Maldives Business Registration
Permitted Business Activities for Foreign Investors
The following information details the maximum permitted foreign shareholding percentage and minimum investment required in United States Dollars for the initial 5 years.
Use the links below to jump to a business activity that interests you.
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
- Crop cultivation and related service activities
- Forestry
- Closed to foreign investment
- N/A
- Poultry / Animal production and related service activities
- Aquaculture / Mari Culture
Mining and Quarrying
- Mining of sand
- Closed to foreign investment
- N/A
- Extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas
- Mining of metal ores
- Other mining and quarrying
- Closed to foreign investment
- N/A
- Mining support service activities
- Bunkering services
Manufacturing
- Manufacture of fish products
- Manufacture of agricultural products
- Manufacture of other food products
- Manufacture of beverages
- Manufacture of textiles
- Manufacture of tobacco products
- Manufacture of wearing apparels
- Manufacture of leather and related products
- Manufacture of wood and of products of wood and cork except furniture
- Manufacture of paper and paper products
- Manufacture of coke (fuel) and refined petroleum products
- Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products
- Printing and reproduction of recorded media
- Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations
- Manufacture of rubber and plastic products
- Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products
- Manufacture of basic metals
- Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment
- Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products
- Manufacture of electrical equipment
- Manufacture of machinery and equipment
- Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semitrailers
- Manufacture of other transport equipment
- Manufacture of furniture
- Manufacture of handicrafts and souvenirs
- Repair and installation of machinery and equipment
- Aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility
- Installation of equipment that forms an integral part of buildings or similar structures, such as installation of escalators and elevators
- Other manufacturing (including boatbuilding etc)
Electricity, Gas, Steam, and Air Conditioning Supply
- Electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply
- Renewable energy projects approved by the government
Water Supply: Sewerage, Waste Management, Remediation Activities (services only)
- Water collection, desalination, treatment, and supply
- Sewerage
- Waste collection, treatment, and disposal activities; materials recovery
- Remediation activities and other waste management services
Construction
- Construction of buildings
- 65%
- 5,000,000 (single contract value inclusive of taxes)
- Construction of buildings (government approved projects)
- Civil Engineering
- 65%
- Negotiable (contract value required)
- Specialized construction activities (includes construction of roads, bridges, networks and other infrastructure including projects approved by the government)
Wholesale and Retail Trade
- Retail trade
- Wholesale trade of construction materials
- Franchising in international airports and approved locations (including products & services)
- Wholesale trade in other sectors except construction materials
Transportation and Storage
- Land transport services and transport via pipelines
- Sea transport services (including ownership of vessels)
- Air transport services (including freight services)
- Warehousing and support activities for transportation
- Postal and courier activities
- Logistics activities
Accommodation and Food Service Activities
- Tourist resort (inclusive of all services such as hotel management, operating guest shop, spa, dive centre, water sports, transfer service etc)
- Tourist hotel (inclusive of all services such as hotel management, operating guest shop, spa, dive centre, water sports, transfer service etc)
- Tourist vessel (40 beds and above)
- Yacht Marina (development, operations, and management)
- Picnic Island
- Guest houses in approved locations (inclusive of all services)
- Integrated tourism (development, operation & management)
- Food and beverage services activities (including café’, restaurants, bakeries, and other eateries)
- Other accommodation
- Publishing activities
- Motion picture, sound recording and music publishing activities
- Video and television programme production
- Programming and broadcasting activities
- Telecommunications
- Computer programming, consultancy, and related activities
- Motion picture, sound recording and music publishing activities
- Information service activities
Financial and Insurance Activities
- Banking and financial service activities, except insurance and pension funding
- Insurance reinsurance, and pension funding, except compulsory social security
- Activities auxiliary to financial service and insurance activities
Real Estate Activities
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Activities
- Legal services
- Accounting services
- Activities of head offices; management consultancy activities
- Architecture and engineering activities; technical testing and analysis
- Scientific research and development
- Advertising
- Market research
- Other professional, scientific, and technical activities
- Veterinary services
- Photography & videography
Administrative and Support Service Activities
- Rental and leasing activities (including lease of heavy-duty machineries etc)
- Employment activities; employment agencies, recruitment services
- Travel agency, tour operator, reservation, and related activities
- Security and investigation activities
- Services to building and landscape activities
- Office administrative, office support and other business support activities
Public Administration and Defence; Compulsory Social Security
- Public administration and defence; compulsory social security
Education
- University, Colleges
- Private schools
- Computer training institutions
- General tuition classes
- Tuition classes
- Quran classes
- Vocational and technical educational institutes
- Sports and recreation education
- Engineering schools (training and conduction of courses related to aircraft engineering)
- Other education
- Educational support activities
Human Health and Social Work Activities
- Hospitals
- Residential care services
- Social work activities without accommodation
- Laboratory & diagnostic services
- Physiotherapy clinics
- Clinics except physiotherapy clinics
- Other health activities (including specialized facilities)
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
- Creative arts and entertainment activities (including live music bands and DJs)
- Libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural activities
- Sports activities and amusement and recreation activities
- Water sports activities
- Dive centres and dive schools
Other Service Activities
- Activities of membership organizations
- Repair of computer and personal and household goods
- Other personal service activities or any other business activity not stated in this list