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Passport validity requirements

Your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least one month after the date you arrive in Maldives. Make sure your passport is not damaged or you may be stopped by immigration. 

Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.

You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.

Dual nationals

When returning to the UK, British citizens must carry a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement. See Dual citizenship.

Visa requirements

You will get a 30-day visa on arrival if you enter Maldives as a tourist.

If you intend to work in Maldives, you must get a work visa before you travel.

For further information on entry requirements and visas, contact the Maldives immigration department.

Traveller declaration form

You must complete a traveller declaration form (IMUGA) within 96 hours before your flight arrives in the Maldives.

Vaccine requirements

To enter Maldives, you must have a certificate to prove you’ve had a yellow fever vaccination if you’re coming from a country listed as a transmission risk.

For full details about medical entry requirements and recommended vaccinations, see TravelHealthPro’s Maldives guide.

Customs rules

There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of Maldives. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.  

It is illegal to bring in anything deemed contrary to Islam, including ‘idols for worship’, bibles, pork and pork products, and alcohol.

Customs rules

There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of Maldives. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.  

It is illegal to bring in anything deemed contrary to Islam, including ‘idols for worship’, bibles, pork and pork products, and alcohol.

Emergency services in Maldives

Ambulance: 102

Fire: 118

Police: 119

Contact your travel provider and insurer

Contact your travel provider and your insurer if you are involved in a serious incident or emergency abroad. They will tell you if they can help and what you need to do.

Refunds and changes to travel

For refunds or changes to travel, contact your travel provider. You may also be able to make a claim through insurance. However, insurers usually require you to talk to your travel provider first.

Find out more about changing or cancelling travel plans, including:

• where to get advice if you are in a dispute with a provider
• how to access previous versions of travel advice to support a claim

Support from FCDO

FCDO has guidance on staying safe and what to do if you need help or support abroad, including:

• finding lawyers in Maldives
• dealing with a death in Maldives
• being arrested or imprisoned in Maldives
• getting help if you’re a victim of crime
• what to do if you’re in hospital
• if you’re affected by a crisis, such as a terrorist attack

Contacting FCDO

Help abroad  

See how to get help from the UK government abroad including in an emergency. 

Help in the UK  

You can call FCDO in London if you need urgent help because something has happened to a friend or relative abroad.  

Telephone: 020 7008 5000 (24 hours)  

Find out about call charges

Get travel advice updates  

Sign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated.  

Follow FCDO: 

• travel advice on X

• travel advice on Facebook

Global travel impacts due to the situation in the Middle East

Escalation in the Middle East has caused widespread travel disruption, including airspace closures, delayed and cancelled flights. This may impact connections to and from the Maldives.

Your travel plans may be affected, even if your destination is not in the Middle East. Before you travel:

• check travel advice for any countries or territories you are transiting through
• check for the latest updates from your airline or tour operator
• review your travel insurance policy to confirm what is covered
• monitor local and international media and sign up for FCDO travel advice email alerts

Hotline number Ministry of Tourism and Environment: +9609423131

Before you travel

No travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide. You may also find it helpful to: 

• see general advice for women travellers
• read our guide on disability and travel abroad
• see general advice for LGBT+ travellers
• read about safety for solo and independent travel
• see advice on volunteering and adventure travel abroad

Travel insurance

If you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency.

About FCDO travel advice

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides advice about risks of travel to help you make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice.

Get travel advice updates

Sign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated. 

Follow FCDO:   

• travel advice on X

• travel advice on Facebook

• Travel Aware on Instagram

Laws and cultural differences

Maldives is an Islamic country. It is illegal to publicly observe a religion other than Islam. Make sure that your actions do not offend, especially during Ramadan or when visiting religious areas around mosques. If you break local laws, you may get a prison sentence.

Ramadan

Ramadan is a holy month for Muslims. The dates vary by year and country. In 2026, it began on 17 February and finished on 19 March. In 2027, it may start on 7 February and last for 29 or 30 days.

During this time, do not eat, drink or smoke in public in the daytime, outside of holiday resorts.

Get more advice when you arrive from your tour guide, hotel or business contacts.

Alcohol laws and bans

Alcoholic drinks are only available on resort islands. Do not take any alcohol out of your resort. You can be arrested and deported for possessing and drinking alcohol, or being intoxicated outside resorts and on inhabited islands.    

Illegal drugs penalties

Possession, trafficking and manufacture of any illegal drugs are serious offences in Maldives and penalties can be severe. This includes cannabis, even small quantities can lead to arrest.

British nationals have been caught carrying controlled drugs while transiting Maldives.

International airports in Maldives have advanced scanning systems and procedures in place for scanning and detecting illegal substances, including cannabis. This includes all carry-on and checked-in baggage of transiting passengers.

The Maldivian authorities have a zero-tolerance policy to drug offences. Possessing drugs, even in very small quantities, carries severe penalties, including:

• arrest and detention
• long prison sentences if convicted
• corporal punishment (whipping) in some cases
• death penalty for the most serious offences

You are strongly advised:

• not to carry any controlled substances, including cannabis, even if legal in your departure country
• to check your luggage thoroughly before travelling or transiting through the Maldives
• if prescribed medication contains controlled substances, carry a doctor’s prescription and check Maldivian regulations in advance

Wildlife, animal products and souvenirs

It is illegal to take tortoiseshell jewellery or ornaments, or pieces of coral out of Maldives. 

LGBT+ travellers

Same-sex relations are illegal and if you are convicted, you could get a fine or a lengthy prison sentence.    

Read more advice for LGBT+ travellers.

Local dress standards

You should be sensitive to local dress standards when outside holiday resorts, including on beaches used by locals. Men and women should:

• have shoulders covered
• avoid short or tight-fitting shorts
• have arms and upper legs covered when bathing

Nudism and topless sunbathing are not allowed anywhere, including on resort islands.