Visa for Journalists

PROFESSIONAL VISA PROCEDURE

(for foreign journalists wishing to undertake journalism tasks in the Maldives)

In order to obtain a professional visa, the applicant needs to submit the following forms to Maldives Immigration;

• [IM32] Vetting Form and,
•  [IM24] Application Form for Business Visa

Photo Journalists, Videographers and Professionals with recording equipment will need to submit a request to the National Centre for Arts (NCA) to obtain a permit for the use of such equipment. The NCA request should;

• be made through a local sponsor.
• provide a summary of the purpose of visit.
• provide a detailed list of equipment that will be used.
• other details of locations they may want to cover and / or other important information.

As both these processes require the involvement of a local sponsor, they may seek assistance from the local sponsor in getting the processes done locally – have them be the focal / contact point with Maldives Immigration and for the visitor to liaise with the sponsor in attending to these processes.

**It can take up to 21 days to process the visa and it would be advisable to carry forward both processes in parallel in order to save time.