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Passengers check in for their flight at a check-in counter at Velana International Airport - Photo: MACL

MALE: Maldives Immigration has published new regulations requiring commercial airlines, private jets, and charter flight operators to share comprehensive passenger and crew data before flights land in or depart from the country.

Under the “Regulation on Providing Information to Maldives Immigration on Aircraft Arriving and Departing by Air and Persons Travelling on Such Aircraft,” airlines must transmit Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) data through designated messaging platforms.

API data must be submitted when check-in closes and when boarding completes, while PNR data must be transmitted 24 hours and one hour prior to departure. Private jets and charter flights operating short-haul journeys under three hours must submit information 30 minutes before landing, while longer flights must submit data one hour prior.

The regulatory framework aims to bolster national security by allowing authorities to identify high-risk individuals, organized crime figures, and suspected terrorists prior to their arrival. Submitted data will include traveler contact numbers, local addresses, travel agency details, and booking information. All shared data will remain strictly confidential, accessible only to authorized immigration officials and counter-terrorism intelligence agencies.

• Affected Operators: Commercial airlines, private jets, charter flights, local handling agents, and flight captains.

• Key Deadlines: Mandatory test messaging begins October 15, with full regulatory enforcement starting October 30.

• Data Transmission Channels: Advance Passenger Information (API) at check-in/boarding close and Passenger Name Record (PNR) 24 hours and 1 hour pre-departure.

• Non-Compliance Penalty: Fine of MVR 2,000 for failing to submit required flight and traveler information.

The regulation takes full effect on October 30, with mandatory test data transmissions starting October 15. Failure to comply carries a fine of 2,000 Rufiyaa. The new rule comes as the government prepares to collect Goods and Services Tax (GST) from foreign booking platforms and travel agents starting next month under destination principal rules.

This amendment has faced opposition from the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) and from some foreign tour operators from Europe and Russia.