Maldivians traveling to the United Kingdom will be required to obtain a special permit.

This was revealed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

As such, the ministry announced that Maldivians traveling to UK will need to obtain a special permit from 8 January 2025, owing to changes the UK government has brought to their immigration regulations.

The primary goal of these changes is to digitize and enhance border control security, prevent misuse of the immigration system, and introduce additional security measures prior to entering the UK.

With the announcement of these changes, citizens of 49 countries, including the Maldives, will be able to request an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) from 27 November 2024.

From 8 January 2025, travel to the UK will only be possible after obtaining an ETA.

The cost of an ETA is 10 pounds and it will be valid for a period of two years.

The ETA allows multiple entries to the UK for up to six months per trip or until the passport expires.

Further, the country’s authorities have announced that starting 2 April 2025, all travelers to the UK, except citizens of the UK and Ireland, will need to request an ETA before traveling.

With this, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Maldives has urged all Maldivian travelers planning to travel to the UK to be aware of these changes and comply with UK immigration regulations.