Capital: Malé
Time zone: GMT + 5
Telephone services: Country Code: 960
Outgoing Code: 00
Emergency telephone numbers: Police – 119, Fire – 118 , Ambulance – 102.
Tourist information: Ministry of Tourism, Boduthakurufaanu Magu, Malé 20 – 05, Maldives Republic Tel: 323 224 Fax: 322 512.
Passport information: Valid passport required by all. Return Ticket required. Requirements may be subject to short-term change. Contact the relevant authority before departure.
Visa information: Tourist visas for 30 days will be issued to all visitors in possession of valid travel documents. NOTE: Visitors must be in possession of US$ 10 per day of stay.
Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Malaria: Malaria is disappearing. The last two incidents reported were in 1983.
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required from travellers coming from infected areas.
Other Health Risks: Rabies, Hepatitis A, B and E can occur.
Food & drink: Water is untreated and not safe to drink although the water in resort areas is generally safe.
Currency: Maldivian Rufiya (Rf) = 100 laari. Most major island resorts will accept Amex, Visa, MasterCard, and Diners Club. Travellers cheques are generally accepted in US Dollars.
ATM availability: Unavailable.
Cost of living: As a luxury holiday destination the Maldives can be very expensive in the tourist centres.
Languages: Dhivehi. English spoken in Malé and resorts.
Weather: The climate is hot and tropical. There are two monsoons, the Southwest monsoon from May to Oct and the Northeast monsoon from Nov to Apr. The temperature rarely falls below 25ºC, even during the night. The best time to visit is November to Easter.
Electricity: 220 volts Ac, 50 Hz. Round 2 pin plugs are used, although square pin plugs are becoming more common.
Post: Airmail to Western Europe takes about 1 week.
Transport: SEA: Island hopping ferry services are available. ROAD: Travel on individual islands creates few problems since few of them take longer than half an hour to cross foot.
Special information: Tourist resorts are self-contained, catering for the visitors’ needs. Backpacking is prohibited. The government enforces standards restricting beach-wear outside the resorts. There are severe penalties for drug offences.