Every way into Maldives.

The Maldives grants a free 30-day tourist visa on arrival to nationals of every country, with no pre-approval or embassy application required. Every arriving traveller must first submit the electronic 'Traveller Declaration' through the IMUGA portal (imuga.immigration.gov.mv), which can be filed up to 96 hours before arrival and is free of charge. On arrival, travellers must present a machine-readable passport valid for at least one month, a confirmed onward or return ticket, a prepaid confirmed booking at a registered facility, and sufficient funds (around US$100 plus US$50 per day) for the stay. The visa permits tourism only and does not authorise work or study. Effective 15 April 2025, entry to the Maldives is not granted on Israeli passports.

Government fee

$0

Processing time

0 days

Max stay

30 days

Validity

30 days

Tourists who wish to stay beyond the free 30-day visa on arrival may apply to Maldives Immigration to extend their stay for a further period, taking the total stay up to a maximum of 90 days. The extension is not automatic: it must be requested before the original visa expires, usually through a local sponsor such as the resort, hotel or guesthouse, and Immigration re-examines whether the applicant has sufficient funds for the remaining stay. A government fee of MVR 750 applies to the extension. Overstaying the permitted period can result in fines and, in serious cases, a re-entry ban. The extension carries the same tourism-only conditions as the original visa and confers no work or study rights.

Max stay

90 days

Validity

90 days

Passengers travelling onward to another country via Velana International Airport who remain airside and do not clear Maldives arrival immigration do not require a visa. Travellers who wish to leave the airport during a layover, or to visit Male or a resort before their onward flight, are admitted under the standard free 30-day visa on arrival granted to all nationalities, subject to a submitted IMUGA Traveller Declaration, a valid onward ticket and proof of onward entry documents. The Maldives does not operate a separate paid transit visa category; short stopovers are covered by the same visa-on-arrival rules. No work or study is permitted.

Government fee

$0

Processing time

0 days

Max stay

30 days

Validity

30 days

The Business Visa is a temporary visa issued to foreign nationals coming to the Maldives for business purposes such as meetings, negotiations and short assignments. It is granted for periods of 30 to 90 days at a time and may not exceed a total of 180 days within a calendar year. Applications are not lodged at an embassy; they are submitted through the Ministry of Economic Development's Business Portal (business.egov.mv), which generates a General Service Request (GSR) number, and Maldives Immigration then verifies and processes the request. The visa permits business activity but not local employment, which requires a separate Work Permit and Work Visa.

Max stay

90 days

Validity

90 days

The Maldives does not operate a dedicated medical-treatment visa; foreign nationals coming for medical care are admitted under the standard free 30-day visa on arrival available to all nationalities, which can be extended through the tourist visa extension up to a total of 90 days for an MVR 750 fee. Applicants follow the normal entry process: submit the IMUGA Traveller Declaration, hold a machine-readable passport, and show onward travel, accommodation and sufficient funds. For care expected to exceed 90 days, longer-term arrangements would fall outside the visa-on-arrival framework and require separate authorisation. The Maldives' own residents often travel abroad (notably to India and Sri Lanka) for advanced treatment, so inbound medical tourism is limited.

Government fee

$0

Processing time

0 days

Max stay

30 days

Validity

30 days

A Student Visa allows foreign nationals to undertake formal education at a Maldivian university or college. Applicants are expected to provide a letter of acceptance from the recognised institution, proof of sufficient funds, and accommodation details, and applications are processed through Maldives Immigration's online systems. Because the Maldives has limited higher-education infrastructure, the number of inbound foreign students is small and most published guidance is general. Specific fee amounts, validity periods and detailed document lists for this category are not clearly published on the official immigration portal, so the details here are recorded at low confidence and applicants should confirm current requirements with Maldives Immigration and the host institution.

The Work Permit is the employer-driven authorisation that must be in place before a foreign worker can obtain a Work Visa, and it underpins the Maldives' large migrant-labour workforce. The employer first applies for an employment quota specifying the number of foreign workers and positions, and once the quota is approved submits a Work Permit application for the specific employee, including job role and contract details. A Work Permit is valid for up to 90 days from the date of issue for the worker to enter and convert it into a Work e-Visa within 15 days of arrival. The permit remains valid only for the period the monthly Work Permit Fee of MVR 350 per worker is paid to MIRA. Employers must also provide expatriate medical insurance and a repatriation deposit covering the cost of returning the worker home. This product captures the permit/quota stage; the worker's lawful stay is governed by the linked Work Visa.

Validity

90 days

The Work Visa authorises a foreign national to be employed in the Maldives and is the final step after the employer secures a quota and a Work Permit. The employer first obtains an employment quota and Work Permit through the relevant ministry, then the worker travels to the Maldives, and the employer or representative must apply for the Work e-Visa within 15 days of arrival. The visa is applied for through the Xpat Online System (xpat.egov.mv) using a valid eFaas account, and its validity is tied directly to the validity of the approved Work Permit; renewed visas carry a maximum validity of one year. From 23 November 2025, only an approved e-Visa is recognised as a valid Work Visa and passport stickers are no longer valid. A separate monthly Work Permit Fee of MVR 350 per worker is payable to MIRA by the employer, along with mandatory expatriate medical insurance and a repatriation deposit.

Max stay

365 days

Validity

365 days

The Marriage Visa, also referred to as the Resident Visa, is granted to a foreign national married to a Maldivian citizen, allowing them to reside in the Maldives. Foreigners coming to marry a Maldivian or to register a marriage must be sponsored before arrival via a Sponsorship Declaration on the IMUGA portal, complete the legal marriage registration, and then apply for the Marriage Visa; those already in the country on another visa apply for a transfer after registration. The visa is first issued for 1 year and can be renewed for up to 5 years, with extension applications submitted via IMUGA at least 3 months before expiry. A fee of MVR 50 is charged for the visa card. This is the Maldives' principal long-term residence route for foreign nationals.

Government fee

MVR 0.50

Validity

365 days

The Dependent Visa allows immediate family members of expatriates working in the Maldives in professional categories to reside with the sponsoring worker. First-time applicants must obtain a Sponsorship Declaration through the IMUGA portal at least 5 working days before arrival, stating that the purpose is to bring in a dependent, and then apply for the Dependent Visa after entering the country. The application is submitted via imuga.immigration.gov.mv with the required documents, after which an appointment is issued by SMS for passport submission. The government charges a visa fee of MVR 750 and a card fee of MVR 50. The visa is tied to the sponsoring worker's status and does not by itself confer work rights.