Driving is largely irrelevant for visitors
Good to knowThe Maldives is a dispersed island nation with no inter-island road network; tourists transfer between resorts and islands by speedboat, ferry or seaplane rather than by car.
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Country driving guide · 2026
Driving in Maldives
Everything UK and EU drivers need before crossing the border into Maldives: 6 legal requirements + 9 other things worth knowing.
6
Required
2
Recommended
7
Good to know
Tick before you go
Pre-departure checklist for Maldives
6 legal must-haves. Print it, tick them off, throw it in the glovebox.
Licence + 1949 IDP for Male and Addu
To drive or hire a scooter/car on the few road-connected islands (Male, Hulhumale via the Sinamale Bridge, Addu City), carry your UK/EU photocard licence plus a 1949 Geneva IDP; Maldives is not a 1968 Vienna signatory.
Passport with 1 month validity
Passport must be valid for at least one month beyond your stay; a free 30-day visa on arrival is issued to all nationalities including UK and EU.
Drive on the LEFT
Traffic keeps left, the same as the UK and Ireland; most rental vehicles are right-hand drive scooters or small cars.
Speed limits 25-50 km/h
Urban limit is typically 25-30 km/h on Male and 40 km/h on the Sinamale (China-Maldives Friendship) Bridge; the only stretch resembling a highway is the Addu link road at 50 km/h.
Zero alcohol: 0.00 g/L
Maldives is a strict Muslim country: alcohol is banned outside resort islands and the drink-drive limit is effectively zero, with severe penalties including deportation.
Helmet mandatory on motorbikes
Crash helmets are compulsory for riders and passengers on the Sinamale Bridge and across Male/Hulhumale; police actively fine bare-headed riders.
Documents
Licence + 1949 IDP for Male and Addu
RequiredTo drive or hire a scooter/car on the few road-connected islands (Male, Hulhumale via the Sinamale Bridge, Addu City), carry your UK/EU photocard licence plus a 1949 Geneva IDP; Maldives is not a 1968 Vienna signatory.
Passport with 1 month validity
RequiredPassport must be valid for at least one month beyond your stay; a free 30-day visa on arrival is issued to all nationalities including UK and EU.
FCDO travel advice
Good to knowCheck the latest UK Foreign Office advice for the Maldives before travel, particularly regarding local laws on alcohol, dress and behaviour outside resort islands.
gov.uk Maldives adviceDriving rules
Drive on the LEFT
RequiredTraffic keeps left, the same as the UK and Ireland; most rental vehicles are right-hand drive scooters or small cars.
Speed limits 25-50 km/h
RequiredUrban limit is typically 25-30 km/h on Male and 40 km/h on the Sinamale (China-Maldives Friendship) Bridge; the only stretch resembling a highway is the Addu link road at 50 km/h.
Zero alcohol: 0.00 g/L
RequiredMaldives is a strict Muslim country: alcohol is banned outside resort islands and the drink-drive limit is effectively zero, with severe penalties including deportation.
Emergency number 119 (police), 102 (ambulance)
Good to knowDial 119 for police, 118 for fire and 102 for ambulance; 911 and 112 also route to emergency services in Male.
Required equipment
Helmet mandatory on motorbikes
RequiredCrash helmets are compulsory for riders and passengers on the Sinamale Bridge and across Male/Hulhumale; police actively fine bare-headed riders.
Vignette
No vignettes or motorway tolls
Good to knowThere is no motorway network, no vignette system and no road tolls; the Sinamale Bridge between Male and Hulhumale is free to use.
Emissions / low-emission zones
No low-emission zones
Good to knowThere are no LEZs or emissions stickers; however parts of central Male are pedestrianised and scooter access is restricted on some lanes.
Money
Currency MVR; USD widely accepted
Good to knowLocal currency is the Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR), fixed near 15.4 MVR per USD; resorts, taxis and fuel pumps quote in USD or EUR and Visa/Mastercard are accepted almost everywhere.
Fuel around 1.10-1.25 EUR/L
Good to knowPetrol on Male and Hulhumale costs roughly 17-19 MVR per litre (about 1.10-1.25 EUR); pay by card or cash, no tipping expected.
Cash declaration over USD 10,000
RecommendedAmounts equivalent to USD 10,000 or more in cash must be declared at customs on arrival and departure.
Environment
Boats and seaplanes, not cars
RecommendedTo move between the 200+ inhabited islands you will use public ferries, resort speedboats or Trans Maldivian Airways seaplanes: plan transfers via your resort, not a hire car.
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Drive on the LEFT
RequiredTraffic keeps left, the same as the UK and Ireland; most rental vehicles are right-hand drive scooters or small cars.
Speed limits 25-50 km/h
RequiredUrban limit is typically 25-30 km/h on Male and 40 km/h on the Sinamale (China-Maldives Friendship) Bridge; the only stretch resembling a highway is the Addu link road at 50 km/h.
Zero alcohol: 0.00 g/L
RequiredMaldives is a strict Muslim country: alcohol is banned outside resort islands and the drink-drive limit is effectively zero, with severe penalties including deportation.