Tourist entry versus the Business Visa
Tourist visa. Maldives Immigration states that a tourist visa is granted on arrival with no pre-approval. The conditions listed are a passport or travel document with a machine-readable zone valid for at least one month, a complete itinerary with confirmed return tickets, sufficient funds (or an approved sponsorship), and the Traveller Declaration submitted up to 96 hours before arrival. The page does not state the length of stay or list eligible nationalities.
Business Visa. Maldives Immigration states that a Business Visa may be granted to a foreign national who intends to enter the Maldives for an approved business purpose and who is invited by a locally registered business or organisation. It is a multiple-entry visa permitting a cumulative stay of up to 90 days within a 12-month period. The application must be approved before the applicant arrives, through the Business Portal, with approval from the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade before Immigration processes it.
What the official pages leave open
- What counts as an “approved business purpose” is not defined on the page.
- Fees and processing times for the Business Visa are not stated.
- Neither page mentions India or lists nationalities, so confirm how the rules apply to Indian passport holders.
- Approval does not guarantee entry; every traveller faces immigration clearance on arrival.
How BTW helps with a Maldives business trip
Decide the category.
We compare the planned activity with the Business Visa conditions instead of defaulting to a tourist entry.
Line up the local inviter.
The Maldivian business or organisation that invites the team must be registered locally; we brief it on what the file needs.
Run the pre-approval.
We track the Business Portal submission and the Ministry approval so approval is in hand before flights are booked.
Count the days.
For repeat visits we keep a running tally against the 90-day-in-12-months cap.
Official sources
Checked on 12 October 2026. Rules change — verify on the official sources before you travel. Anything not stated above has not been verified and should be confirmed with the relevant authority.
Talk to our corporate team
Share your destination, travel dates and number of travellers and we will outline the route and document checklist for your team.