Planning trip to Maldives? Here's all you need to know about visas available, documents required for Indians

The Maldives is one of the best places for you to go on Valentine's Day to spend some quality time with your significant other. Known for its marine life, isolated white sand beaches, and stunning flora and fauna, the island nation of the Indian Ocean is quite famous for its perfect winter getaway.

About 1,200 coral islands in the Maldives are home to amazing aquatic activities, thriving coral reefs, and resorts of incredible luxury. If you intend to travel to Maldives, you might have questions about the visa requirements for Indian passport holders.

What types of visas are available to Indian citizens?

For traveler visa-on-arrival

In the Maldives, visitors from India can obtain a free visa at the airport. The 30-day, extendable on-arrival travel visa for the Maldives is good for travel there for up to 90 days. The person must fulfill the essential registration requirements in order to pass immigration once they arrive in the Maldives. The list of documents needed for this kind of visa is below.

• Valid passport with at least three blank pages long and is still valid for travel six months after the departure date.
• Two passport-sized, recent, coloured photos that are 35 mm wide and 44 mm long.
• Evidence of reservations for accommodation (hotel bookings or any other chosen accommodation).
• Declared departure from the Maldives, or a connecting flight.
• A sufficient amount of money to cover the cost of your stay in the Maldives (approx USD 50 per day).
• The traveler's health certificate must be finished and uploaded within 72 hours of the scheduled departure time.

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For work visa

A work visa will be issued to a visitor coming to the Maldives within 15 days of their arrival. The foreign citizen must possess a work permit from the Maldives' Ministry of Economic Development that is acceptable for at least 90 days after the date of issuance in order to apply for this visa. Furthermore, upon arrival, the visitor must present the same passport used to apply for the work permit. For this type of visa, you must have the following documents.

• Passport for the worker
• Copy of the work permit
• A recent passport-sized photo 
• Employee medical health check report provided by a hospital authorised by the appropriate government authority
• Receipt for submitting an application for a work visa (IM29)

For student visa

A foreign national may temporarily relocate to the Maldives in order to pursue their education there with the aid of a student visa. In recent years, undergraduates from all over the world have started to favour studying in the Maldives. The holder of a student visa is also allowed to live and work in the Maldives for as long as is necessary to complete their education and provide for themselves and any dependents.

For business visa

A business visa is a document that allows foreign citizens to enter the Maldives for the sole purpose of conducting business or employment. The foreign national is not permitted to work in the Maldives as an employee with this short-term visa.

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Documents required for this are listed below:

• Form IM24 is used to apply for business visas (PDF format)
• In PDF format, a coloured replica of the applicant's machine-readable (MRZ) passport bio-data page that is valid for at least 6 months.
• Registration evidence for the applicant in PDF format
• Passport-size picture in JPEG format
• Supporting documentation, like experience letters or certificates of education, in PDF format
• Expatriate Medical Insurance Policy Schedule in PDF Format
• Letter from the host organisation confirming the visitor's stay in PDF format
• If requested, the Visa Applicant Information Form (IM30) in PDF format