Tourist Visa to Maldives | Requirements and How to Apply

The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is a country and archipelagic state in South Asia in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about 750 kilometres from the Asian continent’s mainland. As an inland nation the Maldives has awesome site that has over the years attracted tourist to her.

Maldives Glowing Beach, which is one of the most magical Maldives attractions, the Glowing Beach on Vaadhoo Island is a must-see. The bioluminescent plankton in the water creates a starry night effect, making it a good place to visit at night in the Maldives.

The HP Reef, also called Rainbow Reef, which is one of the most visited Maldives tourist places. Located in North Male Atoll, it is a spectacular diving spot with a vibrantly coloured seabed. The list is endless

A tourist visa is granted for all nationalities on arrival to the Maldives. As such, a foreigner travelling to Maldives as a tourist does not require pre-approval for the visa. However, the person must satisfy the basic entry requirements to get immigration clearance upon arrival

Requirements

Tourist visiting the Maldives must have the following before they complete their visa application

A passport or a travel document with a Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) with at least 1 month of validity. (Passengers with an extended validity in their passports are not allowed to enter.)
A complete travel itinerary, including confirmed return journey tickets, a prepaid confirmed booking at a Registered facility and sufficient funds to cover the stay in the Maldives or a pre-approved sponsorship visa from Maldives Immigration.
Entry requirements to their onward destinations; for example, the visa and passport validity.
All foreigners arriving in the Maldives must complete and submit the Traveler Declaration The form can be completed up to 96 hours (4 days) before your arrival in Maldives. Submission of the form is free of charge and must be filled electronically via the IMUGA portal.
Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate, if applicable. Children under 1 year of age are exempt from Yellow Fever vaccination. Applicants are required to the Maldivian Ministry of Health site to check if their countries are on the list of Yellow Fever endemic countries.

Children/minors must have their own passports to enter the Maldives.

Transit travellers are defined as those travelling to another country via Maldives, without clearing Maldives arrival immigration.

A complete travel itinerary (return journey confirmed tickets, prepaid confirmed hotel booking at a registered hotel, and proof of financial means for sufficient funds to support the stay in Maldives) does not guarantee entry to Maldives. Entry will be granted at the port of entry after the determination of admissibility by Immigration officers, as by Sections 7 and 8 of The Maldives Immigration Act 2007.

Cost of Applying for a Tourist Visa to Maldives

The Maldivian economy is basically run on trade and tourism, visitors coming to the Maldives for leisure and fun can apply for the visa free of charge.

HOW TO APPLY FOR THE TOURIST VISA TO THE MALDIVES

Any tourist wishing to visit the Maldives must follow the following steps in completing the application

You can receive a 30-day visa free of charge on arrival at Malé International Airport.
Upload required documents

You may need to upload a copy of your passport, a passport-sized photograph, and any additional supporting documents.

If fees apply, you must pay online using a valid form of payment.
You can contact the Maldives embassy in your country for additional information.
As of 2025, passport holders from China, India, Kazakhstan, and Russia will not require a visa to visit the Maldives for tourism purposes. They will be granted permission for a short-term stay on arrival.