Maldives customs authorities have raised the minimum age for duty-free tobacco imports from 18 to 21. The policy shift, published in the government gazette, restricts the quantity and types of tobacco products tourists can bring into the country.
New Customs Limits for Travelers
While the duty-free allowance for standard cigarettes remains at 200 individual sticks, limits for other tobacco products have been reduced. Under the updated rules, travelers can bring in a maximum of 20 cigars (down from 25) or 100 grams of loose tobacco (down from 250 grams).
Additionally, shisha (hookah) and flavored tobacco products no longer qualify for duty exemptions. Tourists carrying these items must declare them to customs officers upon arrival at the airport.
Part of a Generational Tobacco Ban
These customs updates are part of a wider anti-tobacco campaign by the current administration. The Maldives banned electronic cigarettes in 2024 and enacted a generational ban that prohibits anyone born in or after 2007 from buying, selling, or using tobacco products.
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