Maldives

Penalties for carrying or using illegal drugs in the Maldives are severe, including mandatory jail and life imprisonment; even a small amount can bring a trafficking charge.

Mandatory jail; life imprisonment possible.

Cannabis is illegal in the Maldives, and a small amount is not treated leniently. Using cannabis carries three years in prison, and because the law presumes that a person who is not drug-dependent holds even 5 grams or less for trade, a visitor caught with a small amount faces a trading charge carrying 15 years rather than a simple possession charge. Rehabilitation instead of prison is decided by the Drug Court after you are arrested and charged, so it is not something a traveller can rely on.

Under the Drugs Act (Law No. 17/2011): using cannabis is punishable by 3 years' imprisonment (s.113); trading in cannabis by 15 years plus a fine of MVR 25,000 to MVR 500,000 (s.108); peddling cannabis by 5 to 10 years plus a fine of MVR 15,000 to MVR 250,000 (s.107); and trafficking cannabis by life imprisonment, which the Act defines as 25 years, plus a fine of MVR 100,000 to MVR 10,000,000 (s.106). As amended by Law No. 28/2025, importing or exporting drugs carries 20 years plus a fine of MVR 75,000 to MVR 7,500,000, and the death penalty may be imposed where a person brings more than 350 grams of cannabis into the country at the time of entry. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office states that the Maldivian authorities have a zero-tolerance policy and that possessing drugs even in very small quantities can lead to arrest and detention, long prison sentences, and corporal punishment in some cases.

Cash or monetary instruments over USD 10,000 must be declared on entry to the Maldives; there is no exit restriction.

Prohibited imports include weapons, ammunition, alcohol, pornography, vaping devices, and religious material offensive to Islam; importing religious idols is not allowed — restrictions apply even to transiting travelers.

Prohibited items confiscated; additional penalties possible.

Bringing alcohol into the Maldives is prohibited and possession on non-resort islands is not allowed; alcohol is available only on licensed resort islands — do not take any off your resort.

Strictly enforced; confiscation and arrest possible.

The Maldives has banned the import, sale, and use of vaping devices and all vaping solutions (effective 15 November 2024); e-cigarettes are confiscated at the border and travelers may not bring them in.

Confiscation; travelers may be fined or arrested.

Photography of certain buildings in the Maldives is illegal; be cautious before photographing government, military, or religious structures.

Same-sex sexual conduct is illegal in the Maldives; conviction can bring up to 8 years imprisonment and 100 lashes, and there are no anti-discrimination protections or recognition of same-sex couples.

Up to 8 years imprisonment and 100 lashes upon conviction.

Dress modestly in Malé and on non-resort islands (cover shoulders and knees; bikinis only on resort beaches); public practice of non-Islamic religions is banned and inviting Maldivians to non-Islamic gatherings is illegal. Ramadan public eating/drinking/smoking may be illegal.

Inviting locals to non-Islamic religious gatherings can bring jail, fines, or expulsion.