According to philosophynearby, the Maldives is a country and archipelago in the Indian Ocean (Asia) southwest of India. The Maldives has been independent from the United Kingdom since 1965. The Maldives consists of 1190 islands, of which 200 are inhabited and 88 are used as tourist accommodation. The capital of the Maldives is Malé. A number of major cities in the Maldives are: Hithadhoo, Kulhudhuffushi, Thinadhoo and Naifaru.
The Maldives is mainly known for the snow-white sandy beaches, the clear blue sea and the ideal water sports facilities. The most popular sport is diving (snorkeling). The islands have a beautiful underwater world with colorful coral reefs and a wide variety of fish species, such as: trumpet fish, clown fish, stingrays, barracudas, manta rays and sharks. There is a wide range of luxury hotels and apartments in the Maldives, some of which are built on the water. These are mostly visited by tourists with a big budget and newlywed couples (honeymoon). The population is very hospitable and lives mainly from tourism, fishing and shipbuilding. See thenailmythology for Maldives destinations.
Where are the Maldives?
Travel information of Maldives
Official name: Republic of the Maldives
Continent: Asia
Area: 298 km²
Capital: Malé
Country code: MV, MDV
Population: 391,904 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Republic
Highest point: 2 m
Distance (Amsterdam – Malé): 8,198 km
Flight time: approximately 11 hours and 30 minutes
Travel advice
Current status: Attention, safety risks.
Current color code: Yellow.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), (temporary) measures may apply in the Maldives that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of the Maldives, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to the Maldives. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compile your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides / Maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, hiking map, cycling map, book or DVD about the Maldives?
Weather and climate
The Maldives has a tropical climate. Temperatures are around 30 degrees all year round.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for the Maldives can be found on our extensive weather page.
Detailed information about the climate of the Maldives can be found at Climate info.
Best time
January, February, March, April and December are the best months to travel to the Maldives. This avoids the rainy season.
Language
Dhivehi is the official language in the Maldives. In addition, a lot of English is spoken.
Travel documents
You must have a passport that is still valid when you leave the Maldives.
A visa is required. You will receive this for free at the airport or at the border (valid for 30 days).
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Sri Lanka (also for the Maldives):
netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Dutch consulate in the Maldives: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Embassy of the Maldives in the United Kingdom (also for the Netherlands): maldiveshighcommission.org.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
Before visiting the Maldives, it is advisable to get one or more vaccinations.
For extensive vaccination advice and to make a vaccination appointment at home, please visit Thuisvaccinatie.nl. You can also see here whether your health insurance reimburses the vaccination(s).
Money and Currency
In the Maldives, payment is made with the Maldivian rufiyaa (MVR).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in the Maldives can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
Prices in the Maldives are much lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -11% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (52% cheaper), food (25% more expensive), imported beer in catering (91% more expensive), cigarettes (54% cheaper) and public transport (88% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In the Maldives it is not customary to tip. By default, service costs are already added to the bill. Keep in mind that these service costs almost never end up with the serving staff.
Time difference
During our summer time it is 3 hours later in the Maldives.
During our winter time it is 4 hours later in the Maldives.
The Maldives has no difference in winter time and summer time.
The local time, date and time zone of the Maldives can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
You must drive on the left in the Maldives.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within the Maldives.
Electricity
In the Maldives you need a travel plug.
More information about common plugs and sockets in the Maldives can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 102
– Fire: 102
– Ambulance: 102
Tap water
It is not recommended to drink water from the tap.
If you are unable to buy bottled water, use a water purifier to purify the water or boil the water for 5 minutes. After this you can safely use it as drinking water and for things like brushing teeth, cleaning lenses and washing vegetables and / or fruit. More information about drinking water and/or the purchase of water purification products can be found on our drinking water page.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to the Maldives can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from the Maldives can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from the Maldives end in.mv.
Maldives official websites: maldivesinfo.gov.mv and visitmaldives.com.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in the Maldives is 00960 or +960.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Maldives? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos from the Maldives.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from the Maldives.
Public holidays
An overview of all public holidays in the Maldives can be found on Beleven.org.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in the Maldives, supplemented with photos, videos and points of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about the Maldives?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited the Maldives. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in the Maldives can be found on Protected Planet.
The Maldives is not on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to the Maldives? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol and money, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. In addition, on this website you will find the laws and regulations regarding the importation of pets and a list of everything that may not be imported and/or exported to the Maldives.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant laws and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to the Maldives.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18. Forbidden for Muslims.
– Alcohol and traffic: Maximum allowed alcohol content is 0.
– Tobacco: Buying and/or smoking from the age of 18.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…The Maldives are spread over an area of 90,000 km²?
…Only 9 islands are larger than 2 km²?
…88 islands of the Maldives only function as a tourist resort?
…The Maldives is the lowest country in the world?
…The weekend in the Maldives falls on Friday and Saturday?
…The Maldives is a completely Islamic country?
