Maldives SIM card, Wi-Fi and practical travel tips

The Maldives has two national mobile networks, Dhiraagu and Ooredoo Maldives. Both sell prepaid plans aimed at visitors, usually called tourist or traveller plans, with a bundle of data, some local call minutes and a fixed validity period. Allowances, prices and validity change often, and the networks’ own pages don’t always agree with each other, so check the current offer on the day rather than relying on figures you’ve read online.

Buying a tourist SIM at the airport

• Where: the networks have counters at Velana International Airport, on Hulhulé next to Malé. Ooredoo says its tourist SIMs are sold at both airport terminals.
• What to bring: your passport. SIM cards in the Maldives are registered to the buyer, and Dhiraagu lists a passport as the document foreigners need for a prepaid SIM.
• Your phone: it must be unlocked to accept a foreign SIM. If you’re not sure, check with your home provider before you fly.
• Paying: prices are often shown in dollars and rufiyaa; our money, costs and taxes guide explains both.

If the counters are closed when you land, you can buy a SIM in Malé instead.

Maldives eSIM

If your phone supports eSIM, you have two routes. Ooredoo sells eSIM versions of its tourist plans online, which you can download before travelling and activate on arrival. Dhiraagu also offers eSIMs, but its published activation steps are built around existing Dhiraagu lines, so ask at the airport counter if you want one from them. Either way, the SIM still has to be registered in your name, and your phone must be eSIM-compatible and unlocked.

Coverage on local islands

Coverage on inhabited islands is generally good. Ooredoo says its network reaches local islands and guesthouses across the country. Signal can drop on sandbanks, on boats crossing open water and on remote uninhabited islands. On Dhiffushi, 37 km north-east of Malé, you can expect to stay connected around the village and the beaches.

Most guesthouses on local islands offer free Wi-Fi to guests, and many cafés on the busier islands do too. Speeds vary with the island, the building and how many people are online, and signal is often best in common areas.

A few practical points:

• Don’t rely on Wi-Fi alone. For maps, ferry and boat updates, and messages with your guesthouse, a local data plan is far more dependable.
• Use mobile data for banking or anything sensitive, rather than an open café network.

If you work remotely, ask your guesthouse about its connection before you book.

Roaming keeps your usual number, but data can be expensive unless your provider offers a travel pass for the Maldives.

Before you leave home:

• If you don’t plan to use roaming, turn off data roaming in your phone’s settings so a background update doesn’t run up a bill.
• If you want to keep receiving texts, such as banking codes, on your home number, consider a dual-SIM phone or a local eSIM alongside your normal SIM.

For most people staying a week or more, a local tourist SIM or eSIM is cheaper and faster than roaming.

According to the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) World Plugs listing, the Maldives runs on 230 V at 50 Hz, and plug types A, C, D, G, J, K and L are all listed. In other words, sockets are mixed and you may meet more than one style in the same building.

• Adapters: a universal adapter is the simplest answer. Choice and prices on local islands can be limited, so bring one from home.
• Voltage: most phone, camera and laptop chargers accept 100–240 V and only need an adapter. Check the label. A device rated only for 110–120 V, such as some hairdryers, needs a voltage converter, not just an adapter.

The Maldives is on UTC+5 all year. There is no daylight saving time, so the gap with your home time changes only when your own country’s clocks change. The country uses one time zone for all islands.

Dhiffushi, the easternmost inhabited island, is “where the Maldives wakes first”: same clock as Malé, slightly earlier sunrise. If you’re moving between a resort and a local island, confirm boat and flight times in Malé time.

The Maldivian working week runs Sunday to Thursday, with Friday and Saturday as the weekend. Government offices, banks and many services close on Friday and Saturday, so plan errands such as a bank visit for a weekday.

Daily life also moves around the five daily prayers. Shops and cafés on local islands often close briefly at prayer times, then reopen. On Fridays, the midday prayer is the big one: shops and cafés close for a while, and many public ferry routes don’t run at all on Fridays. Check the MTCC public ferry route 308 page and our getting around guide before you plan Friday travel.

During Ramadan, opening hours change: cafés may close in daylight and reopen after sunset. Our guide to visiting during Ramadan has the detail.

Flying a drone in the Maldives needs official permission. The Ministry of Defence runs a permit service for drone operation, open to individuals and businesses through the government’s online portal, and the Maldives Civil Aviation Authority (caa.gov.mv) handles aviation approval for flying. Rules and forms change, so check both before you travel and allow plenty of time for an application.

Keep in mind:

• Never fly without permission, and keep clear of the airport, seaplane routes and security areas.
• Local islands may have their own rules. Ask the island council or your guesthouse first, and avoid flying over homes and mosques.
• Resorts are private islands with their own rules and may not allow drones.

Most people are relaxed about cameras, but a few courtesies matter on local islands:

• Ask before photographing people, especially women and children. A smile and a gesture towards the camera is usually enough; accept a “no” gracefully.
• Mosques: don’t take photos inside a mosque, and never during prayers. Dress modestly and be quiet nearby.
• Government buildings and security areas: avoid photographing coastguard, police or military sites.
• Beaches: don’t photograph other visitors in swimwear without asking.

Our local island etiquette guide and culture, people and language guide cover dress, greetings and customs in more depth.

A few types of app are worth setting up before you go:

• IMUGA: the official Maldives Immigration portal at imuga.immigration.gov.mv, where every traveller completes the Traveller Declaration within 96 hours before arrival. It’s free. See our visa and entry guide.
• Offline maps: download the area around Malé and your island before you leave home. Our Dhiffushi map shows the island’s key spots.
• A messaging app: guesthouses, boat operators and guides mostly communicate by message, often with photos and voice notes.
• A weather app or the Maldives Meteorological Service website, to keep an eye on wind and rain before boat trips.
• A currency converter that works offline.

Save emergency contacts and your guesthouse’s number on your phone. Our health and safety guide lists who to call.

Bring a universal adapter, a power bank, a waterproof phone pouch for boat days and a short spare charging cable. For clothing, reef-safe sun cream and the rest, see our full packing list for Dhiffushi and the Maldives.