Last updated July 26, 2026 · Editorial policy
More: Maldives travel guide
Maldives Visa Requirements 2026: Complete Guide by Nationality
The Maldives offers free 30-day visa-on-arrival for ALL nationalities. Just show passport + return ticket + accommodation booking.
Visa Requirements by Nationality
| Passport | Type | Duration | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | Free visa-on-arrival | 30 days | $0 | Tourist visa on arrival |
| UK | Free visa-on-arrival | 30 days | $0 | Tourist visa on arrival |
| Canada | Free visa-on-arrival | 30 days | $0 | Tourist visa on arrival |
| Australia | Free visa-on-arrival | 30 days | $0 | Tourist visa on arrival |
| India | Free visa-on-arrival | 30 days | $0 | Tourist visa on arrival |
| China | Free visa-on-arrival | 30 days | $0 | Tourist visa on arrival |
| All nationalities | Free visa-on-arrival | 30 days | $0 | Tourist visa on arrival |
What You Need to Enter Maldives
- Passport valid 6+ months beyond stay
- Return/onward ticket
- Confirmed resort/hotel booking
- Sufficient funds ($100/day) or pre-paid accommodation
- Travel insurance recommended (not required)
The entry mistakes that actually cause trouble at Male
The free 30-day stamp is the easy part. What trips people up is everything around it. The biggest one: the IMUGA Traveller Declaration is mandatory, separate from the visa, and must be filed online within 96 hours before you land. There is no fee on the official portal at imuga.immigration.gov.mv, so ignore any site that asks you to pay for it. Each person needs their own submission, including infants, and the most common rejection at check-in comes from a passport number or flight date that does not match the document exactly.
Two more catch first-timers off guard. The Maldives is a dry, Muslim country, and bringing alcohol or pork into the airport is not allowed. If you carry a bottle in, customs will not fine you but will hold it and hand you a Bonded Receipt to reclaim it on departure, which is a hassle you can skip by leaving it home. Your resort serves alcohol freely, so there is no reason to pack any. Officials can also ask to see a confirmed onward ticket and proof of funds, the rule of thumb being around 100 USD plus roughly 50 USD per day, alongside your prepaid accommodation voucher.
- File IMUGA within 96 hours, double-checking passport number and dates against your booking
- Carry no alcohol, pork, or religious idols through the airport
- Have your return ticket and resort voucher reachable, not buried in checked luggage
Sort these before you fly and the arrival hall takes minutes.
Maldives Visa FAQ
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.