Living in the Maldives: tax residency, temporary residency, and income tax rates

In the Maldives, a resident is taxed on their worldwide income. A foreigner authorized to stay and not married to a Maldivian is a "temporary resident": they are only taxed on their Maldivian-sourced income. Income tax has been in effect since January 1, 2020, with a tax bracket ranging from 0 to 15,000 Maldivian rufiyaas (MVR), exempting the first 720,000 MVR of taxable income. This page is based on information from the Maldivian Revenue Authority (MIRA), the Maldivian Immigration Service, and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs information sheet. It does not cover Maldivian retirement, wealth tax, inheritance tax, or local savings.

Resident, temporary resident, non-resident: three statuses

MIRA considers as a resident any person to whom one of the following situations applies:

• her permanent residence is in the Maldives; ;
• it is present, or plans to be present, for more than 183 days in a 12-month period beginning or ending in the fiscal year; ;
• She is an agent of the Maldivian government stationed abroad.

A foreigner who meets these criteria is a temporary resident only if they are authorized to stay under the Immigration Act and are not married to a Maldivian citizen. Those who are neither residents nor temporary residents are non-residents. Non-residents and temporary residents are taxed only on their earnings in the Maldives. Residents are taxed on their worldwide income.

This Maldivian status does not resolve anything on the French side. For France, a single criterion in Article 4 B of the French General Tax Code (CGI) is sufficient to establish tax residence (BOI-IR-CHAMP-10, § 310). A person domiciled in France remains taxed on their worldwide income (BOI-INT-DG-20-10-10, § 70). The related page on the absence of a tax treaty explains why no article differentiates between the two states.

A recent tax: the Income Tax Act of 2019

Income tax is based on Law No. 25/2019, published in the Official Gazette on December 17, 2019. It has been in effect since January 1, 2020. Remuneration became subject to it on April 1, 2020. The former laws on corporate and bank profit tax were repealed upon the entry into force of income tax.

Pricing: 0 % up to 720,000 MVR, then four tranches

The MIRA tax schedule applies to the taxable income of each accounting period. Income is divided into brackets, and each portion is taxed at the rate of its corresponding bracket.

The page is undated: the tax schedule is being reviewed for the relevant tax year. The MIRA (Mission for the Reform of Income Tax) states that "all income received by an individual" is, in principle, taxable. It lists salaries, business income, rents, dividends, interest, royalties, capital gains, commissions, gifts, and unexplained sums.

What MIRA exempts

The list of exempt income is specific:

• dividends from a resident company to its resident shareholders; ;
• the basic pension, retirement pension and annuities of the Maldives Pension Act; ;
• sums received as hibah, bequest or inheritance; ;
• interest received on deposits ("passive interest" at MIRA, which cites savings as an example), up to 5,000 MVR per year; ;
• gifts up to 40,000 MVR per year, and gifts received from a relative; ;
• the capital gain from the sale of the main residence, if it is the only asset owned.

This list concerns income tax. It says nothing about potential inheritance tax: we are not making any claims about it. Zakat al-mal, contributions to the Maldivian pension scheme, and, up to a limit we have not seen, certain gifts are deductible. A landlord using cash-basis accounting can opt for a deduction of 20 % from their rental income on a property located in the Maldives.

Withholding tax, salaries and GST

The payer withholds 10 % on rents, dividends, interest (except those paid to a bank or a non-bank financial institution authorized by MIRA), royalties, technical services, and commissions paid to a non-resident, as well as on payments to a contractor. The sale of Maldivian real estate by a non-resident is subject to 10 % on the gross payment. Wages are subject to employer withholding tax, EWT, since April 1, 2020; its rates have not been read.

The Goods and Services Tax (GST), introduced in 2011, is levied at two rates according to the MIRA (Ministry of Industry and Trade): 8 % for the general sector and 17 % for the tourism sector, effective July 1, 2025. Rice, sugar, flour, milk, eggs, fish, cooking gas, diesel, and gasoline are taxed at zero, as are other products listed by the MIRA (including salt, cooking oil, and bread), such as exports. Kerosene and aviation fuel are not included. The registration threshold could not be read.

Declaration: MIRA form 604

The income tax return is form MIRA 604. It can be filed online via MIRAconnect or in person at the counter. Online filing is mandatory for annual incomes of 10 million MVR or more. The tax year dates and filing deadline were not found on the pages reviewed.

Stay: visa on arrival, then resident visa based on criteria

For French citizens, no prior visa is required for stays of less than 30 days. The visa is issued free of charge upon arrival. France Diplomatie indicates that an extension of up to 90 days in total is possible and that a business visa is required for professional stays. This information sheet dates from 2014 and is confirmed to be in effect as of July 24, 2024.

The Maldivian Immigration Service's page on the resident visa program mentions foreigners married to a Maldivian citizen and investors in the Corporate Resident Visa program. We have not established that these two categories are the only ones. The latter must invest at least USD 1,000,000 in the Maldives over the previous three fiscal years, or hold USD 250,000 in a five-year term deposit with an approved bank, or invest at least USD 250,000 in a government-approved project. The page, updated on September 10, 2026, does not specify the duration or fees.

Tax on 2,000,000 MVR of taxable income: numerical example (fictitious profile)

Situation. A person, a fictitious profile, is a tax resident of the Maldives. Their taxable income for an accounting period is 2,000,000 MVR.

Issue. She wants to estimate the basic tax based on the MIRA scale.

Strategy. She distributes her income in tranches: 720,000 to 0 %, 480,000 to 5.5 %, 600,000 to 8 % and 200,000 to 12 %.

Result. The tax is 26,400 MVR, plus 48,000 MVR, plus 24,000 MVR, totaling 98,400 MVR, with an average rate of 4.92%. This calculation does not take into account deductions, withholdings already made, or conversion to euros. The profile is hypothetical and does not reflect any actual situation.

What this page does not cover

It does not address Maldivian pension contributions or the social security agreement with France: we were unable to obtain these from an official source. It makes no mention of wealth or inheritance taxes, nor of local accounts and assurance-vie policies. It does not cover the GST registration threshold or the fiscal year dates. These points should be verified with a professional based in the Maldives. The firm does not advise on local law; its services fall under French law.

What changes depending on your situation

• Your status in the Maldives: resident, temporary resident (foreigner authorized to stay, not married to a Maldivian) or non-resident.
• Your French tax residence on the date of departure.
• The nature of your income: salary, rent, dividends, capital gains.
• Your visa, which depends on the planned stay.

A departure is prepared based on the facts of your case. No outcome is guaranteed in advance.