Tourists to access Maldives’ visa extensions online from April
Minister of Tourism Ibrahim Thoriq has announced that a revised process for extending tourist visas will be introduced from next month.
He made the statement on Sunday at a press conference held at the President’s Office, noting that Maldives Immigration is preparing to launch a simplified tourist visa extension system.
“Immigration has informed us that they are preparing to introduce the service from April 1,” the minister said.
He stated that the current process requires submission of multiple documents along with the application form and can take time to complete.
Under the new system, tourists will be able to apply for visa extensions through an online platform by submitting a photo of their visa and completing the required payment.
Immigration has indicated that applications will be processed within 48 hours under the new arrangement.
The minister said the change is intended to facilitate visa extensions for visitors currently in the Maldives.
He also referred to recent instances where some tourists were unable to depart before their visas expired due to disruptions linked to the situation in the Middle East.
In such cases, Maldives Immigration has previously facilitated visa extensions.
Tourists arriving in the Maldives are issued a 30-day visa on arrival and may apply for an extension through the Immigration system.
