Bringing your family: the Maldives dependent visa for spouses and children

Moving to the Maldives for work is much easier when your family can come too. The Maldives offers a dependent visa that allows some foreign workers to bring their spouse and children to live with them. This guide explains who is eligible, how the process works, which documents you will need, and the practical points families should plan for.

As with all immigration matters, rules and fees are updated from time to time. Use this guide to prepare, then confirm the current requirements with Maldives Immigration before you apply.

Who can sponsor dependants?

The person sponsoring the family is the foreign worker who holds a valid work permit and work visa. Eligibility depends on the sponsor's job category. Dependent visas have generally been available to workers in professional categories, such as doctors, teachers, engineers and managers. If you are not sure whether your position qualifies, ask your employer or Maldives Immigration before making family plans.

Typical eligible dependants are:

• your spouse (husband or wife); and
• your children, with age limits set by Immigration.

How the process works

1. Your own visa comes first

Your work permit and work visa must be in place before you can sponsor anyone. If you are still waiting for your own visa, start gathering family documents but don't book their travel. Our guide to the work visa process explains the steps.

2. Sponsorship declaration before travel

For family members entering the Maldives for the first time as dependants, a sponsorship declaration is generally submitted through the IMUGA system before they travel. Allow several working days before their arrival date; some sources mention at least five working days.

3. Arrival

Your family members travel to the Maldives and, like all travellers, must each submit the IMUGA traveller declaration within 96 hours before their flight.

4. Dependent visa application after arrival

After they arrive, the dependent visa application is completed with the required documents, including the medical report and insurance. The visa is then issued, usually valid for the same period as your work permit.

Documents you will typically need

Exact requirements can change, but families should prepare the following:

• Application form required by Immigration.
• Passports for each family member, with plenty of validity left. Six months or more is the safe standard, and every child needs their own passport.
• Passport-size photographs of each dependant.
• A copy of your work visa and work permit as the sponsor.
• Proof of relationship: a marriage certificate for your spouse and birth certificates for your children. Documents not in English or Dhivehi may need certified translation, and some may need attestation.
• Medical screening report from an authorised hospital or clinic, for both new applications and extensions.
• Health insurance. Reports indicate that an expatriate health insurance policy, issued by a local insurer, is required for visa applications and extensions in many categories. Check the current requirement.

Fees

Visa fees and card fees apply. One recent source listed a visa fee of MVR 750 and a card fee of MVR 50, but fees change; check the current amounts with Maldives Immigration when you apply.

How long the visa lasts

A dependent visa is generally valid for the same period as the sponsor's work permit, and is renewed alongside it. It does not lead to permanent residence. Keep track of every expiry date, yours and your family's, because a lapse in your work permit affects your dependants too.

Renewing dependent visas

When your work permit is renewed, renew your family's visas promptly. Renewals usually need an updated medical report and valid insurance. Apply before the current visa expires to avoid fines and problems leaving or re-entering the country.

Schooling for children

Children on dependent visas can attend school in the Maldives. Expatriate families in Malé and Hulhumalé commonly choose private and international schools, which may follow British, Cambridge or other international curricula. Places can be limited and fees vary widely, so:

• contact schools early, ideally before you move;
• ask about admission tests, required documents (previous school reports, transfer certificates) and term dates; and
• check whether your employment package includes an education allowance.

Healthcare for your family

The national health insurance scheme, Aasandha, is for Maldivian citizens. Foreign families rely on private health insurance and pay for treatment at hospitals and clinics. Choose a policy that covers outpatient care, hospital admission and, ideally, medical evacuation, since some specialist treatment may require travel abroad. See our guide to healthcare for expats.

Housing

Family housing in Malé is expensive and space is limited. Many families choose Hulhumalé, which has newer apartments, more open space and parks, and is connected to Malé by bridge. Our guide to renting in Malé and Hulhumalé covers deposits, contracts and what to check.

Can my spouse work?

A dependent visa does not allow employment. If your spouse finds a job, the new employer would need to obtain a work permit and work visa through the Xpat system, in the same way as for any foreign worker.

Questions to ask your employer before you accept the job

• Does my job category allow me to sponsor dependants?
• Will the company help with the dependent visa process?
• Is family housing provided, or is there a housing allowance? Is it enough for a family-sized flat?
• Does the package include health insurance for my family, or only for me?
• Is there an education allowance for my children?
• Are annual flights home included for my family?

Getting the answers in writing before you sign avoids unwelcome surprises after you move.

A realistic timeline

1. Months before the move: confirm eligibility, gather certificates and translations, research schools.
2. When your work visa is issued: arrange insurance and start the sponsorship declaration.
3. A week or two before travel: sponsorship confirmed, flights booked, housing arranged.
4. Within 96 hours of the flight: each family member submits IMUGA.
5. First weeks in the Maldives: medicals, dependent visa application, school enrolment.

Many families find it easiest for the working parent to move first, settle the visa and housing, and have the family follow a few weeks later.

Budgeting for a family move

Beyond visa fees, families should budget for medical screening for each dependant, health insurance premiums, document translation and attestation, a housing deposit (landlords in Malé often ask for several months' rent in advance), school registration fees and uniforms. Costs in Malé are high compared with many countries in the region, so compare your salary package carefully against these expenses before accepting.

Common problems and how to avoid them

• Documents without translations or attestation. Prepare certified copies at home; it is much harder to arrange from abroad.
• Name differences between passports and marriage or birth certificates. Bring supporting documents that explain any differences.
• Booking travel too early. Wait until the sponsorship step is complete.
• Letting insurance lapse. It is needed for renewals as well as new applications.
• Forgetting to renew together. Put all family expiry dates in one calendar.

Visiting family who aren't dependants

Parents, siblings and other relatives who are not eligible for dependent visas can usually visit on the free 30-day tourist visa, provided they meet the normal entry requirements, including a return ticket, accommodation details (your address, if they stay with you, may need supporting documents) and the IMUGA declaration.

Family checklist

1. Confirm your job category allows dependants.
2. Gather passports, photos, marriage and birth certificates (with translations if needed).
3. Arrange health insurance for each family member.
4. Complete the sponsorship declaration before travel.
5. Each person submits IMUGA within 96 hours of their flight.
6. Book medicals soon after arrival and complete the dependent visa application.
7. Contact schools and arrange housing.