Maldives Visa Information:

Maldives: The islands of the Maldives lie across the equator between 7° 6’ 30” and 0° 41’ 48” south and between 72° 32’ 30” and 73° 45’ 54” east of Greenwich. The small islands are grouped into 26 natural atolls and cover an area of about 118,000 sq km of which total land area is about 298 sq km.

Visa Types:

Tourist Visa
Tourist visa is granted for all nationalities, on arrival to Maldives. This means, no prior visa is required to arrive to Maldives.

The maximum number of days granted on arrival would be 30 days. The thirty days is not for the passenger to claim, but lies at the discretion of the Immigration to grant any number of days less than or equal to 30. Read the section “Entry to Maldives”

If an extension is required, it maybe requested at the Head Office. The visa extension form is available at the Head Office and should not take more than two days, at the most, to process.

The extension would be charged MRF 750 for 60 days or part thereof. On a single entry the maximum number of given will be 90 days, including the free 30 days. Any extension within the 30 days would not be subjected to any charges.

Employment is prohibited on a tourist visa. Therefore, any tourist found working will be deported from Maldives.

FAILURE TO RENEW THE VISA BEFORE THE EXPIRATION OF THE ALREADY GRANTED VISA CAN LEAD TO THE REFUSAL OF AN EXTENSION AND FACE IMMEDIATE REMOVAL FROM MALDIVES.

Resident Visa
Resident visa is granted to people with a Work Permit, issued from the Ministry of Employment and Labour.

On arrival to Maldives, the employee should have a copy of the work permit and also it should be declared in the Embarkation form.

This information is verified against the Employment Database and if the name does not show up in the database, the person will be asked to leave Maldives immediately. Therefore, it is up to the person to ensure that he or she is properly registered with the Employment Ministry and carry an authentic work permit.

Resident Permit for workers is an open ended visa which has no date of expiry, but is valid only with a valid Work Permit. Therefore, it is strongly cautioned to the resident permit holders to carry a valid Work Permit card at all times, failing upon which may face immediate removal from Maldives without any consultation with the employer.

CAUTION
A person who has entered Maldives on a tourist visa would not be given a Resident Permit, which means a person who is already in Maldives with a tourist visa has to re-enter Maldives with a valid work permit to apply for a resident permit.

Dependent Visa
This is granted to wife, husband or children of foreigners having a Resident Permit with a valid Work Permit.

The Resident Permit holder should also fall into the work category of the Ministry of Employment and Labour where dependents are allowed.

It is up to the Resident Permit holder to ensure that he or she belongs to this category by clarifying with the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

This children applying for a dependent visa should be less than 18 years of age.

The Resident Permit holder should also have a no objection letter from the employer, when applying for dependent visa.

Dependents of Resident Permit holders can enter Maldives with a tourist visa, and apply to the Immigration for a dependent visa. Please see the list of requirements below.

Failure to change the category of visa and overstaying can result in the refusal of dependent visa and may face immediate removal. Therefore, it is strongly cautioned to apply for a dependent visa before the expiration of the tourist visa.

The dependent visa is charged MRF 750.00 for three months or part thereof.

Requirements for a Dependent Visa
Proof of Marriage (English Translation)
Children’s birth certificate (if passport is unavailable)
Letter of no objection from employer

Foreigners marrying Maldivians
Foreigners arriving in Maldives with the intention of marrying a Maldivian should inform the Immigration in writing, with details of the Maldivian counterpart, before arriving to Maldives.

The Maldivian counterpart should also inform the Immigration, in writing, the arrival of the foreigner and the intention to get married.

The foreigner would be given a tourist visa on arrival to Maldives and would grant a marriage visa once the marriage is registered with the relevant court of law.

The tourist visa should be extended until the marriage is registered, failure to do so may lead to removal from Maldives, and refused entry into Maldives until such time the marriage is registered.

Maldivians getting married to foreigners while in overseas.
The foreign spouse would be given a tourist visa on arrival to Maldives. A marriage visa would be granted once the marriage is registered in the relevant court of law in Maldives.

If the tourist visa expires before registration, the visa should be renewed. Failing upon which, the spouse may be asked to leave Maldives and remain abroad until such time the marriage is registered.

Cancellation of Marriage Visa
As soon as the marriage is nullified by the court of law and informed to the Immigration, the marriage visa will be cancelled. In such a situation, the Immigration will ensure that the foreign counterpart is granted with ample time to sort out his or her affairs.

Widow Visa
If a Maldivian man dies while married to a foreign woman, the foreign woman is entitled to a Widow visa. This widow visa will be revoked as soon as the woman remarries.

To enter Maldives no pre-arrival visa is required.

A thirty day free visa is issued on arrival for all Nationalities, provided the following conditions are met:

.: Should posses a valid passport and
.: Have a valid ticket to continue the journey out of Maldives and
.: Have enough funds to cover the expenses for duration of the stay in Maldives. (US$100 + $50 dollars per day) or a confirmation of reservation in a Tourist Resort or a Hotel
Caution: Full thirty day visa is not a right of the passenger to claim, but lies at the discretion of the Immigration to issue not more than thirty days and any period less than thirty days.

Sponsorship
A foreigner maybe allowed to enter Maldives through the sponsorship program. The sponsor should fill and submit the related application form available at the Immigration.

The foreigner should not travel to Maldives under this program, until the sponsorship is approved. It is the responsibilty of the foreigner to ensure that the sponsorship has been approved. Failing upon which the foreigner maybe refused entry.
A sponsor could be a local or a locally registered company.

Renewal of Tourist Visa
A Tourist visa maybe be renewed if the person concerned, applies to the Immigration before the expiration of the visa already granted. Before the extension, Immigration will re-asses the incumbents financial position for the stay period of the extension. An extension can only be applied through the Visa Extension Application Form, at the Head Office during official working hours. Extension if considered, would be granted to a duration not exceeding a total of 90 days. (including the days granted on arrival) A visa fee of Rufiyaa 750 will be charged, for the full extension or part thereof (30 days free + 60 days chargeable) No visa fee will be charged if the extension does not exceed 30 days, that is including the days granted on arrival. FOREIGNERS WHO STAY BEYOND THE APPROVED STAY, MAYBE DEPORTED.

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