Quick answer
No advance visa is needed. Indian passport holders get a free 30-day tourist visa on arrival in the Maldives, provided they show a passport valid for at least a month beyond departure, a confirmed booking at registered accommodation, a return ticket and enough money for the stay. Each traveller must file the free IMUGA declaration online within 96 hours before arrival.
At a glance
- Visa type
- Tourist visa on arrival (free)
- Stay allowed
- Up to 30 days
- Fee
- Free (no visa fee)
- Processing
- Stamped on arrival at Velana International Airport, Malé
- Validity
- Single stay of up to 30 days from arrival; extensions possible in Malé
- Apply at
- Official portal
Documents checklist
- Indian passport valid at least one month beyond departure (six months avoids airline queries), with a blank page and no handwritten extensions
- IMUGA Traveller Declaration filed online within 96 hours before arrival, one per traveller including infants (QR code saved)
- Confirmed booking at a registered resort, hotel or guesthouse for every night
- Confirmed return or onward air ticket within 30 days
- Proof you can pay for the stay: prepaid resort voucher, international card or US dollars
- IMUGA departure declaration filed within 96 hours before you fly home
Common mistakes that get Indians refused
- Passports with handwritten or manually extended validity are not accepted; renew old passports before booking.
- Families cannot file one combined IMUGA form; every traveller, including babies, needs an individual declaration.
- Use only the official IMUGA portal. Look-alike websites charge a fee for a form that is free.
- Alcohol, pork products and religious material for distribution are prohibited imports; duty-free bottles bought on the way are held at customs.
- Seaplanes fly only in daylight, so late-evening arrivals may need a night in Malé or Hulhumalé before the resort transfer.
Do Indians need a visa for the Maldives?
No advance visa is needed. The Maldives gives every nationality, India included, a free 30-day tourist visa on arrival at Velana International Airport in Malé. It is a stamp, not a sticker, and there is no fee. What you do need is paperwork that shows you are a genuine tourist with somewhere registered to stay.
How to prepare, step by step
- Book a registered resort, hotel or guesthouse for every night. Immigration checks this against the address on your declaration.
- Book a return or onward flight that leaves within 30 days.
- Within 96 hours (four days) before landing, fill the IMUGA Traveller Declaration on the official immigration portal. One form per person, including children. You get a QR code by email; save it on your phone.
- Within 96 hours before you fly home, file the departure declaration on the same portal.
- At Malé, show your passport, the QR code, hotel confirmation and return ticket. Most travellers are stamped through in a couple of minutes.
What immigration actually checks
Officers look at four things: passport validity (at least one month beyond departure, and no handwritten extensions), your accommodation booking, your return ticket, and whether you can pay for the stay. A prepaid resort voucher settles the funds question for most travellers. If you are on a guesthouse trip to a local island and paying as you go, carry an international debit or credit card and some US dollars; a commonly quoted benchmark is about USD 100 plus USD 50 per day.
Resorts need your arrival time to arrange the seaplane or speedboat, so share flight details with them early. Seaplanes fly only in daylight, which means late-evening arrivals often spend the first night near the airport.
Tips for families, honeymooners and seniors
- Children need their own passport and their own IMUGA form. A family of four makes four separate submissions.
- Seniors on regular medication should carry prescriptions and keep medicines in original packaging; some sleeping pills and strong painkillers are controlled in the Maldives.
- Honeymooners do not need a marriage certificate for entry, though some resorts ask for one to apply honeymoon benefits.
- Do not pack alcohol or pork. Alcohol is served inside resorts, not on local islands.
Can you extend your stay?
Extensions beyond 30 days are handled by Maldives Immigration in Malé, for a fee, with a fresh accommodation booking and proof of funds. Most Indian holidaymakers stay three to five nights, so this rarely matters.
For a sense of the total spend, see our Maldives trip cost guide, check the best time to visit the Maldives before you pick monsoon dates, and browse things to do in the Maldives. If you want someone to check the paperwork for a family or a honeymoon, our visa assistance team can review it before you fly.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Maldives visa free for Indians?
When should I fill the IMUGA form for the Maldives?
Can I stay in a local guesthouse instead of a resort?
Does my passport need six months' validity for the Maldives?
Is travel insurance compulsory for the Maldives?
How we checked this page
Last reviewed
Written and fact-checked by the Elitech Travels editorial desk in New Delhi, drawing on our consultants' day-to-day booking work and the official sources below. Rules, fares and fees change — always confirm anything critical with the issuing authority before you travel. Our editorial policy.
