Maldives visa for Indians: no advance visa needed, free entry on arrival for up to 90 days. Documents, IMUGA declaration and stay rules explained.
Cover image: Aerial view of a Maldives resort island with overwater villas on a coral reef — photo by Dr. Ondřej Havelka (cestovatel), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Indians do not need a visa in advance for the Maldives: entry is granted free on arrival, with Indian citizens eligible for up to 90 days. There is no fee, no embassy visit and no e-Visa to arrange. You clear immigration at Velana International Airport in Male, get your passport stamped, and walk out. Three conditions apply: a machine-readable passport, proof of where you are staying and leaving, and the free Traveller Declaration filed online before you fly.
This is one of the simplest arrivals in Asia for Indian passport holders, which is why the Maldives works so well for spontaneous honeymoons and long weekends. Once the paperwork is sorted, read our best time to visit the Maldives from India before picking dates.
Maldives visa rules for Indians: the exact requirements
| Requirement | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Pre-arranged visa | None needed; stamped free on arrival |
| Permitted stay | Up to 90 days for Indian citizens |
| Passport validity | Machine-readable, at least 1 month beyond arrival |
| Stay proof | Confirmed booking at a registered hotel, resort or guesthouse |
| Onward travel | Confirmed return or onward ticket |
| Funds | Enough to cover the stay (or pre-approved sponsorship) |
| Traveller Declaration | Free online form within 96 hours before the flight |
The general rule for most nationalities is a free 30-day visa on arrival; India sits in the more generous bracket with up to 90 days. Immigration can ask for any of the supporting items, so carry printed or offline copies of your hotel voucher and return ticket even though checks are usually cursory.
The IMUGA Traveller Declaration: the one form you must file
Every foreigner must submit the Traveller Declaration electronically within 96 hours (4 days) of flight time via Maldives Immigration's IMUGA portal. It is free and takes about ten minutes: flight details, passport data, the address where you are staying, and a health questionnaire. You receive a QR code to show at immigration.
Airlines flying India-Male routes increasingly check for the QR code at boarding in Kochi, Trivandrum, Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai. File it the evening before departure and screenshot the QR code, since airport Wi-Fi at both ends is unreliable at the exact moment you need it. A matching declaration is required again when you leave.
At Male, the sequence is immigration counters first, then baggage belts, then the arrival hall where resort representatives wait with name boards. Seaplane transfers to resort islands operate in daylight hours only, so late-evening arrivals from India usually mean a night near the airport (Hulhumale has the closest budget beds) before the onward hop. Buy a local SIM or eSIM at the arrival hall kiosks if your resort transfer the next morning needs coordination; the free airport Wi-Fi is fine for a quick message home but slow for uploads.
Which Maldives stays the visa covers
The on-arrival entry covers the full range of Indian travel styles: resort islands reached by seaplane or speedboat, inhabited-island guesthouses on Maafushi, Dhigurah or Thulusdhoo, liveaboard dive boats, and split stays. The visa makes no distinction between them, but immigration does want a booking at a registered facility, so a confirmed reservation with the property's name and island matters more than its star rating.
Budget travellers should note the arrival still works identically whether you booked a $60 guesthouse or a $1,500 overwater villa. Our Maldives trip cost breakdown from India shows how the same stamp in the passport can lead to very different bills. And if you are torn between two honeymoon icons, our Bali vs Maldives honeymoon comparison settles it by budget and travel month.
Frequently asked questions
Is Maldives visa-free for Indians?
Effectively yes. No advance visa is needed; Indians are stamped in free on arrival for up to 90 days, subject to passport, hotel booking, return ticket and the Traveller Declaration.
How much is the Maldives visa fee for Indians?
Zero. Visa on arrival is free of charge. The only mandatory paperwork, the IMUGA Traveller Declaration, is also free.
What documents do Indians need for Maldives?
A machine-readable passport valid at least one month beyond arrival, a confirmed hotel booking, a return or onward ticket, and the IMUGA Traveller Declaration QR code filed within 96 hours of the flight.
Can Indians extend their stay in the Maldives?
The on-arrival stay covers up to 90 days for Indian citizens, which exceeds almost every holiday. Longer stays need an appropriate permit applied through Maldives Immigration, not the arrival counter.
