Trip checklist: Maldives

For South African passport holders. Last checked 5 October 2026.

Visa requirement

South Africans can get a visa on arrival in the Maldives.

You can stay up to 30 days per visit, and you can apply to extend.

Purpose of visit
Tourism. Work and other purposes need a visa arranged in advance.
Passport validity
Machine-readable passport valid at least 1 month from arrival.
How to apply
No application. Visa granted on arrival after admissibility check. Submit the IMUGA Traveller Declaration within 96 hours before arrival at imuga.immigration.gov.mv (free).
Where South Africans apply
On arrival.
Return or onward ticket
Confirmed return/onward ticket required.
Proof of funds
Sufficient funds for the stay (amount not stated) or approved sponsorship.
Accommodation or invitation
Confirmed booking at a registered tourist facility (resort, hotel, guesthouse) required.
Vaccinations, including yellow fever on return to South Africa
Yellow fever certificate required if arriving from an endemic/risk area. Maldives is not a risk country.
Arrival forms
IMUGA Traveller Declaration (Maldives Immigration), mandatory, free, submitted online within 96 hours before arrival and before departure at imuga.immigration.gov.mv; one per traveller including children.
Travelling with children
Children need their own passport and their own IMUGA declaration.
Confirm with the embassy
Rules change. Check the official source before you book.

1. Maldives Immigration (Official, immigration.gov.mv) https://immigration.gov.mv/visa/tourist-visa/
2. Maldives Immigration (IMUGA portal) (Official, imuga.immigration.gov.mv) https://imuga.immigration.gov.mv/
3. UK FCDO (Other government, gov.uk) https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/maldives/entry-requirements
4. Wikipedia (Reference, en.wikipedia.org) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_requirements_for_South_African_citizens

From doineedavisa.co.za/maldives. Always confirm with the embassy before you travel.