Maldives Visa for Indians 2026: Visa on Arrival, IMUGA Traveller Declaration and Entry Rules

Do Indians Need a Visa for the Maldives? (2026 Quick Answer)

No advance visa is needed for a holiday. As of October 2026, Maldives Immigration grants tourist visas on arrival, and foreign tourists, Indians included, do not need pre-approval.

Entry is still not automatic. Immigration officers decide admissibility at the port of entry under the Maldives Immigration Act 2007, and the official tourist visa page says a complete itinerary does not guarantee entry.

• Stay: normally up to 30 days, extendable to 90 days in total at Immigration's discretion, for a fee.
• Before flying: a free Traveller Declaration on the official IMUGA portal, within 96 hours before arrival.
• At the counter: a machine-readable passport valid for at least one month, a return ticket, a prepaid booking and sufficient funds.

Rules change, so we recommend rechecking official sources a few days before departure.

Visa on Arrival - Duration, Cost and Conditions

How long you can stay

Under section 10(b) of the Maldives Immigration Act 1/2007, a visiting foreign national can stay up to 30 days from the date of entry; in March 2026 the tourism minister also described tourist visas as granted for 30 days. The Controller of Immigration can allow up to 90 days in total from entry, at discretion and after a fee, so an extension is never automatic (2007 text; later amendments not reviewed).

Why some Indian sources say 90 days

India's Ministry of External Affairs lists the Maldives with "90 Days" in its visa-free table (information as on 2 February 2026), but MEA disclaims the list's accuracy and asks travellers to cross-check with the foreign mission. A 2022 Maldives Financial Review report points to one likely origin: from 1 February 2022 the Maldives began granting Indian nationals multiple-entry, 90-day visa-free entry for business purposes. For a holiday, we recommend planning for 30 days and extending on IMUGA only if needed.

Cost

Under the Maldives Immigration Act, the first 30 days carry no visa fee; the current tourist page does not mention a visa fee either way. Taxes still apply. According to MIRA's airport taxes page as archived in March 2026, these rates for foreign passengers have applied since 1 December 2024: a departure tax, plus a separate Airport Development Fee at the same rate when departing via Velana International Airport.

• Economy: USD 50 departure tax plus USD 50 fee.
• Business: USD 120 plus USD 120.
• First: USD 240 plus USD 240.

On scheduled flights the airline collects both, usually within the ticket price. Green tax and TGST come through your hotel bill (see the peak-season section).

Conditions

A tourist visa is for visitors with no intention of being employed or working to earn income in the Maldives.

IMUGA Traveller Declaration - When and How to Submit

Every arriving foreigner files a Traveller Declaration on IMUGA, the official Immigration portal, within 96 hours before arrival and presents it at immigration on landing. As of October 2026 submission is free, and each traveller, including children and minors, files an individual declaration.

When to file

The Immigration tourist page says "within 96 hours before arrival", while IMUGA counts from the "flight time for arrival". Submitting no earlier than 96 hours before your scheduled landing in Male, and before boarding, satisfies both readings.

Our own arithmetic, not an official date: for a flight landing on 20 December, the window opens on 16 December at the same clock time as the scheduled landing (Maldives time). If the flight is rescheduled, recheck it.

How to file

• Scan the passport data page, or choose "Skip Upload" and type the details in.
• Pick "Holiday" as the purpose of visit for a leisure trip.
• Submit and keep the edit token; with it and the same passport number you can edit the declaration later.

Paid look-alike sites and departure

Maldives Immigration warns of websites and individuals charging a fee to submit the declaration, and advises using only the official IMUGA portal, without sharing personal information or paying on unofficial sites.

According to the Visit Maldives tourism board, citing an Immigration circular, no departure declaration has been required since August 2024; the current tourist page lists the arrival declaration only.

Documents at Immigration - Hotel Booking, Return Ticket and Funds

As of October 2026, the Maldives Immigration tourist visa page lists these entry requirements:

• A passport with a machine-readable zone (MRZ) and at least one month's validity; passports with extended validity are not accepted.
• Confirmed return tickets.
• A prepaid, confirmed booking at a registered facility.
• Sufficient funds for the stay, or a sponsorship approved by Maldives Immigration.
• A yellow fever certificate, only if arriving from or recently travelling through a country with yellow fever risk; children under one are exempt.

The page sets one month of validity, not six, without saying whether it counts from arrival or departure. Airlines may apply their own checks, so we recommend confirming with your carrier.

How much money to show

As of October 2026, the official page states no minimum amount, and we do not repeat unverified figures from travel sites. We recommend carrying proof that you can pay for the trip, such as a card and a recent bank statement.

Staying with family or friends

Without a hotel booking, a Maldivian citizen or a professional-category work-visa holder can file a Sponsorship Declaration, which needs Immigration approval before you arrive. According to Maldives Immigration, it is normally processed within five working days, entry has to follow within 30 days of approval, and tickets are best bought after approval.

Our estimate for a 20 December arrival, not an official deadline: approval on or after 20 November, with filing by about the first week of December to leave a buffer (the Maldivian working week runs Sunday to Thursday).

Visarun is a private visa agency, not part of Maldives Immigration. We help to check documents before you fly, but the entry decision belongs to the officer.

