The business visa criteria for people entering the country for business or to do work have been amended to make the application process easier by eliminating the need to submit a form in favor of utilizing the economic ministry’s business portal.
With the amendments made to the rule by the economic ministry, the business visa can only be obtained through the economic ministry’s business portal.
According to the economic ministry, the necessity to submit an application form and declaration will be abolished as a consequence of the changes, and the work will be conducted through the business portal via eFaas.
To register on the eFaas portal, foreigners must have a valid work permit, and the eFaas login can be validated using a Maldivian phone number or personal email address.
Another change introduced to the regulation is the ability to issue or renew a business visa for no more than 180 days each year.
Furthermore, while granting or renewing a business visa, even if the period is listed as 30 to 90 days, the overall duration of the visa should not exceed 180 days or 6 months. With this adjustment, a business visa cannot be awarded for longer than 180 days, or 6 months every year; this duration was not previously specified in the regulation.
Another amendment to the rule eliminates the requirement to present a notarized copy of the health and travel insurance policy when applying for a business visa.
Furthermore, the period following the issuance of a business visa during which the individual must enter the nation has been lowered from 6 months to 3 months, implying that the business visa will be cancelled if the individual does not reach the country within 3 months of getting the visa clearance.
