In the Maldivian capital city Malé, card payments are widely accepted, especially in the international hotels and shopping malls. However on the local islands many vendors will not be able to accept payments by card.

If you are going to pay by card in the Maldives: Be aware of steep currency conversion fees and bank fees for card payments: Your bank’s MVR to GBP exchange rate may be quite bad. This is how banks make money.

Before using your bank card for payments in the Maldives, it’s certainly a good idea to contact your bank. This will avoid your card becoming blocked due to international transactions that your bank may find suspicious.

Yes, especially if you plan to visit the islands and atolls of the Maldives. The economy on the islands and atolls is mainly cash-based, with the exception of the resort hotels where card payments are generally accepted.

We recommend taking Maldivian Rufiyaa banknotes with you on your trip to the Maldives. There is no restriction on the amount of MVR cash you can take with you into the Maldives.

In the Maldives, prices can be quite different in Malé than the prices on the islands and atolls. A coffee in a local coffee shop in Malé will cost around Mvr 15. A coffee in a resort restaurant on the islands costs around Mvr 40.

A three-course meal in a restaurant in the Maldives will cost between 400 and 800 Maldivian Rufiyaa.

In most resorts in the Maldives, a 10% service charge will be added to your bill. If you want to leave a bit extra cash for your waiter this is done by rounding the bill up.