To seek Foreign Investment approval, please submit all the relevant documents (identified below) to the Invest Maldives Office, Velaanaage 4th Floor.

The application review process takes 2 working days for applications submitted under the 'Automatic' route, and 5 to 14 working days for applications submitted under the 'Government' route.

Upon approval of the foreign investment, the Ministry will issue an acceptance letter to the applicant. Your next step is to register your business in one of the following three ways.

• Re-Registering a company in foreign jurisdiction with the registrar of companies
• Incorporating a new Company/Partnership
• Acquiring Shares from a locally Incorporated Company

Your business will be registered in 1 business day. Once the business entity is registered, you are required to enter to a Foreign Investment Agreement (FIA) with Ministry of Economic Development & Trade.

• Foreign Investment Registration Application
• Clear, complete and valid Passport/National Identification Card copies of shareholders, directors and secretary / legal representative of the investing entity
• Company Registration Certificate, Constitutional Documents of the entity notarized as true copy by relevant authorities of the registered country. Investor shall submit notarized translations of all documents that are not in English.
• Letter of financial credibility issued by a financial institution licensed by the central bank of the respective jurisdiction, for each shareholder (both individual and legal entity).
• Profiles of the investors/shareholders. A CV shall suffice for individual investors/shareholders.
• Contract Award Letter from Private or Public Institutions (if applicable)
• If applicant is looking to engage in sector such as Construction, an agreement/ award letter by the respective entity
• Projected Business plan and Feasibility Study (upon request by MED)

• Business Registration Application Form
• Company Registration Certificate, Constitutional Documents of the entity notarized as true copy (by relevant authorities of the registered country). Note: Notarized translations must be provided for all the documents that are not in English.
• Board Resolution of the Company
  • To re-register in Maldives
  • To appoint a Legal Representative who shall represent the company in any legal proceedings against the Company
• Acceptance Letter and NIC/passport copy of the appointed Representative Note: The representative need not be a lawyer, but should be a resident individual or registered entity in the Maldives
• Clear, complete and valid PP / ID copies of persons with tax responsibilities

• For more details on how to register a company, please have a look at Company Registration
• If the foreign shareholder is an entity
  • Business Registration Certificate, Constitutional Documents of the entity notarized as true copy (by relevant authorities of the registered country). Note: Notarized translations must be provided for all the documents that are not in English.
  • Board Resolution of the Company
    • Details of the number and percentage of shares the company will hold in the new business
    • Details of the directors appointed to represent the entity in the new business (if any)
• Clear, complete and valid PP / ID copies of
  • Directors
  • Company Secretary
  • Tax responsible person(s)

• Business Registration Application Form.
• Partnership Agreement (2 Originals)
• Clear, complete and valid PP / ID copies of
  • Partners
  • Tax responsible person(s)
• If the foreign Partner is an entity
  • Business Registration Certificate, Constitutional Documents of the entity notarized as true copy (by relevant authorities of the registered country). Note: Notarized translations must be provided for all the documents that are not in English.
  • Board Resolution of the Company
    • Details of the number and percentage of shares the company will hold in the new business
    • Details of the directors appointed to represent the entity in the new business (if any)

• Share Transfer Form (2 originals)
• Revised Articles and Memorandum of Association of the entity proposing to undertake the investment (2 Originals)
• Board Resolution for the transfer of shares (as in step 1)
• Clear, complete and valid NIC/Passport copy of the new shareholders and directors
• Board Resolution of the Transferee (if an entity)
  • Details of the number and percentage of shares the company will acquire
  • Details of the directors appointed to represent the entity in the new business (if any)

• Foreign Investment Administration Fee equivalent to USD 5,000.00. This amount has to be paid to the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA). A copy of the receipt should be submitted to the Ministry of Economic Development & Trade.

In addition to this, you are required to make entity registration fee depending upon the type of business you register in Maldives. For fee details please have a look at company registration process.