Maldives requires electronic passport holders to collect their documents in person

Choose the passport category before planning collection

Maldivian citizens applying for an ordinary electronic passport must plan to collect it personally at an Immigration office. The department’s passport guide, updated on 7 October 2026, lists a five-year validity and charges of MVR 1,000 for thirty-two pages or MVR 1,500 for forty-eight pages. An electronic application should therefore not be confused with delivery to a representative.

The same resource lists non-electronic passports for specified categories, including children below ten, people aged sixty-five or older, citizens abroad and people with qualifying illness or disability. It lists that document at MVR 600 with five-year validity. These categories are relevant to the application choice, not a general option for anyone who prefers to avoid attendance. Use the official passport guide to establish the document type before arranging a journey to an office.

Prepare a genuine recent photograph and the representative’s evidence

The department’s current frequently asked questions require a digital passport photograph taken within one month of the application. A scan or photograph of an existing photograph does not meet that instruction. The application also requires the applicant’s digital signature, with additional evidence depending on the case. The FAQ helps applicants identify these basic upload requirements before submitting through IMUGA.

For authorised collection of a non-electronic passport, the FAQ specifies a signed consent letter, the holder’s valid national identity card or a copy, and the representative’s national identity card. It says an SMS will provide collection appointment details, while progress can also be checked through IMUGA. Prepare the authorisation and identification together rather than sending a representative with only the payment receipt. The FAQ’s representative-collection provision does not remove the personal-collection requirement for an electronic passport.

Check the Malé collection notice and the previous passport

The IMUGA collection notice gives token hours specifically for Malé: 08:30 to noon and 12:45 to 17:00, with the queue service unavailable during the intervening forty-five minutes. It says one passport is issued per token and identifies token use for applicants over ten. These published hours should not be assumed to describe every island service point.

The notice says a holder collecting personally does not need to present an identity card, but must bring the previous passport if it remains valid. An expired previous passport is no longer mandatory under that instruction. For third-party collection, the notice provides a downloadable collection-letter template and describes qualifying circumstances such as medical conditions and residence abroad. Where a holder or parent on an island cannot collect for a legitimate reason, it directs the letter through the council office. Use that notice for the collection arrangements, and confirm the exact appointment and location before travelling.

Account for an early-renewal charge and monitor the right mobile number

The department’s application guide explains that renewal with more than one year of remaining passport validity attracts an additional cancellation charge of MVR 100 per remaining valid year. It calculates the period from the application date and rounds an additional part-year upward: its example treats two years and one day as three years, producing MVR 300. This is additional to the passport fee, rather than a replacement charge.

The guide exempts a full passport from that cancellation charge and defines full as four or fewer blank visa pages. Where more than a year remains, it also requires a letter and supporting evidence explaining the reason for early renewal. Use this application resource to assess that cost before payment rather than assuming that every renewal has the same total.

Another Maldivian IMUGA account holder may apply on the applicant’s behalf, but updates go to the mobile number registered to that account. Agree how the applicant will receive those messages and the eventual collection instructions. The reviewed resources do not establish a guaranteed issuance deadline for every case; check the actual application status before relying on a passport for a booked departure.