Visa to the Maldives in 2021 for Russians. Entry rules to the Maldives.

Holidays in the Maldives are extremely popular among Russians. In 2021, a visa is not required to stay in the country for up to 90 days for the purpose of tourism. For other visits, the visa is issued through the Embassy of Sri Lanka.

The Maldives is a very popular destination for holidays and unplanned getaways. Russians are often confused about whether a visa is needed for the Maldives, postponing their trip while collecting documents.

However, there has been an agreement on a visa-free regime between Russia and the islands for a long time. It applies to Russians whose visit to the islands does not exceed 3 months.

If you have to stay in the Maldives, you can easily obtain a full-fledged tourist visa without leaving the country.

Nuances of visa-free entry

Ticket to the Maldives
Russians are provided with visa-free entry into the country, but the border crossing procedure still has a number of features. First of all, this concerns a set of documents that you must have with you. The list of required papers includes:

pre-purchased return ticket;
a voucher confirming your hotel reservation;
a foreign passport, which must be valid for at least 3 months from the date of departure to the Maldives;
a completed migration card, which will be provided to the tourist on the plane;
a document confirming the availability of funds in the amount of at least $150 per person.

The migration card must be filled out in accordance with certain rules - in Latin block letters. If you have any questions regarding filling it out, it is better to ask the flight attendants for help.

Customs clearance procedure

When going through customs, you need to show respect and follow all the rules. It should be remembered that the Maldives is an Islamic state with a special view of religion and cultural values. To avoid problems directly at customs, you need to study all the prohibitions. It is strictly prohibited to import the following goods into the territory of the state:

any type of weapon;
items dictating anti-Islamic propaganda;
alcoholic drinks;
products containing pork;
narcotic substances;
explosive objects;
pornographic materials.

You cannot export turtle shells, any items caught from the depths of the sea, or jewelry made from black coral from the Maldives. You should also take into account that there are restrictions on the export of perfumes and cigarettes: it is permissible to export 20 cigarettes and 125 ml of perfume per person. You can export interior items, souvenirs and jewelry without restrictions.

Extension of a visa

If you need to extend your visa, you must contact the Immigration Department.

The following documents must be submitted there:

Two photos.
A certificate confirming the reservation of a hotel room for the period of visa extension.
Money for the entire renewal period. The amount should not be less than $50 for each day of stay on the islands.

Price

Despite the fact that a visa to the Maldives is free, you will have to pay to extend it within the state. For three months renewal – $140. In the national currency of the island state, the amount is 750 rufiyaa. You will also need to pay a visa extension form in the amount of 10 rufiyaa.

Visa extension for Ukrainians, Belarusians or Russians takes no more than 5 working days. In emergency cases, the entire registration procedure can be shortened to one day.

Tips for visa extension

In 2021, the minimum visa extension period is three months (90 calendar days). This period cannot be reduced even in cases where such an amount of time is not required.

Applying for an extension of your residence permit on the islands is a simple procedure. In most cases it ends successfully.

But for such a result it is necessary to comply with the rules of stay in the country. There are several ways to guarantee your visa extension:

Applying for a visa extension from a third party. This may well be a representative of the hotel where the person is staying or a local resident. This way, department employees will be sure that the person has a place to stay.
Compliance with all rules of stay on the islands. The main ones are the ban on drinking alcohol and appearing in public places in decent form (clothing must cover arms up to the elbows and legs up to the knees). This applies to both women and men.

Nuances of the visa regime

Maldives
Almost the entire territory of the Maldives is available to Russians for visa-free entry, however, there are a few islands that require a visa to visit. To do this, the tourist will need to submit an official application to the Ministry of Atoll Administration. The papers indicate data from the international passport and the purpose of the trip. You will need to provide a voucher confirming your hotel reservation with your written request.

How to extend your stay in the Maldives

To stay in the country for more than 1 month, you need to apply for a tourist visa. Its registration is carried out in Male; you will need to contact the Migration Department of the resort. It is advisable to submit documents no later than 10 days before the visa-free stay expires. To obtain a visa you will need the following documents:

cash reserve in the amount of $150 per day per person;
2 photos;
a paper confirming the reservation and payment of a hotel room for the entire period of travel.

Photos must be as clear as possible and taken on a white background. The size of the photograph can be found in the studio where they are usually made. They have the same standard. You cannot be photographed wearing hats, glasses or wigs that greatly distort your appearance.

What restrictions apply to tourists in the Maldives?

At the resort, tourists want to combine both passive and active types of recreation. Staying on the beach is allowed, but excursions are carried out with some exceptions (they do not touch local islands in order to minimize contact with local residents). Restaurants, cafes and shopping centers are open and you can visit them, but in compliance with the above measures (masks, distance). Moving between the islands is permitted under certain conditions, but it is better to check the possibility of visiting in advance.

Possible problems

Bungalow
At first glance, the process of obtaining a visa seems easy and as simple as possible, but in practice a number of pitfalls may arise. Before planning an extended holiday in the Maldives, you need to take into account the following factors:

The visa is always issued for several months. For those who plan to extend their trip by just a few days, this will be inconvenient; in any case, they will have to pay the full cost of the visa.
An affirmative answer to submitting documents can only be received if the tourist has proven himself to be a good performer during his stay in the country. Willful violators of the law may be denied a visa.
It is advisable that the documents be submitted by one of the local residents; you can contact the hotel staff for this. In this case, the likelihood of your application being approved will be higher.
It is important to prove financial independence, because being in a foreign country involves significant expenses.

