When thinking of the Maldives, you might imagine a cozy bungalow over the calm turquoise water on some remote exotic island — and you might also think incredibly expensive: at least one thousand dollars per night for the room with tax; at least $730.00 to take a seaplane from Male; and nine dollars for a ginger ale and as much as $58.00 for a hamburger…
Be Prepared to Pay Even More When Visiting the Maldives: New Departure Tax Effective As of January 2022
…and that does not include the myriad other expenses which you will need to pay to relax and enjoy yourself at this subtropical island paradise, which is located approximately 540 miles west southwest of the southernmost tip of India…
…but be prepared to pay at least $30.00 in United States dollars to leave the Maldives effective as of Saturday, January 1, 2022, when Ibrahim Mohamed Solih — who is the current president of the country — ratified the first amendment to the Airport Taxes and Fees Act, which was passed by the Parliament of the Maldives on Monday, July 5, 2021.
The ratified amendment “introduced a Departure Tax to be levied from all passengers departing from any airport in the Maldives, as per the set fee schedule. This tax will be implemented starting 01 January 2022, and the previously enacted Airport Service Charge will remain in effect until 31 December 2021. The Departure Tax would be waived for passengers with diplomatic immunity and children under the age of two years”, according to this official press release. “In addition to the Departure Tax and the Airport Service Charge, the new amendments further stipulate an Airport Development Fee imposed upon all passengers flying internationally via Velana International Airport.”
Individual airlines would be responsible for collecting the Airport Service Charge, Airport Development Fee, and Departure Tax from their passengers as follows — all in United States dollars:
- $30.00 for visitors who are not residents of the Maldives and travel as passengers in the economy class cabin aboard the airplane leaving the country
- $60.00 for visitors who travel as passengers in the business class cabin aboard the airplane leaving the country — regardless of residency
- $90.00 for visitors who travel as passengers in the first class cabin aboard the airplane leaving the country — regardless of residency
- $120.00 for visitors who travel as passengers aboard private jet aircraft leaving the country — regardless of residency
- $12.00 for residents of the Maldives who travel as passengers in the economy class cabin aboard the airplane leaving the country
Although the new departure tax will apply to all airports in the Maldives, passengers who depart out of Velana International Airport — which is the main international airport of the country — will be required to pay an Airport Development Fee of $25.00 in addition to the new departure tax.
“The airport from which the flight departs would be responsible for remitting the tax money to the government”, according to the aforementioned press release. “The amendments also stipulate monthly bookkeeping and record-keeping of passenger departures in addition to collecting the fees. Airport Service Charge, Departure Tax and Airport Development Fee must be submitted to MIRA by the 28th of the following month, as per their sample document, and all charges imposed must be paid in United States Dollars.”
Summary
I have never been to the Maldives; but I would like to go one day. I would consider visiting every country and territory in the world at least once — of course, some more favorably than others…
…but I have a feeling that once I have been to the Maldives, I will never want to return — especially as expensive as is the cost of visiting the country.
I prefer when countries either reduce or eliminate visa fees — such as Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Belarus — as well as other fees. I give reasons as to why other countries should follow their leads in this article.
One might argue that when spending thousands of dollars for a trip, another $115.00 is just another drop in the bucket, and “if you cannot afford $115.00, then you should not be going to the Maldives.”
What are your thoughts?
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