Entry rules · checked 14 October 2026
Maldives visa and the IMUGA Traveller Declaration.
Tourists are given a visa when they land: there is nothing to apply for before you travel. The one step you take before flying is the free Traveller Declaration on the IMUGA portal, in the 96 hours before you arrive.
The short answer
Visa
Granted on arrival, with no approval needed before travel. Thirty days for a tourist.
Before you fly
The IMUGA Traveller Declaration, in the 96 hours before you arrive. Free. One for each traveller.
At the counter
Passport, a confirmed ticket out, a prepaid booking and enough money for the stay.
When you leave
No declaration. Departing travellers have not filed one since 15 August 2024.
The same rules apply to every nationality, with one exception: since 15 April 2025 entry is not granted on Israeli passports.
What Immigration asks for when you land
These are Maldives Immigration’s own entry requirements for a tourist. Carry proof of each one: officers may ask to see any of them.
- Passport
- Machine-readable and valid for at least one month. A passport with an extended validity is not accepted.
- Your airline, or a country you change planes in, may ask for more. Six months is a common rule, so check both.
- A ticket out
- A complete travel itinerary, with a confirmed return or onward ticket.
- You must also meet the entry rules of the country you fly to next.
- Somewhere to stay
- A prepaid, confirmed booking at a registered place to stay, such as a resort, hotel or guesthouse.
- Money for the stay
- Enough funds to cover your time in the Maldives.
- Traveller Declaration
- Filed on the IMUGA portal in the 96 hours before you arrive. One for each traveller, children included.
- Free, and the only step you take before you fly.
- Yellow fever certificate
- Only if you arrive from a country with a risk of yellow fever. Children under one are exempt.
Meeting every requirement does not guarantee entry. Immigration officers decide at the airport, under sections 7 and 8 of the Maldives Immigration Act 2007.
The IMUGA Traveller Declaration, step by step
IMUGA is Maldives Immigration’s online portal. The Traveller Declaration you file there is a self-declaration form, not a visa application.
- Open the official portal. imuga.immigration.gov.mv. Its address ends in .gov.mv.
- Choose Traveller Declaration, then New Declaration. Have your passport, flight and booking details to hand.
- Submit it in the 96 hours before you arrive. That is four days. The window is counted back from your flight’s arrival in the Maldives.
- Pay nothing. Immigration says there are no fees for submitting the form.
- Show the completed declaration at immigration when you land. The portal also lets you edit a declaration you have filed.
One for each traveller
Every traveller files an individual declaration, children and minors included. A family of four files four.
Sites that charge for it
Immigration has warned of websites that ask travellers to pay for the form. The declaration is free on the official portal, so there is no reason to use another site.
Leaving the Maldives: travellers departing no longer complete the form, from 15 August 2024 (Maldives Immigration notice of 13 August 2024). The portal’s front page still describes the form as due on arrival or departure; the notice is the later and more specific statement.
Staying longer, and working
Extending a tourist visa
Apply on the IMUGA portal. Under the process announced on 24 April 2026 you enter your passport number, upload a passport photograph taken within the last 12 months, and can update your hotel if you have moved. Immigration expects to complete an application within 48 hours.
Its notice gives neither the fee nor the longest stay allowed. Confirm both on the portal before you plan around an extension.
Working in the Maldives
A tourist visa does not cover work. The UK government’s travel advice says a work visa has to be obtained before you travel.
Health and customs
- A yellow fever vaccination certificate is asked for only if you arrive from a country with a risk of yellow fever. Children under one are exempt.
- The UK government’s travel advice says it is illegal to bring alcohol or pork into the Maldives. Resorts serve alcohol; local islands do not.
- Children and minors need their own passport.
By passport and language
The rule is the same for every passport. These pages add the flights and practical notes for one country, or give this guide in another language.
Questions before you book
Do I need a visa for the Maldives?
Not one you apply for. Maldives Immigration grants a tourist visa when you arrive, and tourists need no approval before travel. The UK government’s travel advice gives its length as 30 days. You still have to meet the entry requirements at the counter: a passport valid for at least one month, a confirmed ticket out, a prepaid booking, enough funds, and a Traveller Declaration filed before you land.
Is the Maldives visa free?
Maldives Immigration’s requirements list no fee for the tourist visa on arrival, and the Traveller Declaration is free. A website or agent that charges a “visa fee” or a fee for the declaration before you travel is a third party, not Immigration.
What is IMUGA?
IMUGA is Maldives Immigration’s online portal, at imuga.immigration.gov.mv. Travellers use it to file the Traveller Declaration before they arrive, and tourists who want to stay longer use it to apply for a visa extension.
When do I fill in the IMUGA Traveller Declaration?
In the 96 hours (four days) before your flight arrives in the Maldives: inside that window, not earlier. Show the completed declaration at immigration when you land.
Is the IMUGA form free?
Yes. Maldives Immigration says there are no fees for submitting it, and warns travellers to avoid other websites that charge for it. Use the official portal only: imuga.immigration.gov.mv.
Do children need their own Traveller Declaration?
Yes. Each traveller, including children and minors, files an individual declaration. Children also need their own passport.
Do I need a Traveller Declaration when I leave the Maldives?
No. Maldives Immigration announced on 13 August 2024 that travellers leaving the country no longer complete the form, from 15 August 2024. Travellers arriving still do.
How long must my passport be valid for the Maldives?
At least one month, under Maldives Immigration’s own rule, and it must be machine-readable. Airlines and countries you pass through can ask for more, commonly six months, so check with your airline before you fly on a passport close to expiry.
Can I stay longer than 30 days?
You can ask for an extension on the IMUGA portal. Under the process Maldives Immigration announced on 24 April 2026, the application needs your passport number and a passport photograph taken within the last 12 months, and Maldives Immigration expects to complete it within 48 hours. Its notice does not give the fee or the longest stay allowed, so confirm both on the portal before you plan around an extension.
Do I need a yellow fever certificate for the Maldives?
Only if you arrive from a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission. Children under one year old are exempt.
Where these rules come from
Every rule on this page was read on an official page on 14 October 2026. Entry rules change, and the officer at the counter has the last word: check the first two links again in the week you travel.