Extensions, Overstay and Travelling With Children

Extending a tourist visa

Since 23 April 2026, tourists apply for extensions by logging into IMUGA. According to Maldives Immigration:

• The passport number fills in personal and accommodation details; the biodata page is needed only in specific cases, such as a renewed passport or mismatched records.
• A passport-size photo taken within the last 12 months is required.
• A changed hotel can be updated in the application.
• Processing is expected within 48 hours, which is not a guarantee.

The total stay can reach 90 days from entry, at Immigration's discretion. The Immigration Act sets the fee at MVR 750 per three months or part of three months; as that comes from the 2007 text, check the fee shown in IMUGA. Visarun cannot promise an extension.

Overstay

The Immigration Act obliges foreigners to depart when their permit expires. For offences under that clause, the 2007 text allows fines of MVR 15,000 to 50,000, plus possible deportation and an entry ban. It is a general offence clause, not a per-day schedule, and later amendments were not reviewed; we found no official per-day overstay fine.

Travelling with children

• Each child needs their own passport and their own Traveller Declaration.
• Children under one are exempt from the yellow fever certificate.
• Children below two at check-in have been exempt from green tax since 1 January 2025, even if they turn two during the stay (MIRA FAQ, archived January 2026).
• Children below two are exempt from departure tax (MIRA page, archived March 2026).

The official pages we reviewed do not cover consent letters for a child travelling with one parent or alone; we recommend asking your airline and Maldives Immigration.

Peak-Season Arrivals - Resort Bookings and Transfers

By our count, a 20 December to 5 January trip is 16 nights, inside the normal 30-day limit, so no extension should be needed.

Late arrivals and seaplanes

Seaplane transfers run in daylight, and many resorts set a mid-afternoon landing cut-off. As one example, a Centara resort offers seaplane arrival transfers for flights landing between 06:00 and 15:00 and recommends a night in Male for later arrivals. Cut-offs vary by resort and operator, and weather can delay flights, so check your resort's policy. A night in Male or Hulhumale should also be a prepaid booking at a registered hotel.

Green tax and TGST

According to MIRA's green tax FAQ as archived in January 2026, the operator collects green tax for each day of stay, at these rates from 1 January 2025:

• USD 12 per day at resorts, tourist hotels, resort hotels, tourist vessels, and hotels or guesthouses with more than 50 rooms or on uninhabited islands.
• USD 6 per day at hotels and guesthouses with 50 or fewer rooms on inhabited islands.

The tax counts 24-hour blocks: the check-out block is taxable if you spend 12 hours or more of it at the property, and complimentary stays are taxable too. By our arithmetic, 16 taxable days at a USD 12 property comes to USD 192 per guest aged two or over.

TGST rose from 16% to 17% on 1 July 2025, according to a state-media report of a MIRA notice. We recommend asking whether the resort's quoted rate includes both taxes.

Recent Changes (2025-2026)

• 10 September 2026: the tourist visa page now states that each traveller, including children and minors, files an individual declaration; the August 2025 version did not say this.
• 17 August 2026: Immigration updated its Traveller Declaration page, which repeats an earlier warning about paid look-alike sites.
• 23 April 2026: a simplified tourist visa extension process on IMUGA took effect under the Maldives 2.0 initiative, with processing expected within 48 hours.
• 29 March 2026: before launch, the tourism minister described a fee-based online extension in about 48 hours, using a photo of the visa; the official April notice asks for a recent passport photo instead.
• 23 November 2025: an e-Visa service opened for foreigners working and residing in the Maldives; in our reading it does not replace the tourist visa on arrival.
• 1 July 2025: TGST rose to 17%, according to a state-media report of a MIRA notice.
• 1 January 2025: MIRA's current green tax rates and under-two exemption apply from this date.

All rules and amounts in this guide are as of October 2026.

FAQ

Is the Maldives visa free for Indians?

Tourists get a visa on arrival without pre-approval, and under the Maldives Immigration Act the first 30 days carry no visa fee. Green tax, TGST and departure charges still apply.

How many days can Indians stay in the Maldives on a tourist visa?

Normally up to 30 days from entry, extendable to 90 days in total at Immigration's discretion, for a fee. India's MEA list shows 90 days, but the Maldivian rule is 30 days on arrival, so plan for 30.

When should I submit the IMUGA Traveller Declaration?

Within 96 hours before arrival and before boarding. By our calculation, for a 20 December landing the window opens on 16 December at the scheduled landing's clock time (Maldives time).

Do I have to pay for the Traveller Declaration?

No. It is free on the official IMUGA portal, and Maldives Immigration warns about sites and individuals that charge a fee for it.

Do children need their own declaration and passport?

Yes. Every traveller, including children and minors, files an individual declaration, and children need their own passport.

How much money do I need to show at immigration?

The official page asks for sufficient funds but, as of October 2026, states no amount. We recommend carrying proof that you can cover the trip.

Can I stay with relatives instead of booking a hotel?

Yes, if a Maldivian citizen or professional-category work-visa holder files a Sponsorship Declaration and Immigration approves it before you arrive, normally within five working days.

Does a complete itinerary guarantee entry?

No. Immigration officers decide admissibility at the port of entry, and neither Visarun nor anyone else can guarantee entry.