the extension is approved, it will be for a total duration not exceeding 90 days, including the previous visa period.
• The maximum time a tourist is allowed to stay in the Maldives is 90 days. Therefore, if the initial visa is for 30 days, the tourist can get an extension for an additional 60 days maximum.
• Visitors who stay in the Maldives after their visa expires will be deported.
• The fee for extending the visa for more than 30 days, including the days allowed in the original tourist visa, is in Maldivian Rufiyaa.
• No fee is charged for tourists staying for less than 30 days.

Business Visa A business visa is issued online in the Maldives for foreign individuals traveling to the Maldives for their own business without intending to work for a local Maldivian company. Here are the key details:

Business Visa Requirements: To apply, the sponsor (i.e., the company the person will be dealing with or its representative) must submit the following documents via email to the Maldives Immigration Department:

• Business visa application form.
• A scanned color copy of the identification page in the foreign person’s passport, which must be machine-readable and valid for at least six months.
• A copy of the person’s registration.
• A recent passport-sized photo of the foreign person.
• A copy of the foreign person’s health insurance document.
• Any other supporting documents for the foreign person, such as qualification certificates or experience certificates.
• Visa applicant information form, if available.
• A letter from the sponsor specifying the foreign person’s period of stay in the Maldives.

Document Requirements: The following specifications must be met for the above documents:

• Attach all the above documents in PDF format.
• Attach all photos in JPEG format.
• Obtain the required forms through the Maldives Immigration website.
• Obtain online approval to be able to travel to the Maldives.
• Present the original documents mentioned above to receive the visa from the immigration office at the airport.

Work Visa If a person wishes to move to the Maldives for work, they must obtain a work visa. However, they must first find a job so that the employer (sponsor) can apply for a work permit from the Maldives Immigration Department. The sponsor must be a local company or a locally registered company.

Work Visa Requirements: The person and the employer must submit the following documents, which can be found on the Maldives Immigration website, as working in the Maldives without a work permit is not allowed:

• The applicant’s passport.
• A copy of the work approval.
• Work visa card fee, which is 50 Maldivian Rufiyaa.
• A recent passport-sized photo of the applicant.
• A medical examination report for the applicant, issued by a medical institution approved by the relevant government authority.
• Work visa application receipt.

Marriage Visa A foreign person needs to obtain a marriage visa if they are going to marry a Maldivian citizen. The sponsor (Maldivian spouse) must apply to the Maldives Immigration Department for the visa before the foreign person travels. The person cannot marry or register the marriage in the Maldives if they hold a tourist visa. Once they enter the country with their sponsored visa, they can start the marriage visa procedures within 30 days.

Marriage Visa Requirements: The following documents are needed to obtain a marriage visa in the Maldives, which can be found on the Maldives Immigration website:

• Extension permit application form, signed and stamped by the Family Court.
• The foreign person’s passport, which must be machine-readable.
• Original and copy of the marriage contract or document.
• Copy of the Maldivian spouse’s ID card.
• Passport-sized photo of the foreign person.
• Marriage visa card fee, which is 50 Maldivian Rufiyaa.
• Copy of the foreign spouse’s health insurance document.
• Medical examination report for the foreign spouse, issued by a medical institution approved by the relevant government authority.

Dependent Visa If a family member dependent on a person living in the Maldives (such as a work visa holder) wishes to live in the Maldives, such as a spouse or children under 18 years old, the applicant must submit the marriage certificate, guardianship document for the children, and their birth certificates, all in English. The applicant must sponsor their visa by submitting the following documents to the Maldives Immigration Department, available on the department’s website:

• Extension permit application form.
• Dependents’ passports, which must be machine-readable.
• Passport-sized photo of the dependents.
• Dependent visa card fee.
• Copy of the work approval or work visa card of the sponsor in the Maldives.
• Proof of family status (such as marriage certificate and birth certificate).
• If the person is the parent of the main visa holder, a letter from the relevant embassy explaining their living situation is also required.
• Copy of the dependents’ health insurance document.
• Medical examination report for the dependents, issued by a medical institution approved by the relevant government authority.

Other Types of Visas

1. Residence Permit: Allows the holder to work and is available to individuals with a valid work permit.
2. Widow Visa: Granted to a foreign woman who was married to a Maldivian citizen but he passed away. The holder of this visa is allowed to work. Note that the widow visa changes to a marriage visa if the woman marries another Maldivian citizen later.
3. Student Visa: Requires the student to have a guardian responsible for them in the Maldives. The guardian must send a request to the immigration authority explaining their identity, the student’s intention to study in the Maldives, and the type of study. The holder of this visa is not allowed to work.

Other Important Information Here are the key points:

Cases of Entry Denial to the Maldives A person may be denied entry to the Maldives upon arrival if they:

• Carry forged travel documents.
• Aim to disrupt order and engage in illegal activities.
• Hold hostile political or religious views.

Leaving the Maldives When a tourist leaves the Maldives, the departure card is checked. It is worth noting that all travelers are reminded that overstaying the granted period in the Maldives is punishable by law.

Cases of Deportation from the Maldives A person can be deported from the Maldives in the following cases:

• Working on a tourist visa.
• Engaging in any illegal activity.
• Disrupting religious and political harmony.
• Being a public nuisance.
• Expiry of residence permit.
• Expiry of work permit.