Maldives travel guide: local islands, visas and costs

The Maldives sits across the equator in the central Indian Ocean. It is usually counted as 26 natural atolls, rings of coral reef enclosing lagoons, arranged in a long double chain. Within those atolls lie around 1,190 small coral islands. The country covers roughly 90,000 square kilometres, yet only about 298 square kilometres of that is dry land, so well over 99% of the Maldives is sea.

The islands are small and very low-lying; many can be walked across in minutes. For administration, the natural atolls are grouped into 20 administrative atolls, each known by a letter code and a name. Kaafu Atoll, around Malé, is the one most visitors see first.

Malé and the airport

Malé is the capital: a dense, busy city island of scooters, mosques, markets and government offices. Velana International Airport is on its own island, Hulhulé, right next to Malé and linked by a bridge. Almost every international visitor lands here, and every onward journey (by speedboat, public ferry, domestic flight or seaplane) starts from the airport or from Malé’s jetties.

Who lives here

According to the Maldives Bureau of Statistics (Census 2022), the population was 515,132, including 382,639 resident Maldivians and 132,493 resident foreigners. About 41% of people live in the Malé area. The census counted 187 inhabited islands, 168 resort islands and 106 industrial islands. The language is Dhivehi, written in its own Thaana script, and the country is Muslim. English is widely spoken in tourism, shops and government offices.

Maldives at a glance

This is the biggest choice you make when planning a Maldives trip, and it shapes everything else: your budget, what you eat and drink, what you wear and who you meet.

Local islands

Local islands are ordinary inhabited islands with schools, mosques, harbours, football pitches, small shops and family homes. Since guesthouses were allowed on inhabited islands, they have become the affordable way to see the Maldives. Ministry of Tourism figures, as reported, show about 2.25 million tourist arrivals in 2025, and around 22% of visitors (roughly 500,000 people) stayed in guesthouses on local islands. Guesthouses now operate on about 116 islands across 20 atolls (February 2025 figure).

What a local island offers:

• The same sea. House reefs, sandbanks, turtles, rays, dolphins and, in some atolls, mantas and whale sharks are all within reach on day trips.
• Real prices. Rooms, meals and excursions usually cost a fraction of resort rates, and the lower green tax applies at small guesthouses.
• Local life. You eat where islanders eat, hear the call to prayer, and watch fishing boats come in at the harbour.

What to accept: there is no alcohol, swimwear is for designated “bikini beaches” only, and the island has a pace and rhythm set by the community, not by tourists.

Resort islands

Resorts are private islands run as a single property, with their own rules and services. They are licensed to serve alcohol, and swimwear is fine anywhere on the island. They are also far more expensive, the higher green tax applies, and you see little of Maldivian life. Some travellers combine both: most of the stay on a local island, with a day visit or a night or two at a resort.

For a fuller comparison, read our local island vs resort guide and the Maldives local islands guide.

The Maldives is warm all year. Air temperatures sit around 30–31°C and the sea is about 28–29°C, so the question is really about rain, wind and sea conditions.

The Maldives Meteorological Service describes two monsoons:

• Northeast monsoon (dry season), January to March. Sunnier, calmer and drier. This is peak season, so prices are higher and rooms book up early.
• Southwest monsoon (wet season), mid-May to November. More rain, more wind and rougher crossings, though it rarely rains all day. Prices are often lower outside the peak months.
• April and December are transition months, often a good balance of weather and value.

If you are mainly after calm seas and blue skies, aim for January to April. If you want lower prices and don’t mind the odd squall, the wet season can be very rewarding. Remember that rough weather can delay or cancel boats, so leave a buffer day before your flight home.

More detail, month by month: best time to visit the Maldives.

Entering the Maldives is simple for most visitors, but there are a few steps you must not skip.

Tourist visa on arrival

Most nationalities get a free 30-day tourist visa on arrival, granted at the immigration officer’s discretion. Maldives missions list these requirements: Maldives Immigration lists exceptions: since 15 April 2025 entry is not granted on Israeli passports, and a valid yellow fever certificate is needed if you arrive from, or have transited, a country with yellow fever risk.

• A passport valid for at least one month beyond your stay. Many airlines insist on six months, so check with your airline.
• A confirmed onward or return ticket.
• A confirmed accommodation booking, or proof that you have enough funds for your stay.

If you want to stay longer, you can apply to Maldives Immigration in Malé for an extension of up to 60 more days. Apply before your visa expires.

IMUGA Traveller Declaration

Every traveller must complete the free “Traveller Declaration” online at imuga.immigration.gov.mv within 96 hours before arriving. A declaration is also required within 96 hours before you leave. Children need their own passport.

What you cannot bring in

Maldives Customs prohibits alcohol, pork and pork products, narcotics, pornography and idols for worship. Duty-free alcohol bought on the way is held by customs at the airport.

Step-by-step details: Maldives visa and entry requirements.

