Travel Essentials

a)      Time: Maldives time is 5 hours ahead of GMT (GMT: +05:00 hours).

b)      Language: Dhivehi is the language used in Maldives.

c)       Weather: Maldives have a hot, humid, dry weather and the country is most suitable during Monsoon. Maldives enjoys the rainfall from July to August which is southwest monsoon and from November to March called as the northeast monsoon.

d)      Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa is used as currency in Maldives.

e)      Clothing: Clothing style extends from light cotton to linen according to the climate and other times in Maldives which prefers casual clothes during the visit. Preferably light weight cotton or linen T-shirts, cotton shirts, slacks, light skirts, shorts, and beach wears are most suitable for the visit which makes the trip more comfortable in the warm climate. As far as Muslim natives are more at Maldives, the clothing restrictions are as follows.

                                 i.            Women wears should cover the thighs and shoulders and must not at all be transparent.

                               ii.            Bikinis are strictly prohibited

                              iii.            Nude bathing is also prohibited.

f)       Voltage: The electric current of 230 volts, 50 Hz is provided at Maldives and has much fewer power cuts and fewer voltage fluctuations. The standard European non-grounded sockets and the two-pin flat blade plug and the round three-point plug are commonly used and also to get the distinct voltage for the appliances, there are various voltage converters available at Maldives.

g)      Cuisine: As the Mali is covered with sea most of the kitchen serves 99% seafood which is mainly Tuna which is an important diet of the people there. The cuisines will be rich in Arabic, Indian, Sri Lankan and Oriental tastes and foods.

h)      Visa: On-arrival Visa for 30 days is issued for all travelers from any nations with below criteria’s.

                     i.            A passport Machine Readable Zone(MRZ) with at least 6 months validity

                   ii.            A valid ticket to travel outside Maldives.

                  iii.            Either a confirmation of Resort or Hotel reservation or fund to manage the expenses for the stay at Maldives(US $ 100 + US $ 50 per day)

                 iv.            The 30-day visa cannot be claimed or questioned by traveler’s in any manner and the Immigration have no provision to allow more than or less than 30 days visa.

                   v.            Tourist visa can be extended through the Visa Extension Form if the person applies for the same before visa time period expiry to the Immigration department. But the authorities will reassess the financial status and positions once again during the visa time of extension.