Maldives Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in maldives, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Trade Barriers
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It is prohibited for tourists to bring firearms, alcoholic beverages, pork products, pornography, and idols of worship into Maldives. Strict penalties apply to those attempting to bring illegal drugs into the country. Alcohol and pork products are only available on resort islands or under a special license.

Tobacco Products: From November 1, 2024: the Maldives Customs Service will no longer allow duty exemptions on tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars, and tobacco, as Maldives is a signatory to health conventions that do not encourage exceptions for tobacco products. Only travelers on a tourist visa are permitted to import limited quantities of tobacco products as follows: up to 200 cigarettes, or 25 cigars, or 250 grams of tobacco. Quantities exceeding these limits will be retained by Customs for a maximum of 30 days, and any tobacco products brought in by non-tourist travelers that do not meet the Ministry of Health’s labelling requirements will be confiscated by Customs.

Vaping Products: From November 15, 2024: the government instituted a ban on the import of vaporizer devices, accessories, and parts, including those brought by visitors for personal use. From December 15, 2024: the ban extended to the possession, use, manufacturing, sale, promotion, and free distribution of vaporizer devices applying to both residents and visitors across the country.  

Medication: Most medication can be brought into the Maldives, if it is accompanied by a doctor’s prescription and does not exceed the recommended dosage for the duration of stay in the Maldives.  

Customs Service: For further clarification on what items can be brought into the Maldives, please contact the Maldives Customs Service (https://www.customs.gov.mv/).

Trade Barriers 

The World Bank’s Doing Business Report 2020 ranks the Maldives 147th in trading across borders, highlighting significant inefficiencies. Importers face high costs and long delays, with border compliance often taking 100 hours and documentary compliance requiring 61 hours —far exceeding the OECD averages of 8.5 hours and 3.4 hours, respectively.

As a highly import-dependent country with limited domestic industry, the Maldives has little incentive to impose Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs) on imports. Even with the minimal application of NTMs, the Maldives has regulatory requirements in the form of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures and technical barriers to trade (TBT).

Despite relatively few NTMs, the Maldives enforces import restrictions to protect public health, maintain national security, and uphold cultural and religious values. These regulations classify goods into two categories:

Prohibited Items (Completely Banned)
•    Narcotics and psychotropic substances.
•    Pornographic material, including books, magazines, films, DVDs, software, and sex toys.
•    Religious materials.
•    Live pigs.
•    Idols for worship.

Restricted Items (Require Special Permits)
•    Liquor and Alcoholic Products: Requires prior approval under Maldivian Law No: 4/1975 (Import Prohibition Act).
•    Pork and Its By-products: Requires prior approval under Maldivian Law No: 4/1975.
•    Chemicals and Chemical Products: Includes acids, poisons, and toxic substances, with authorization limited to the Maldives National Defence Force.
•    Pets: Importation requires a health certificate from an authorized veterinarian to confirm the animal is free from contagious diseases. Dogs and dangerous animals are strictly prohibited.
•    Firearms, Explosives, and Weapons: Includes pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns, harpoon guns, stun devices, explosives, and fireworks. Replica firearms and explosive devices are also restricted.
•    Live Plants and Animals: requires valid phytosanitary/sanitary certificates and approval from the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare.
•    Tobacco and Tobacco Products: Must include a health warning label as mandated by the Ministry of Health.
•    Communication Equipment: Devices with radio frequency transmitting capacity exceeding 100 milliwatts must be inspected and approved by the Communication Authority of Maldives.

While Maldives Customs Services administers all functions relating to import and export, three institutions are responsible for overseeing matters related to plants, animals, and food:
•    The Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare (MAAW) regulates the import of plants and livestock.
•    The Maldives Food and Drugs Authority (MFDA), under the Ministry of Health oversees the import and export of food products.
•    The Ministry of Tourism and Environment (MOTE) manages the import and export of endangered species.

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