Country guide
Maldives
Destinations
Lhaviyani AtollNorth Male AtollSouth Ari Atoll (Alif Dhaal Atoll)South Male Atoll (Kaafu Atoll)DharavandhooMeedhupparu
Visa & entry
| eu passport | 30-day visa on arrival, free, for tourists (consistent across all sources checked: immigration.gov.mv, UK FCDO, Wikivoyage, 2026). |
|---|---|
| us passport | Same 30-day free visa on arrival. |
| uk passport | Same 30-day free visa on arrival. |
| entry or eco taxes | No border-collected entry/eco tax confirmed by the primary sources checked this session (immigration.gov.mv and UK FCDO entry-requirements page did not mention one). Note for the record: Maldives has historically levied a per-night 'Green Tax' billed through accommodation (not at the border) -- this was NOT independently reconfirmed for 2026 in this research pass and should be treated as an open question, not a verified 2026 figure. |
| digital nomad visa | None found. |
| notes | Passport needs a Machine-Readable Zone and 1+ month validity remaining. Travellers must complete the IMUGA Traveller Declaration online up to 96 hours before arrival (free). Must show confirmed return ticket, prepaid confirmed booking at a registered facility, and sufficient funds. Yellow fever certificate required only if arriving from an endemic country (exempt under age 1). Effective 15 April 2025, entry is not granted to holders of Israeli passports. Dogs are banned entirely. |
Money
| currency | Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR / Rf) |
|---|---|
| card acceptance | Resorts and liveaboards commonly price and settle in US dollars; card acceptance strong at resorts, more limited on local islands -- not independently re-verified this session beyond USD pricing norm. |
| tipping | Not compulsory but expected/customary; a 10% service charge is already added to most resort bills (Wikivoyage, 2026). |
SIM & internet
| operators ranked for coast coverage |
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|---|---|
| esim options |
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| notes | Public Wi-Fi exists but is often slow; a local mobile number is sometimes needed to authenticate hotspot logins. |
Insurance
| recommended | Comprehensive travel insurance with medical evacuation cover recommended. |
|---|---|
| evacuation note | Only Malé and Hulhumalé have fully equipped hospitals; most resort islands have on-site doctors or clinics, and major resorts often have decompression chambers (relevant given the overlap between kite and dive tourism) (UK FCDO, 2026). |
Health
| vaccines | No malaria in the Maldives; yellow fever certificate required only if arriving from a transmission-risk country; check TravelHealthPro/NHS pre-trip for dengue and routine coverage. |
|---|---|
| mosquito disease seasons | Dengue fever is a recognised risk (UK FCDO, 2026); specific seasonal peak not confirmed this session. |
| tap water | Not confirmed this session (not stated in the FCDO extract obtained); assume bottled/desalinated water is the safe default, as is typical for atoll nations, but treat as unverified. |
| emergency numbers | 102 (dial and ask for an ambulance, per UK FCDO, 2026). |
| hospital standard | Fully equipped hospitals limited to Malé and Hulhumalé; elsewhere, resort clinics or medevac. |
Driving
| road safety | Drive on the left where roads exist; not very applicable to most kite destinations since inter-atoll travel is by seaplane, domestic flight, speedboat or liveaboard rather than road (Wikivoyage, 2026). No real rental-car culture; resorts arrange transfers. |
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Regulation
| drone rules | Not established this session -- direct fetch of the Maldives Civil Aviation Authority / drone-permit page failed (DNS error), and the UK FCDO safety/local-laws pages checked did not cover drones. Flagged as open question; multiple kite-trip reports commonly describe drones as requiring pre-clearance and being subject to confiscation at customs without prior permission, but this was not independently confirmed by a primary source in this session. |
|---|---|
| other | Alcohol is banned for locals and on all inhabited/local islands; only resorts, liveaboards and the airport hotel are licensed to serve it. Importing alcohol is prohibited outside these settings -- it will be confiscated at customs on arrival, with a receipt issued so it can be reclaimed on departure. Public non-Islamic religious observance is illegal; dress conservatively (shoulders/arms/upper legs covered, no topless sunbathing) on inhabited islands; same-sex relations are illegal (UK FCDO, 2026). |
Calendar & costs
| meal | Local cafe meal from around Rf20 (~US$6) (Wikivoyage, 2026) |
|---|---|
| currency | MVR |
| year | 2026 |
Open questions
- Green Tax / accommodation levy: exact 2026 per-night rate and whether it is still charged was not confirmed by a primary source this session -- verify with MIRA (Maldives Inland Revenue Authority) or a resort booking before publishing a figure.
- Drone regulations (permit requirements, confiscation risk, no-fly zones near airports/inhabited islands) not confirmed by a primary source this session.
- Whether/how kitesurfing itself is formally regulated (e.g. local-island council permission for launching, restricted zones near resorts or reef channels) not confirmed this session.
- ATM network coverage/fees, ID requirements for SIM purchase, and full cost-of-living figures (beer, coffee, 1BR rent) not sourced this session -- Numbeo returned HTTP 429.
Sources: https://imuga.immigration.gov.mv (refere · gov.uk · gov.uk · gov.uk · en.wikivoyage.org