To enter Maldives no pre-arrival visa is required. A thirty day free visa is issued on arrival for all Nationalities, provided: Should posses a valid passport with Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) -(standard ICAO Annex 9, chapter 3.10.1) and should have at least 6 months validity. Have a valid ticket to continue the journey out of Maldives Have enough funds to cover the expenses for duration of the stay in Maldives. (US$100 + $50 dollars per day) or a confirmation of reservation in a Tourist Resort or a Hotel

If you have booked with a tour company such as Secret Paradise or with a hotel, guesthouse or resort it is likely that you will have provided them with your flight arrival details. If this is the case then it is usual for them to send a representative to meet with you at the arrival gate. They will then take care of your onward transfer meaning less hassle for you!

The opening of the Sinamale Bridge at the end of August 2018, linking Male with Hulhule Island and Hulhumale, has brought about a number of changes to transfer choices to and from the airport. It is now possible to take a private taxi to Hulhumale or Male from the taxi rank directly outside the arrival area. Note that vehicles are currently not allowed to wait but from our experience there appears to be a steady stream of vehicles so you should not have to wait long. Charges are likely to fluctuate as this new airport services settles down. Expect to pay around 100MVR to reach Hulhumale and 150MVR to reach Male, which also entails crossing the bridge!

To reach Male independently you can also choose to take the Airport Express Speedboat, the charge is MRF30 or US$2 for a one way transfer per person, leaving every 15 minutes. There is also the airport public ferry, charge MRF10 or US$1 per person one way, leaving every 10 minutes. Both leave from the new water front jetty, beneath the waterfront food court and opposite the domestic terminal.

Maldivian Rufiyaa
The Maldives has a non-convertible currency – Maldivian Rufiyaa – this cannot be purchased beforehand. One Rufiyaa is 100 Laari and is available in 500, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 Rufiyaa notes. The US Dollar is accepted as legal tender throughout the Maldives.

One US Dollar is equivalent to 15.42 Rufiyaa. However, the exchange rate offered on US$1 and US$5 notes by local businesses may be lower. This is because there is a 3% handling charge made by the bank on the deposit of US$ notes of US$5 or less.

You can exchange your cash both arrival and departure terminal. At the Arrival terminal you will see an exchange counter just before the exit at the left-hand side of the exit gate. The exchange counter at the departure is located at the duty free area opposite to dome cafe' on the way to Prier Bridge.

The Maldives is 5 hours ahead of the GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). To offer holiday makers the optimum use of the tropical sun most resorts have their clocks put forward one hour to GMT+6.