The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has reminded business owners that 17 July is the deadline to apply for a licence to conduct tobacco-related sales in the Maldives. After this date, such transactions will be illegal without a valid licence.
Following an amendment to the Tobacco Control Act last year, businesses must obtain a licence to import, re-export, or sell tobacco products in the Maldives. On 17 April, the HPA announced that applications must be submitted via the government portal oneGov.mv within three months — by 17 July 2025.
The agency has made it clear that it will be illegal to operate any tobacco-related business without a licence once the deadline has passed. It urges all business owners to complete the application process before the cut-off date.
The Ministry of Health has warned that it will revoke licences for breaches of the law. Penalties range from MVR 1,000 to MVR 1,000,000. Serious offences — including unlicensed trade, smuggling, failure to disclose information, fraud, and violations of packaging or labelling regulations during import or export — will incur fines amounting to ten times the total taxes and fees due. For example, if MVR 1,000 in taxes is owed, the resulting fine would be MVR 10,000.
