Effective from 14^th May 2023, an on-arrival 14 (fourteen) days short-stay visa ‘Meeting Visa’ will be granted for any foreign national visiting the Maldives for the purpose of attending a meeting, conference or convention held in the Maldives provided that the individual satisfies the entry requirements to the Maldives.

The following are the prerequisites for entry;

1. The primary purpose of the visit is to attend or participate in a meeting, conference or convention held in the Maldives for permissible businesses accepted by the Registrar of Businesses, or to participate in a meeting held in the Maldives for government and state use, or to participate in a meeting or a conference or a convention arranged by other entities with approval from the concerned government authority;

2. A complete travel itinerary including return journey confirmed tickets, with a prepaid confirmed hotel booking at a registered hotel and provide proof of financial means for sufficient funds to support the stay in Maldives;

3. Traveller Declaration  filled in and submitted electronically via IMUGA within 96 hours to the flight time to Maldives;

4. A passport or a travel document with Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) with at least 1 month validity. (Passengers with an extended validity in their passports are not allowed to enter.);

5. Entry requirements to their onward destinations; for example, the visa and passport validity;

Important Note:

Meeting Visa is a non-extendable visa.

Meeting Visa holder is not eligible to obtain a Business Visa while in the Maldives.

Work Visa is the permit issued for a foreigner to stay in Maldives for the purpose of employment.

A person traveling to the Maldives for the purpose of employment will be granted 15 days from the date of arrival. In order to acquire this pre period, the foreign national should possess a valid Work Permit issued by the Ministry of Economic Development, which does not exceed 90 days from date of issue. Moreover, the foreign national should provide the same passport on arrival for which the Work Permit was issued. Re-entry on Work Permit without obtaining a visa is possible unless the Work Permit remains valid (within 90 days from date of issue).

Work Visa process include a medical check-up which needs to be completed from a permitted hospital/clinic, and health insurance should cover within this period to apply for work visa.

The consequences for not obtaining visa within the mentioned period results in penalization under the Immigration Act 1/2007, which include deportation from Maldives for overstaying.

The issuance of Work Visa service is decentralized and is provided from Male’ (Visa Division, Star Cloud, 8th Floor, Majeedhee Magu), Hithadhoo Immigration Office (Addu City), Fuvahmulah Immigration Office (Fuvahmulah City) and Kulhudhuffushi Immigration Office (H. Dh. Kulhudhuffushi).

Entry Requirements for Work Visa

1. A machine readable (MRZ) Passport Bio-data page copy of the applicant (At least 1 Year validity).

2. A valid Work Permit not exceeding 90 days from date of arrival.

3. Traveler should provide the same passport mention in the Work Permit.

4. Traveler Health Declaration, submitted within 48 hours prior to departure from the first port of embarkation. You may submit the form electronically via IMUGA.

5. Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate, if applicable.

Marriage Visa is the permit to remain in the Maldives granted to a foreign national who is married to a Maldivian national.

A foreigner travelling to Maldives to marry with a Maldivian, or a foreigner who is married to a Maldivian and travels to Maldives to register their marriage in Maldives, shall be sponsored prior to the arrival. Sponsorship Declaration has to submitted online via IMUGA, the digital platform for immigration services.

After the arrival, the foreigner must complete the legal marriage process, and apply for Marriage Visa within the given period of 30 days. If the foreigner is already residing in the Maldives, visa transfer has to be made to Marriage Visa once the legal procedure of the marriage is completed.

Applying for Marriage Visa

The following documents are required to apply for Marriage Visa.

1. Application for Permit Extension Form (IM23)

2. Passport of the applicant

3. Signature and seal from the Family Court in the application form

4. Original and copy of Marriage Certificate

5. Identity Card copy of the Maldivian national

6. Passport size photo (Photo shall comply with Maldives Immigration passport photo standard and must be a recent photo)

7. Visa card fee, MVR50

8. Medical health screening report from a Hospital/Clinic authorized by the relevant government authority

9. Health insurance, when applying for a new visa

Marriage Visa applications shall be submitted online via IMUGA. When the application is processed, submitter will be notified via the Portal, and will be given an appointment to submit the passport for visa.

Note:

Marriage Visa is issued for 1 year, if it is a new application. However, Marriage Visa extensions are issued to 5 years.

The following documents are required to apply for Dependent Visa.

1. Application for Permit Extension From (IM23)

2. A passport or Travel Document with Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) with at least 6 months validity

3. Passport size photo (Photo shall comply with Maldives Immigration passport photo standard and must be a recent photo)

4. Dependent Visa card fee, MVR50

5. Dependent Visa fee, MVR750 for each 3 months

6. Employment Approval copy or Visa Card copy of the foreigner holding the Work Visa

7. Proof of the dependent status (marriage certificate or birth certificate)

8. Letter from the respective embassy explaining the living situation, if it is the mother or the father of the employment visa holder

9. Medical health screening report of the employee issued from a Hospital/Clinic authorized by the relevant government authority

10. Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate, if applicable

Dependent Visa applications shall be submitted via IMUGA.

Business Visa is a temporary multiple-entry visa issued to a foreign national intending to stay in the Maldives for business purposes.

In accordance with the new Business Visa Regulation published on 25th August 2021, applications for the Business Visa has to be submitted to the Ministry of Economic Development via Ministry’s Business Portal.