Travel to Maldives

Although geographically isolated the Maldives is easily accessible by air from anywhere in Southeast Asia, Middle East and Europe. Colombo is an hour's journey away by air, from Singapore and Dubai it takes about four hours and from Europe it takes nine to eleven hours to reach Malé. (see section on Airlines under Need to Know)

Malé International Airport

Malé International Airport is on an island that only houses the airport and related facilities. The airport located on Hulhule Island is a modern well-equipped airport with all the facilities and services one would expect from an international airport. The airport complex houses terminals for arrivals and departures, landside shops and airside duty free shops, restaurants, medical facilities, bank, post office and other services. The island also houses the airport hotel.

What to pack

The Maldives is warm throughout the year. Light, cotton and linen wear is ideal. Pack lots of tee shirts, beachwear, and wraparound skirts, cotton shirts and shorts. For visits to inhabited islands, where most of the streets are of compact sand, or Malé where the streets are paved, sandals are easy to walk on. Some essential items include swimwear, sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat or a cap. If your travel plan includes traveling to many islands, a mosquito repellent may become handy.

Immigration / Visa

Tourists are issued a maximum of 30 days tourist visa on arrival. A valid travel document is necessary. Visa extensions are granted by the Department of Immigration and Emigration in Malé.

Customs

The import of firearms,drugs,pornography and idols of worship are prohibited. Dogs, pigs and pork products are also prohibited for import by tourists. Alcohol imported under a special license is available in all the resorts. Similarly pork products are available at most of the resorts as well. Prohibited products such as alcohol brought in by passengers are bonded and released at departure.

Health Requirements

An international certificate of inoculation against yellow fever and cholera is required by visitors arriving from infected countries.

MTPB at the airport

The Maldives Tourism Promotion Board has a counter at the airport arrival terminal to provide information and assistance to tourists arriving in the country and provide a variety of brochures in different languages for guests.

Resort Transfers

If you have a booking with a resort, transfer is usually arranged prior to your arrival. The options of speedboat or seaplane transfer where available is for you to choose from. For transfer to resorts close to the airport, motorboat or dhoni transfer is quite convenient. Even if you make a resort booking while in Malé, transfer arrangements are often made by the resort.

The Maldives has one of the largest seaplane fleets in the world, not surprising for a country with 99 % ocean and more than a thousand islands. The low altitude seaplane journey offers you the additional opportunity to experience a breathtaking bird's eye view of the country.

Departure Tax

The airport departure tax which is USD 12.00 is usually included when you purchase your airline ticket.

Duty Free Shopping

Duty Free Shopping is only available at the departure terminal at Malé International Airport. The lounge has specialized shops with a wide variety of international brands selling well known products at competitive prices. The duty free lounge has shops for toys, souvenirs, perfume, electronics, watches, fashion accessories, jewellery, liquor, tobacco and confectionery.