🇲🇻Maldives Visa for Finnish Citizens2026 Requirements, Fees & Documents

Work e-Visa

For foreign nationals holding an approved Work Permit to reside and work in the Maldives.

Validity mirrors the associated Work Permit; renewed visas have a maximum validity of 1 year. Must be obtained within 15 days of arrival in the Maldives on a valid Work Permit. As of 23 November 2025, physical visa stickers are no longer valid - only the digital e-Visa via the Xpat Online System (xpat.egov.mv) is recognized. Employer or authorized representative submits the application. Requires valid Work Permit from Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology.

Dependent Visa

For immediate family members (dependents) of expatriates in professional categories working in the Maldives.

Issued to immediate family members of expatriates employed in professional categories in the Maldives. Fee MVR 750 plus MVR 50 card fee (approx. USD 52 total). Applied online via the IMUGA portal. First-time entrants must arrive under a Sponsorship Declaration (filed at least 5 working days before arrival), then apply for the Dependent Visa after arrival. Requires application form IM23, passport copy and photo, proof of relationship, a medical report, health insurance, and the sponsorship declaration. Duration, entries, and processing times not published on the official page.

Student Visa

For foreign nationals enrolled at a recognised educational institution in the Maldives.

Issued by Maldives Immigration to enrolled international students. Two-stage process: (1) before travel, the sponsoring institution files a Sponsorship Declaration (form IM21) that must be approved before entry; (2) after arrival, the student applies for the Student Visa (form IM23) within 30 days. Approved health and travel insurance (e.g., MVR 800 / approx. USD 52 annually) is mandatory for the visa duration. Applied via the IMUGA portal (imuga.immigration.gov.mv). There is no dedicated public Student Visa page on immigration.gov.mv; the process is documented by The Maldives National University (public university, mnu.edu.mv/international-students). Application fee not published on official pages.

Marriage Visa (Resident Visa - Marriage-based)

For foreign nationals married to Maldivian citizens, allowing long-term residence in the Maldives.

Issued for 1 year on a new application; extensions issued for up to 5 years per renewal (extension requires a minimum of 3 months remaining before expiry). MVR 50 card fee (approx. USD 3). Applied exclusively online via the IMUGA portal (imuga.immigration.gov.mv). Those marrying in the Maldives must first obtain Sponsorship Declaration approval before arrival, then register the marriage legally, then apply for the visa. Requires passport copy, marriage certificate, a Family Court-stamped form, and (first-time only) medical screening and health insurance. Confirmed on the official Maldives Immigration Marriage Visa page (re-verified 2026-07).

Sponsorship (Sponsorship Declaration)

Pre-arrival permit requested by a Maldivian citizen or a professional-category visa holder to bring a foreign national into the Maldives (for visiting, dependency, or other approved purposes); prerequisite step for Dependent, Student and Marriage visas.

Not a stay-granting visa itself but the pre-arrival sponsorship approval required before a foreign national travels under a non-tourist category. Applied online via the IMUGA portal (form IM21); the applicant must not be in the Maldives when applying. The sponsored person must arrive within 30 days of approval; a pre-arrival sponsorship approval slip is issued on the portal. A company seal is required if the sponsor is an employer. Fees, duration, and processing times not published on the official page. Verified on the official Maldives Immigration Sponsorship Declaration page (2026-07).

Resident Visa

Long-term residence in the Maldives; per the official Resident Visa page, granted to a foreign national married to a Maldivian citizen.

The official immigration.gov.mv/visa/resident page describes the Resident Visa as granted to a foreign national married to a Maldivian citizen: initial validity 1 year, renewable up to 5 years, MVR 50 (approx. USD 3) card fee, applied online via the IMUGA portal, requiring pre-arrival sponsorship and completed legal marriage registration before applying. This is the same marriage-to-Maldivian residence route also captured in the Marriage Visa entry. The Corporate Resident Maldives program (permanent-residency card for qualifying foreign investors) and the Pearl Residence by-investment program are tracked separately under rbi. Verified on the official Maldives Immigration Resident Visa page (2026-07).