Travel requirements

Visiting the Maldives

Visitors of all nationalities can get a free tourist visa on arrival, as long as they meet the entry conditions. You need:

• A passport valid for at least 1 month after arrival (Maldivian airlines recommend 6 months).
• A confirmed return or onward ticket.
• A confirmed booking at a registered hotel, resort or guesthouse.
• Enough money for your stay, and a yellow fever certificate if you're arriving from a country with yellow fever.

Passports need a machine-readable zone. Passports with an “extended validity” stamp aren't accepted. See the Maldives Immigration tourist visa page for the full conditions.

IMUGA traveller declaration

Everyone arriving in the Maldives except Maldivian citizens, children included, must complete the free IMUGA Traveller Declaration within 96 hours before arrival. Use only the official site: imuga.immigration.gov.mv. Some unofficial websites charge a fee for the same free form. Immigration may also ask for a declaration within 96 hours before departure, so check the IMUGA site before you leave.

Israeli passports

Under Maldivian immigration law, holders of Israeli passports can't currently enter the Maldives (in force since 15 April 2025). We can't book travel to the Maldives on an Israeli passport.

Customs

• Alcohol, pork and pork products can't be brought into the Maldives.
• Narcotics, pornography and idols for worship are prohibited.
• Vapes and e-cigarettes are banned from import.
• Declare cash and other money worth USD 10,000 or more on arrival.
• People born on or after 1 January 2007 may not buy or use tobacco in the Maldives, and this applies to visitors too.

Also check what you can't pack in your baggage for the flight itself.

Domestic flights

• Maldivian citizens travel on their national ID card. We ask for the ID card number when you book.
• Everyone else travels on their passport, and we ask for the passport number when you book.
• Local fares are only for Maldivian citizens. The airline may check your ID card at check-in.
• Domestic flights often use small aircraft with tighter baggage limits. Check the allowance shown on your booking.

Leaving the Maldives

Your destination, and any country you connect through, will have its own passport, visa and health rules. Check them with that country's embassy or official immigration site, and with your airline. Many countries and airlines ask for at least 6 months of passport validity. Airlines can refuse to carry passengers who don't have the right documents.

mvfare checks passport validity when you book and shows the Maldives rules above, but we can't give legal advice about your personal immigration status.