Maldives: immigration

How many foreigners live in the Maldives?

196,024 foreigners were projected to be living in the Maldives in 2026, out of a projected resident population of 590,079, according to the Maldives Bureau of Statistics (MBS). Resident Maldivians numbered 394,054.

MBS says one in every three residents is a foreigner, and 47% of the men living in the country are foreigners. The figures are projections, not counts. In Malé, foreigners made up 32% of the working-age population in 2024-2025, according to the Labour Force Survey, and 97.5% of them were employed.

Official sources: Maldives Bureau of Statistics: World Population Day 2026 (PDF) · Maldives Bureau of Statistics: Labour Force Survey Report 2024-2025 (PDF)

Do I need a visa to visit the Maldives?

Tourists receive a visa on arrival in the Maldives and do not need approval in advance, according to Maldives Immigration. Visitors must meet the entry requirements at the border.

These include a machine-readable passport valid for at least one month, a confirmed return ticket, a prepaid booking at a registered facility and enough money for the stay. All foreigners must submit a free Traveller Declaration through the IMUGA portal within 96 hours before arrival. Since 15 April 2025, entry is not granted on Israeli passports. Tourist visa extensions are applied for through IMUGA and are expected to take 48 hours, according to Maldives Immigration.

Official sources: Maldives Immigration: tourist visa on arrival · Maldives Immigration: tourist visa extension process

How do foreigners get a work visa in the Maldives?

Foreign workers need a Work Visa, which is now issued only as an e-Visa through the Xpat Online System, according to Maldives Immigration. Work visa stickers in passports stopped being valid after 23 November 2025.

New workers enter on an Entry Pass (Work Permit) issued by the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology. The employer must then apply for the Work e-Visa within 15 days of the worker's arrival. Applications are made online with an eFaas account and can be submitted by a company on the worker's behalf, with a recent photograph and a copy of the passport biodata page.

Official sources: Maldives Immigration: work visa

How many foreign-born people live in the Maldives?

The latest figure from the UN Population Division, for 2024, is 14.2%. That compares with 15.0% in 2015. Across South Asia the middle value was 1.6%, and the Maldives placed 1st highest of 6. Worldwide: 44th of 193.

Are more people leaving the Maldives than arriving?

According to the UN Population Division, net migration in the Maldives was -2,283 in 2025. Its high point since 2005 was 2019, at 9,648; its low point was 2023, at -2,877. Across South Asia the middle value was -197,712, and the Maldives placed 2nd highest of 6. Of 193 countries with 2025 data, 99th highest.

How many refugees have fled the Maldives?

62: that is the number of refugees from the country living abroad in the Maldives for 2025, according to UNHCR. Since 2005 it has ranged from 10 (2005) to 82 (2022). South Asia median: 19,940; the Maldives is 6th highest of 6. World rank, highest first: 159th of 189.

How big are remittances in the Maldives' economy?

In 2025, personal remittances received in the Maldives was 0.1% of GDP, according to the World Bank. No year since 2005 has been lower. South Asia median: 7.4% of GDP; the Maldives is 5th highest of 5. Of 127 countries with 2025 data, 117th highest.