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Maldives
South AfricaMaldivesVisa on arrival

Maldives visa for citizens of South Africa

Citizens of South Africa get a Maldives visa on arrival at passport control. You don’t apply in advance, but border officers check your passport, return ticket and accommodation. Visago checks your documents before you travel. It costs $19.

For citizens of South Africa: the passport opens 60 countries visa-free; Pretoria — Malé: ≈ 5,910 km, about 8 hours of flying.

Checked by visa analyst Albert Brown, 13 years of experience · September 26, 2026

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Document check and supportWe check your passport and documents and tell you what to bring to the border$19

The visa fee is paid at the border.

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Can I travel to the Maldives without a visa on a South Africa passport?

You don’t need to apply in advance: citizens of South Africa get the visa on arrival. To avoid problems at the border, we check your documents for $19.

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Maldives visa rules at a glance

  • With a South Africa passport you can visit 60 countries visa-free, 29 with a visa on arrival and 39 with an e-visa; 70 more require an embassy visa.
  • By the number of visa-free destinations, the South Africa passport ranks 96th of 199.
  • South Africa passport: visa-free access to 60 countries; Maldives passport: 54.
  • Citizens of South Africa and the Maldives can travel together visa-free to 39 countries, for example: Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Rwanda, Kenya, Mauritius, Seychelles, Palestine, Gambia, Tunisia, Malaysia, and Singapore.
  • Citizens of the Maldives, in turn, don’t need a visa for South Africa. South Africa visa for citizens of the Maldives

Travelling to the Maldives: good to know

  • Pretoria — Malé: about 5,910 km in a straight line; a direct flight takes roughly 8 hours.
  • Time difference with your country’s capital: +3 hours.
  • Local time: Pretoria 12:00 — Malé 15:00.
  • Local currency: Maldivian Rufiyaa.
  • Languages: Divehi.
  • Exchange rate: $1.00 ≈ MVR 15.
  • Maldives is the 44th closest of 197 destinations open to citizens of South Africa.
South Africa → Maldives

Combine your trip

Neighbouring countries and their visa rules for citizens of South Africa:

How citizens of neighbouring countries travel to the Maldives

Visa rules for the Maldives for citizens of countries bordering South Africa:

How to get a Maldives visa

  1. 1Application
  2. 2Payment
  3. 3Manager
  4. 4Border

What documents do you need for a Maldives visa?

Frequently asked questions

How long is the flight: Pretoria — Malé?

About 8 hours on a direct flight: the capitals are roughly 5,910 km apart. With a connection it takes longer.

What is the time difference with the Maldives?

Time difference with your country’s capital: +3 hours.

Do citizens of the Maldives need a visa for South Africa?

Citizens of the Maldives, in turn, don’t need a visa for South Africa.

The cheapest e-visas for citizens of South Africa

More destinations for citizens of South Africa

Where you can travel with a passport of: South Africa

Facts checked: · Government fees

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