Rules amended to allow passengers to bring tobacco-rolling supplies
The minimum age for the allowance has also been increased to 21.
Rules governing goods brought into the Maldives by passengers have been amended to allow the import of tobacco-rolling supplies and equipment for personal use without a Customs declaration, subject to specified limits.
The amendments, published on Monday, also change tobacco allowances for passengers arriving from abroad, raise the minimum age from 18 to 21 and reduce the quantities of cigars and tobacco that can be brought under the exemption.
In November 2024, the government removed duty allowances for tobacco, products containing nicotine and smoking-related items. Rules were also introduced requiring nicotine products brought into the country to be declared to Maldives Customs Service, with exemptions provided for tourists.
Under the previous rules, tourists aged 18 and above could bring 200 cigarettes, 25 cigars and 250 grams of tobacco for personal use.
The latest amendment replaces the term “tourists” with “passengers”, extending the provision to passengers arriving from abroad. The minimum age for the allowance has also been increased to 21.
Under the revised rules, eligible passengers may bring 200 cigarettes, including heated tobacco products and bidi, 20 cigars and 100 grams of unprocessed or dried tobacco leaves without declaring them to Customs.
The exemption will not apply to people born after 1 January 2007.
The amendment also introduces allowances for equipment and supplies used to prepare cigarettes or bidi for personal use.
Passengers may bring a small, manually operated portable device capable of rolling one cigarette or bidi at a time. They may also bring up to 50 rolling papers, 50 filters and 50 empty tubes used to prepare cigarettes or bidi.
The status of such equipment had previously raised questions because the items were not specified in passenger allowance rules, while the Tobacco Control Act prohibits the manufacture of tobacco products.
In 2024, the Ministry of Health instructed Customs to seize and destroy items or equipment imported for the manufacture of tobacco products. Supplies imported by some tobacco vendors were subsequently seized.
Customs later released the items on the grounds that their import was not expressly prohibited under the law.
The latest amendment now includes specified tobacco-rolling equipment and supplies among goods that passengers may bring for personal use under the duty exemption.
The general value threshold for personal goods eligible for duty exemption had previously been increased to MVR 10,000.
