Renewing Your Maldives Tourist Visa

The Maldives is one of the most beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful places in the world — FACT.

It is also one of the most annoying countries to get your visa extension visa extension visa extension visa extension to stay longer than the standard 30-day Maldives tourist visa.

As a Travel Developer, I usually stay in one location longer than 30 days. If you find yourself in the Maldives and are looking to stay a bit

longer than 30-days you’re in luck — there is an option to extend up to 90 days in total 90 days in total 90 days in total 90 days in total (60 extra days). The process to renew your

Maldives tourist visa can take awhile, but if you follow this guide you can make it as painless as possible:

What You Need

Application form (form IM23)

Passport size photo

$50 Visa Fee (750 MRF)

Expatriate Insurance (approximately $30)

Ticket leaving the country (your last date of stay)

Invoice showing paid accommodation up to your return ticket

Copy of the business license from your place of stay (your ‘sponsor’)

Copy of your passport

Passport

(See list at http://www.immigration.gov.mv/pages/visa.html)

Timeline

Day 1 — Submit your paperwork

Day 2 — Pay your visa extension fee

Day 3 — Retrieve your newly stamped passport

Process

The weekend in Male is Friday-Saturday Friday-Saturday Friday-Saturday Friday-Saturday so the immigration office is closed closed closed closed these days. Each day you’ll want to get to the office as early as

possible (8 AM open time) because they only hand out 75 tickets each day 75 tickets each day 75 tickets each day 75 tickets each day. The later you arrive the longer you’ll have to wait in the queue.

The main immigration office (as seen on Google Maps) is NOT NOT NOT NOT the building where you want to go. You need to go to the light-yellow

building across the street across the street across the street across the street (where the Huravee Building Bus-Station is). Go to the 3rd floor 3rd floor 3rd floor 3rd floor and you’ll see the Work Permit office Work Permit office Work Permit office Work Permit office. Walk

straight up to the desk and ask for a ticket.

Before you head to Male — you should have your paperwork

completed.

First, fill out the IM23 form IM23 form IM23 form IM23 form with your hotel/guesthouse. Make sure they fill out the entire section for the ‘Sponsor Sponsor Sponsor Sponsor’ and you fill the entire

section for yourself. They should also give you a copy of their business license business license business license business license and a copy of an invoice invoice invoice invoice showing you’ve paid paid paid paid up until your

ticket leaving the country.

Next get a passport size photo passport size photo passport size photo passport size photo — you can go to the Kodak Express Kodak Express Kodak Express Kodak Express which is walking distance from the immigration office. If there’s no line,

it shouldn’t take more than 5–10 minutes to pay, take your picture, and get prints.

After that, you need to get your expatriate insurance expatriate insurance expatriate insurance expatriate insurance. There is conveniently an Allied Insurance Allied Insurance Allied Insurance Allied Insurance office across the street from the main

immigration office. Head there with a copy of your IM23 form, a copy of your passport, business license, return ticket, & invoice of stay (they

can make copies at the insurance office if you need). You’ll have to fill out an Expatriate Insurance Form Expatriate Insurance Form Expatriate Insurance Form Expatriate Insurance Form and pay about $30. You’ll then

get a stamped copy stamped copy stamped copy stamped copy to bring to immigration. It should take about 5–10 minutes.

Now that that’s finished — you can finally head to immigration immigration immigration immigration. Bring ALL ALL ALL ALL of your forms forms forms forms and passport passport passport passport and wait until your number is

called. They’ll check all your forms to make sure you have everything and ask you a few questions questions questions questions (why, where, when are you leaving, etc.).

They may even ask for you to show your bank account bank account bank account bank account to prove you have enough money to stay ($100 + $50/day). They’ll then take all the

forms and your passport to review.

If they accept your forms you should be all set — but you still have to come back to Male for 2 days They’ll give you a receipt receipt receipt receipt to pay to pay to pay to pay and

tell you to come back the following day. Repeat the same process — go early, pick up a ticket and wait your turn. Bring the receipt receipt receipt receipt they gave

you Day 1 Day 1 Day 1 Day 1 and pay your 750 MRF 750 MRF 750 MRF 750 MRF fee ($50). They’ll then give you another receipt receipt receipt receipt and tell you to come back the next day to get

your passport passport passport passport. Repeat the process again — go early, pick up a ticket and wait your turn. This time present the receipt receipt receipt receipt you got Day 2 Day 2 Day 2 Day 2 and you

should have your freshly stamped stamped stamped stamped passport passport passport passport!

Note: You can easily fly out of the country for a day and return for another 30 day Maldives tourist visa. The ministry

of immigration does say they have the option to refuse entry to ‘frequent tourists’, however, I’ve yet to hear about

anyone being stopped at the airport. FYI Male to Colombo, Sri Lanka is $200–400 RT.

Plan accordingly as you’ll need to get your passport renewed BEFORE the last day of your visa or else you’ll be hit

with a $1,000 fine on your first day over!