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UAE residents can now migrate to Maldives through new investment residency programme
The island nation is quite a popular tourist destination for its beautiful beaches and luxury resorts
- PUBLISHED: Thu 10 Jul 2025, 6:33 PM
UAE residents looking to migrate under residence by investment programme now have a new choice.
Maldives — one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations — has tied with international investment migration advisory firm Henley and Partners to build an investor visa framework specifically linked to real estate acquisition.
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According to Henley and Partners, the programme is still in development stage and more details will be shared in due course.
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The island nation is quite a popular tourist destination among UAE residents for its beautiful beaches and luxury resorts. In addition, the UAE firms have invested billions of dirhams in the island nation and some recently announced projects including Samana Developers.
Philippe Amarante, managing partner and head of government advisory for EMEA at Henley & Partners, said the investment migration programme will capitalise on the country’s world-class real estate offerings.
“The Maldives has long been a world-class destination for travellers. With this programme, we aim to extend that legacy to discerning global investors who see value in our people, our potential, and our future,” said Mohamed Saeed, Minister of Economic Development and Trade.
“The residence by investment programme will provide state-of-the-art properties with the utmost privacy and exclusivity. As a safe, stable, and peaceful island nation, the Maldives presents the ultimate hedge against geopolitical conflict or global pandemics, offering an unparalleled lifestyle and security to high-net-worth individual investors and their families,” he said.
The new residence by investment programme will help Maldives diversify beyond traditional tourism revenues, attracting foreign investment through real estate acquisition and stimulating growth hospitality, infrastructure, and services sectors.
A statement issued by Maldives said that there will be a rigorous due diligence framework to ensure the programme attracts only qualified and reputable applicants. “Final visa and residency approvals will remain under the sovereign discretion of the Government of the Maldives, with robust mechanisms in place to safeguard the country’s international standing and reputation.”
Spread over roughly 90,000 square kilometres, the country — often described as a tropical paradise — is comprised of 1,190 Coral Islands, each surrounded by crystal-blue lagoons and grouped in a double chain of 27 atolls.
