Maldives Visa for UAE Residents: Free Visa on Arrival, the IMUGA Form, Taxes and Customs

The short answer: No UAE resident needs to apply for a Maldives visa in advance. The Maldives gives a free 30-day tourist visa on arrival to visitors of every nationality, so Emiratis and Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan residents of the UAE all get the same visa at Malé airport. To receive it you need a passport with at least one month's validity, a confirmed return ticket, a prepaid booking at a registered resort, hotel or guesthouse, and enough money for your stay. Every traveller, children included, must also submit the free IMUGA traveller declaration online within 96 hours before arrival.

The Maldives is about four hours' non-stop flight from Dubai or Abu Dhabi, which makes it one of the easiest beach holidays from the UAE. The visa is simple. What catches people out is the paperwork at the airport, the taxes on the resort bill and what they can't bring in.

Maldives visa for UAE residents at a glance

Question	Answer (October 2026)
Visa before travel	Not needed for any nationality living in the UAE
Visa on arrival	Free, 30 days, issued at the airport
Passport	Machine-readable, valid at least 1 month; 6 months is the safer margin
Bookings	Confirmed return ticket and a prepaid booking at a registered resort, hotel or guesthouse
IMUGA declaration	Free, online, one per traveller, within 96 hours before arrival
Extension	Online through IMUGA since April 2026, about 48 hours
Flight time	About 4 hours from Dubai or Abu Dhabi; Malé is 1 hour ahead of the UAE

A free visa on arrival for every nationality

Maldives Immigration grants the tourist visa on arrival. There is no pre-approval, no list of eligible countries and no fee. The visa is based on your passport, not your UAE residence, and it is the same 30-day visa for every nationality. An Indian, Pakistani or Filipino passport holder in Dubai gets exactly what an Emirati gets.

What matters is meeting the conditions when you land. Immigration's own page says a complete itinerary does not guarantee entry: the officer at the airport decides, so carry everything below.

What you need at Malé airport

• Passport with a machine-readable zone and at least one month's validity. Immigration refuses entry on passports whose validity has been extended. Many guides recommend six months as a safer margin.
• A confirmed return or onward ticket.
• A prepaid, confirmed booking at a registered resort, hotel or guesthouse for your stay. Keep the confirmation on your phone, and print it if you can.
• Sufficient funds for your stay, or a sponsorship approved by Maldives Immigration. The official page gives no amount, and the figures quoted online vary, so a prepaid booking and a card are the practical answer.
• Your IMUGA declaration QR code (see below).

You don't need your UAE residence visa to enter the Maldives, but you do need it to come home. Check that it is valid beyond your return date before you book.

The IMUGA traveller declaration

IMUGA is Maldives Immigration's online self-declaration. Every traveller, including children, submits their own at imuga.immigration.gov.mv, up to 96 hours before arrival. It is free. Immigration warns that some third-party websites charge for it; you don't need them, and you shouldn't give them your passport details.

Once you submit it you get a QR code to show on arrival. Do it the day before you fly, with your resort's name and booking reference to hand.

Extending your stay

Since 23 April 2026, tourist visa extensions are handled online through the IMUGA portal. You log in, confirm your passport details, upload a recent photo and update your accommodation if it has changed. Immigration says decisions are expected within 48 hours. Apply before your 30 days run out.

Immigration's announcement does not say how long an extension can be or what it costs. Other sources say the total stay can reach 90 days; check with Maldives Immigration before you plan around that.

Taxes and fees on a Maldives holiday

Maldives resort prices are often quoted before tax, so the final resort bill is noticeably higher than the headline rate. Three charges apply to most tourists:

• Green Tax: since 1 January 2025, USD 12 per guest per night at resorts, larger guesthouses and liveaboard boats, and USD 6 per night at guesthouses with 50 rooms or fewer on local islands. Rules for children vary, so ask your resort.
• Tourism GST (T-GST): 17% on tourist services since 1 July 2025.
• Departure tax: raised on 1 December 2024; for a foreigner in economy it went from USD 30 to USD 50, and airlines usually collect it in the ticket price. Sources differ on whether a separate airport development fee is added on top, so check the taxes line on your booking.

Ask whether a quote includes Green Tax and T-GST before comparing resorts. A package that bundles them is easier to compare than a room rate that doesn't.

What you can't bring in

The Maldives is strict at customs, and the rules surprise people flying from Dubai's duty-free:

• Alcohol: you can't bring any in, including bottles bought at duty-free. Customs holds them. Alcohol is served legally at licensed resorts and liveaboards.
• Pork and pork products, which are available only at licensed resorts.
• Vapes and e-cigarettes, banned from import since 15 November 2024.
• Pornography, religious material offensive to Islam, idols for worship, narcotics, firearms and replicas.
• Cash over USD 10,000, or the equivalent, must be declared.

Protected marine products, such as certain corals, shells and turtle shell, are also restricted, so leave what you find on the beach where it is.

Flights and transfers from the UAE

• From Dubai: Emirates and flydubai fly non-stop to Malé several times a day, in about four hours.
• From Abu Dhabi: Etihad flies non-stop to Malé, also in about four hours.

Malé is one hour ahead of the UAE. From the airport you reach your resort by speedboat, seaplane or domestic flight, which the resort arranges. Seaplanes fly only in daylight, so if you land in the evening and your resort is a seaplane ride away, you may spend your first night near the airport. Check transfer times with the resort before you choose a flight.

Schedules change by season, so check with the airline before you book.

Frequently asked questions

Do UAE residents need a visa for the Maldives?

Not in advance. Every nationality gets a free 30-day tourist visa on arrival at Malé airport, provided they have a valid passport, a return ticket, a prepaid hotel or resort booking, enough funds and a completed IMUGA declaration.

Do Indians in Dubai need a visa for the Maldives?

No. Indian nationals get the same free 30-day visa on arrival as every other nationality. Your UAE residence makes no difference; bring your passport, return ticket and prepaid booking, and submit the IMUGA declaration before you fly.

Is the Maldives visa on arrival free?

Yes. Maldives Immigration does not charge for the 30-day tourist visa, and the IMUGA declaration is free too. Your holiday does carry Green Tax, 17% T-GST and departure tax.

What is the IMUGA form for the Maldives?

It is the official online traveller declaration. Each traveller, including children, submits one free at imuga.immigration.gov.mv within 96 hours before arrival, and shows the QR code at the airport.

Can I bring duty-free alcohol to the Maldives from Dubai?

No. Importing alcohol is banned, including duty-free bottles, and customs holds them. Licensed resorts and liveaboards serve alcohol.

How long can I stay in the Maldives as a tourist?

Thirty days on arrival. You can apply to extend online through IMUGA before the 30 days end; Immigration expects to decide within 48 hours.

Planning a trip to the Maldives

The drier months are roughly December to April, and the wetter southwest monsoon runs from about May to October, when rates are usually lower. Four or five nights is enough for most short breaks from the UAE. Browse holiday packages, see our visa services for trips that do need a visa, or talk to us about resorts, transfers and flights.

Related guides

• Indonesia visa for UAE residents
• Malaysia visa for UAE residents
• Thailand visa for UAE residents
• Visa-free countries for UAE residents

Last checked 9 October 2026 against Maldives Immigration's tourist visa, traveller declaration and visa extension pages, the Maldives Embassy in Abu Dhabi, reporting on MIRA's tax changes and the Emirates, flydubai and Etihad timetables. Taxes and entry rules change; this guide is general information, not immigration advice. Confirm the current requirements with Maldives Immigration or your airline before you travel.