Bring Your Family to the Maldives on a Dependent Visa: MVR 750, for Pakistani Workers
A Pakistani on a Professional category work visa can bring family to the Maldives for MVR 750. File the sponsorship 7 working days ahead. See every document.
A Pakistani working in the Maldives can bring a spouse or child on a Dependent Visa, which costs MVR 750, but only if the worker holds a valid Professional category work visa. First you file a Sponsorship Declaration on the IMUGA portal at least 7 working days before the family travels. They fly in on that approval, and then you apply for the Dependent Visa.
We read the Maldives Immigration pages for the Dependent Visa and the Sponsorship Declaration on 20 October 2026. MVR is the Maldivian rufiyaa. The process has two parts, and most refusals come from mixing them up: the sponsorship gets your family in, the Dependent Visa lets them stay.
Only a Professional category work visa holder can sponsor family
Maldives Immigration says a foreign sponsor must hold a valid Professional category Work Visa. A Maldivian citizen can also sponsor. So a Pakistani on an ordinary work visa cannot use this route, however long they have worked there. Check your own category first.
The Immigration pages we read do not list which jobs count as Professional category. Ask your employer, in writing, which category your work visa is in before you spend money on tickets or papers. Do not assume it from your job title.
The Sponsorship Declaration comes first, 7 working days ahead
Before your family's first entry, file a Sponsorship Declaration on IMUGA at least 7 working days before they arrive, stating that the purpose is a dependant. It is normally processed within 5 working days, and your family must enter within 30 days of approval.
The declaration can only be filed while your family is outside the Maldives. Once it is approved, you download a Sponsorship Approval Slip from IMUGA. Immigration's advice is plain: buy air tickets only after the approval. A ticket bought earlier is a gamble.
| Step | When | Where | Time limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sponsorship Declaration | Family still in Pakistan | IMUGA portal | At least 7 working days before arrival |
| Approval | After review | IMUGA portal | Normally within 5 working days |
| Travel | After approval | Flight to Male' | Enter within 30 days of approval |
| Dependent Visa | Family now in the Maldives | IMUGA portal | Fee MVR 750 |
The Sponsorship Declaration needs your work permit and proof of relationship
For the Sponsorship Declaration, a foreign sponsor uploads the IM20 application form, a passport copy of each family member, the sponsor's Work Permit Card or Employment Approval, and proof of relationship such as a marriage or birth certificate. A company sponsor also stamps the form.
From Pakistan, the proof of relationship usually means a nikah nama for a wife and a birth certificate for a child. The Dependent Visa stage asks for these in English. If your nikah nama is in Urdu, arrange an English version and attest the nikah nama at the Foreign Office before you start. For a child, a NADRA Family Registration Certificate is a common extra proof, though the Maldives page names the birth certificate.
The Dependent Visa is applied for after your family lands
Once your family has arrived on the approved sponsorship, you apply for the Dependent Visa on the IMUGA portal. The fee is MVR 750. The visa is issued as an eVisa, which you view and download from IMUGA. There is no sticker in the passport.
- Sign in at imuga.immigration.gov.mv and open Visa.
- Click Apply for a Visa and confirm that the person is in the Maldives.
- Choose Dependent Visa and the right reason or subtype.
- Fill in the details and attach every document listed below.
- Review, submit and pay the MVR 750 fee.
- Download the approved eVisa from IMUGA and keep a copy.
The Dependent Visa needs a medical report and health insurance
The Dependent Visa asks for the IM20 form, a photo, a passport copy, your work permit or work visa, the last arrival stamp, proof of relationship in English, a medical report and expatriate health insurance. Renewals use the last visa page instead of the stamp.
Two items catch people out. The medical report and the expatriate health insurance are both required, and both cost money in the Maldives. Price them before your family flies. And the arrival stamp must be the last one, so keep a clear photo of the passport page the day they land.
| Document | Sponsorship stage | Dependent Visa stage |
|---|---|---|
| IM20 application form | Yes | Yes |
| Passport copy of family member | Yes | Yes, biodata page |
| Sponsor's work permit | Work Permit Card or Employment Approval | Work permit or work visa copy |
| Proof of relationship | Marriage or birth certificate | Same, in English |
| Medical report and insurance | Not listed | Both required |
Your family's status rests on your own work visa
A Dependent Visa hangs on the sponsor's work visa. If your work permit fees go unpaid, your own visa shows as invalid in the Xpat system, and your family's position weakens with it. Keep your own record clean before you bring anyone over.
That is why it pays to check your Maldives work permit on Xpat every few months. Pakistanis visiting family for a short holiday do not need any of this. They can use the ordinary Maldives tourist visa on arrival with a prepaid booking, and the Sponsorship Declaration also has a separate visiting category for family stays.
Common questions
How much is the Maldives Dependent Visa?
MVR 750, according to Maldives Immigration's Dependent Visa page.
Can any Pakistani worker in the Maldives sponsor family?
No. A foreign sponsor must hold a valid Professional category Work Visa. Ask your employer which category yours is.
How early do I file the Sponsorship Declaration?
At least 7 working days before your family arrives. It is normally processed within 5 working days.
How long does my family have to travel after approval?
30 days from the date of approval, according to Maldives Immigration.
Do the documents need to be in English?
Yes. The Dependent Visa page asks for proof of relationship in English, such as a birth or marriage certificate.
Is the Dependent Visa a sticker?
No. It is an eVisa that you view and download from the IMUGA portal.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 20 October 2026. The fee, documents and steps come from the Maldives Immigration Dependent Visa page, updated 6 September 2026. The sponsor eligibility rule, the 5 working day processing time, the 30 day entry window and the ticket advice come from the Sponsorship Declaration page, updated 10 September 2026. We read both on 20 October 2026. We could not find a public list of jobs in the Professional category, or the price of the medical report and health insurance, so we do not state them. We did not file an application. The MVR 750 fee is in rufiyaa; we do not convert it, because the rate you pay depends on your bank.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
