Countrywide ban on vape products and vaping was introduced three months ago
When the Maldivian government suddenly announced a ban on importing vapes in November 2024 followed by a ban on vaping in December 2024, many tourists with upcoming holidays panicked. The Maldives’ vaping ban applies to vaping on resort islands as well as inhabited islands, unlike the preexisting ban on alcohol (which permits it on resort islands only). However, three months on, it appears the Maldives’ vaping ban is not being enforced by Customs officials, nor resort staff.
Maldivian Customs officials are vigilant about confiscating alcohol from anyone arriving in the Maldives. Each suitcase and carry-on is X-rayed on arrival and any liquor is confiscated and held in lockers until the visitor leaves the country. However, according to tourists arriving in the Maldives, staff checking their hand luggage at Velana International Airport have turned a blind eye to their vaping devices and refills.
Manta Media Maldives can confirm that the majority of people (foreign and local) at Velana International Airport appear to be abiding by the law in terms of not actually vaping in that area. But we can confirm tourists are freely vaping at resorts.
As we previously reported, the Maldives’ vaping ban prompted many would-be visitors to cancel their upcoming holidays. The precise number of cancellations directly due to the vaping ban is impossible to quantify. However, there are an estimated 82 million vapers worldwide.
Despite some saying they are changing their holiday plans, others decided to wait and see how the ban pans out. It appears many are taking advice from other travellers’ experiences that they share in forums such as Tripadvisor.
For example, a vaper named as ‘Gemma S’ seeking advice on Tripadvisor wrote: “I’m meant to be going to the Maldives next Friday and I am stressing out, as I vape, and when I found out that they have banned vaping I didn’t know what to do…I think it would be very embarrassing if I got stopped and searched. Do I put my vape in hand luggage and wish for the best?”
However, many travellers on Tripadvisor have commented that they have successfully brought vapes into the Maldives since November without being challenged. Some suggested that since the ban was intended mostly for the public health of Maldivians, this could be why tourists are not having their vapes confiscated.
A British traveller with the handle ‘Dan D’ recently commented on Tripadvisor, “People have gotten vapes, liquids etc through absolutely fine.
“…I saw no tourists vaping at the airport which is probably sensible; saw a couple of airport staff hiding the device in their hand and using it outside the airport, and one or two doing this at the resort. Only a few people vaping or smoking, and the staff couldn’t care less.”
Many others have commented that they were free to vape at resort islands. ‘StevemartinBGF’ added: “We arrived on [January] 15th...My wife’s vapes were in our hand luggage; scanned with no problems or issues. Probably not sensible to have a quick hit at Male’, but there are no problems at our resort island either…It is still against the law, caveats apply, but from our experience at least, it is business as normal for tourists”.
While it’s true the vaping ban was launched in response to concerns about Maldivian children having access to vapes, the law does apply to everyone entering the Maldives and could be enforced at any time.