In what cases is a visa required?

To understand whether a visa is needed, you should focus on the tasks and timing of your trip abroad. If it is for business purposes or the trip takes more than a month, you will have to apply for a visa. Without this permit, a tourist simply will not get to the Maldives.

It is noteworthy that to obtain a visa to the Maldives, candidates apply to the Sri Lankan Embassy. The republic, located in equatorial waters, does not have its own representative office in the Russian Federation.

There are different types of Maldivian visas:

Working. Residents of Russia have the right to work, open organizations in the Maldives, and own the bulk of income from business activities. Just under no circumstances should you forget about paying taxes. However, this type of visa is not easy to obtain.
Business permit. Certain categories of people can count on it: large entrepreneurs, famous people, politicians. They are given such an entry pass if they go to the Maldives to negotiate, resolve work issues, conclude contracts, and maintain necessary connections.
Student. There are no universities on the islands, but there are institutions in the capital Male that offer vocational training. Foreign citizens usually enroll in language schools, study hotel management, and Islamic culture. The pass is issued for a period of 1 year, renewal is carried out automatically after providing information on academic performance.

There are also certain rules for visiting the Maldives with children. If the child is under 14 years old, he can be included in the parent’s passport. If so, the young traveler must have his or her own foreign ID card. And if only the father or mother is traveling with the child, then notarized consent for this trip is required from the second parent. You must also take your birth certificate with you.

If the tourist trip lasts more than 30 days, a tourist visa will be issued accordingly. But in practice it is rarely requested. The fact is that the vacation of visitors most often falls within a period of up to 1 month, and in this case, Russians do not need a visa to the Maldives.

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Non-tourist visit

Russians can consider the Maldives as an offshore state in which they have the opportunity to open a business in order to own 99% of it, but will have to pay taxes to the state. To get a job here, you need to submit documents to the Ministry of Labor and wait for approval, and the application must be written by the employer. To regulate issues related to visits for non-tourist purposes, you need to contact the appropriate organization located in Moscow.

Child visa

Children in the Maldives
The Maldives are ideal for a comfortable family holiday with children. The services of animators and nannies are provided here, there are swimming pools and equipped children's playgrounds. The process of obtaining a child visa is absolutely the same as in the case of an adult - if you are planning a trip for up to 30 days, then you simply put a stamp in your passport.

If a child goes on vacation with one of the parents, then permission from the other will be required, which will need to be shown when crossing the border.

How much does a visa to the Maldives cost?

For holidays in the Maldives, a fee of US$10 is payable at customs.
If you are going to the Maldives just for leisure purposes, you will not have to pay for a visa in advance. When passing through customs, a fee of 10 US dollars per traveler is paid. Payment is made in cash. Only after this is a boarding pass issued.

Medical policy

It is not mandatory to take out a medical insurance; people are freely allowed into the country without it. However, it is still worth applying for it, since in this case we are talking about health, which can be lost at any moment. Not every tourist manages to adapt to a new climate and specific cuisine without problems.

Medical services provided within the state are not at all budgetary. Unforeseen situations can result in significant financial expenses, so it is easier to immediately take out an insurance policy. Under the basic conditions in the contract, the tourist will be provided not only with treatment, but also with transportation home. The policy covers expenses starting from $10,000.

What to do if you receive a positive PCR test result in the Maldives?

If you fly to the Maldives now during the period of rampant infection, then there is a chance of catching it. It can appear at any moment. For example, an arriving passenger felt unwell and developed symptoms consistent with Covid. In this case, he will be examined by a doctor at the airport, and tests will also be taken. Until the diagnostic results are received, the Russian citizen will be isolated, and this regime will continue for 2 weeks if the disease is confirmed.

Depending on the severity of the patient, he will either be isolated in a special place or sent for treatment. If the disease is not detected, the isolation regime will be lifted.

Price and visa processing time

Photo of the stamp
The stamp that is placed on the international passport when crossing the border costs nothing. But you still have to pay for entry; there is a fee of $10 per person. Payment is made only in cash. A tourist can receive a boarding pass and hand over his luggage only after making payment. A tourist visa, which is applied for when staying in the country for more than 1 month, will cost $140.

The duration of registration depends on a combination of various factors, but, as a rule, the document is issued within a few days. The validity period of the obtained permit to stay in the country is 90 days, it is the same for everyone. No one is immune from visa refusal. This happens if a tourist carries something prohibited or violates generally accepted rules. In general, tourists in the Maldives are treated loyally, but this does not mean that you can behave as you want.
Thanks to the visa-free regime, the Maldives are of particular interest to Russian tourists. Subject to the established rules, visitors are treated with kindness and understanding; the local population does not harbor hostility towards tourists. Problems can only arise if vacationers behave inappropriately.

No visa required for the Maldives

Russian tourists do not need a visa to holiday in the Maldives for up to 30 days.
Tourists who go to the islands for a holiday may not need to worry about obtaining a prior entry permit. This is only possible if the traveler will rest for no more than a month.

If you need to find a job or enroll in training, you need official permission.

The Maldives without a visa is a reality that is possible for every willing traveler.