Currency

The local currency is the Maldivian rufiyaa (MVR), issued by the Maldives Monetary Authority. The official rate has been held at around 15.42 rufiyaa to the US dollar since 2011. US dollars are widely accepted for rooms, transfers and excursions, but small shops, cafés and public ferries often prefer rufiyaa, and ferry fares are paid in cash. Carry some small notes of both.

Cards work at most guesthouses and in Malé, and some local islands have ATMs. Don’t rely on finding one everywhere; check before you travel.

Taxes and charges

Prices quoted to tourists often exclude taxes, so read the small print. The main ones, set by MIRA (the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority):

• Tourism GST: 17%, since 1 July 2025 (it was 16%).
• Green tax (from 1 January 2025): USD 6 per guest per night at guesthouses and hotels with 50 rooms or fewer on inhabited islands; USD 12 per night at resorts, larger guesthouses and hotels, and liveaboards. Children under two are exempt.
• Service charge: a 10% service charge is commonly added to bills.
• Departure charges: since 1 December 2024, a departure tax of USD 50 plus an airport development fee of USD 50 (about USD 100 in total) applies to foreign economy-class passengers, with higher rates for business and first class. These are included in your air fare.

What it costs

A local island trip is far more affordable than a resort holiday. The big costs are your room, transfers and paid excursions; food in local cafés is reasonable. Shared speedboats cost much more than the public ferry but save hours.

For a worked breakdown, see Maldives money, costs and taxes and our affordable Maldives trip guide.

There are no roads between islands, so every journey is by sea or air. Plan this before you book a room, because transfer times and schedules matter more than distance.

• Shared speedboats. Scheduled transfers linking the airport and Malé with nearby local islands. Fast and convenient; the usual choice for islands in Kaafu Atoll.
• MTCC public ferries. Very cheap and slow, paid in cash in rufiyaa. Services run on limited days and most routes have no ferry on Fridays. Good for flexible travellers with time.
• Domestic flights. From Velana International Airport to regional airports in the outer atolls, often followed by a boat transfer.
• Seaplanes. Fly from the airport to some resorts and island destinations. Scenic and expensive.

Time your arrival so you can catch a transfer the same day, or plan a night in Malé or Hulhumalé, and ask your guesthouse to arrange transfers.

Full detail: getting around the Maldives.

Local islands are home to close-knit Muslim communities. Visitors are genuinely welcome, and a little awareness goes a long way.

• Alcohol. It is not sold or allowed on inhabited islands. Only resorts, the airport hotel island and liveaboards are licensed.
• Dress. Swimwear is fine on designated bikini beaches. Elsewhere in the village, cover shoulders and knees. Nude or topless sunbathing is not allowed anywhere in the Maldives.
• Prayer times. Shops and cafés close briefly for prayers, and for longer around the Friday midday prayer.
• Ramadan. During the fasting month, don’t eat, drink or smoke in public in daylight on local islands. Cafés serving tourists usually stay open, and evenings are lively.
• Photos. Ask before photographing people, especially women and children.
• Greetings. A smile and “assalaamu alaikum” are always appreciated.

Learn more about Maldivian life, food and language in Maldives culture, people and language.

The Maldives depends on its reefs for food, coastal protection and tourism, and it is among the most low-lying countries on earth. Small choices really do matter.

Protect the reef

• Never stand on, touch or collect coral, and don’t take shells or sand home.
• Keep fins up and away from the reef; practise floating before you snorkel over shallow coral.
• Use reef-safe sunscreen, or cover up with a rash vest instead.

Cut plastic

Waste is a big challenge on small islands, where everything has to be shipped in and much has to be shipped out again.

• Bring a refillable water bottle and ask your guesthouse about refills.
• Say no to plastic bags and straws.
• Take small batteries and other hard-to-dispose items home with you.

Respect wildlife

• Keep your distance from turtles, sharks, rays, mantas and whale sharks. Never chase, touch or ride them.
• Don’t feed fish or wildlife.
• Avoid buying souvenirs made from turtle shell, coral or shark products.

Spend locally

Staying on a local island, eating in local cafés and booking trips with island-based crews keeps more of your money in the community.

To see how this works on the ground, take Dhiffushi in Kaafu Atoll, the island behind this website. It lies about 37 km north-east of Malé, roughly 40–50 minutes by shared speedboat from the airport or Malé. It is the easternmost inhabited island of the country, which is why islanders call it the place “where the Maldives wakes first”.

About 1,270 people live here (Census 2022). Like many local islands, it has guesthouses, cafés, a mosque, a school, a health centre, a police post (since December 2024) and a Bank of Maldives ATM that accepts foreign cards. The public ferry does not run on Fridays, so most visitors use the shared speedboat.

A typical stay mixes bikini-beach time with snorkelling, sandbank trips, dolphin cruises and evenings in the village. To start planning:

• How to get to Dhiffushi
• Where to stay and things to do
• Local island etiquette in Dhiffushi
• Island map and trip planner