Maldives restricts tourist vessel agency to Maldivians; introduces $5 per passenger fee

The Ministry of Tourism has introduced key amendments to the regulations governing the operation of foreign tourist vessels in the Maldives.

The updated rules, which came into effect on Wednesday, aim to ensure that only local companies can act as agents for foreign vessels, while also imposing a new passenger license fee of $5 (MVR 77) per passenger.

These changes are part of the first amendment to the Regulation on the Operation and Berthing of Foreign Tourist Vessels in the Territory of Maldives, which has now been published in the government gazette. Under the revised regulation, foreign tourist vessels can only enter Maldivian waters after appointing a local agent, a role that was previously open to any authorised party.

The most notable update stipulates that only companies fully owned by Maldivians are eligible to act as agents for foreign tourist vessels. This includes:

• Only companies with Maldivian shareholders can represent foreign tourist vessels.
• If the shareholders are a company, partnership, or sole proprietorship, the entity must be entirely owned by Maldivians.

Another significant change is the renaming of the previous “charter license” to “passenger license.” The passenger license now applies to any vessel carrying passengers, other than the crew, within Maldivian waters. While the existing daily fees remain unchanged, an additional charge of $5 per passenger must now be paid before the vessel departs.