A land known for natural beauty, clean air, white beaches, Maldives is located in the Arabian seas of the Indian Ocean and in the southwest of Sri Lanka. The Maldives is an ideal place for people who love water sports such as swimming, kiteboarding, water skiing, snorkeling, windsurfing, etc.
A visa is an official mark that is stamped on a passport signifying that the concerned person from another country is allowed to enter in the particular country.
How to obtain the visa of Maldives
Visa can be obtained via online or offline mode. For offline mode, you need to go to a travel agency that can make all the arrangements for you. For online mode, you can surf the internet for the bookings.
You are required to have a valid passport with an expiry date of at least 6 months from the date of departure. The passport should also have a machine-readable zone (MRZ).
Types of visas issued by the Maldivian government
1. Tourist visa: the most common visa issued for the purpose of traveling.
2. Business visa: issued for the purpose of business and work but not as an employee.
3. Marriage visa: it’s given to a foreigner who wants to marry a Maldivian or to a couple who wants to register their marriage in the Maldives.
4. Dependent visa: this type of visa is granted to wife or children(above 18 years of age) having a resident permit along with a valid work permit.
5. Work visa: issued for the purpose of employment.
6. Cooperate resident visa: this type of visa is issued to a foreign investor who has done either of these investments.
- Investment of 50 million USD or more in the Maldives.
- Investment of 1 million USD or more in a Maldivian bank as a security deposit.
- Investment of 1 million USD or more in a government-approved real estate project.
General terms for obtaining any type of Maldives visa
The Maldives is quite visitor-friendly as it favors a visa-free status to all travelers for a time period of 30 days. The departure can be extended to a maximum of 90 days.
The only exceptions are the citizens of Brunei and India. The Bruneians are allowed a stay for only 15 days without a visa. Indians are allowed to stay up to 90 days without a visa. Anyone exceeding a 60-day stay without prior authorization will have to pay heavy fine and deportation. Please be informed that the 30-day visa-free status is not the right of a tourist but lies completely in the hand of the department of immigration of Maldives.
You can reach the Maldives via 2 ways, airways or waterways. If you are reaching by plane, ensure that you have sufficient funds and a letter from a hotel/resort reservation beforehand.
There is also a vaccine requirement of yellow fever for some countries of Africa and America due to the reason that the people from these countries have the main mosquito vector (Aedes aegypti) present in their country. Anyone from these countries of age 1 and older must be a vaccinee beforehand and must possess a certificate of the Yellow Fever Vaccination.
Although a vaccination disavowal can be issued by your doctor if the vaccine is contraindicated. Dogs are not allowed in the Maldives. Other pets require a proper veterinary certificate.
Documents for Marriage Visa:
- Passport of the applicant(s)
- Visa card fee (MVR50)
- Original and copy of marriage certificate.
- Passport size photo(recent photographs)
- Signature and seal of the family court mentioned in the application form.
- Identification card of the nationals residing in the Maldives.
- Medical health report from a hospital authorized by the government.
- Copy of emigrant medical insurance policy schedule.
- Application for permit elongation form (IM23).
Documents for Dependent Visa:
- Proof of dependent status (marriage certificate or birth certificate)
- Application of permit elongation form (IM23)
- Visa card fee (MVR50)
- Consecutive Visa fee (MVR750). Consecutive for 3 months.
- Letter from the particular embassy justifying the living conditions if the person concerned is the father or mother of the employed visa holder.
- Yellow fever certificate from an authorized source, if applicable.
- Copy of emigrant medical insurance policy.
- Visa card copy of the person holding the work visa.
- Passport size photo of the person, along with the passport in machine-readable zone (MRZ) with a validity of 6 months from the date of departure.
Documents for business visa:
- Form IM30(Business visa application form), if applicable.
- Registration copy of the candidate.
- Passport-sized photographs.
- Emigrant medical insurance policy.
- A letter from the promoter, stating the tenure of stay of the person in the Maldives.
- Letter of experience or any other supporting documentation.
- Machine-readable zone(MRZ) supported passport with a validity of 6 months from the date of departure.
- Form no. IM24 (business visa application form).
Documents required for Work Visa:
- Passport of the candidate.
- Duplicate of employment approval.
- Passport-sized photograph.
- Medical health report from any government authorized hospital.
- IM29 (work visa agreement receipt).
- Work visa card fee, MVR50
Rules regarding Refusal of Admittance
Any person’s entry can be disqualified if during immigration these issues occur:
- Immigration officer provides reasonable grounds that the concerned person possesses fake travel documents.
- Officer thinks that the concerned person aims to disrupt the harmony and peace of the country.
- The concerned person has strong political vie.
Besides, there are also some regulations for the removal of any person currently in the country. These terms are:
- The concerned person is working on a tourist visa.
- The person is found participating in any kind of unlawful activities such as murder, theft, etc.
- A person is suspected of doing some activity that is disturbing the harmony and peace of the country.
- If the concerned person is found residing with an expired visa.
- For working purposes, if the person is found working despite an expired work permit.
Cost of obtaining the visa:
The cost of the visa is 100 USD per person. Indian citizens don’t have to pay anything for the visa.
You don’t need a visa for 30 days to stay in the Maldives. However, if you want to extend your stay, it can be extended by a time period of 90 days. Obtaining a visa for purposes other than traveling can be obtained easily online or by offline methods. Just make sure that you fulfill all the requirements.
