New law came in force on November 1st, 2025
On November 1st, the Maldives became the first country in the world to impose a generational smoking ban. A generational smoking ban is a law prohibiting youngsters from smoking or buying tobacco of any kind. According to the Maldivian Health Ministry, the aim is to “protect public health and promote a tobacco-free generation. The ban applies to “all forms of tobacco, and retailers are required to verify age prior to sale,” it added. Here’s how the Maldives’ smoking ban will affect travellers:
- The new law applies to both tourists and Maldivians.
- Under the Maldives’ new smoking ban, no one born after January 1st, 2007, can buy, use or sell cigarettes or tobacco products in the Maldives.
- This means the ban applies to everyone who was aged 18 or under on January 1st, 2007.
So, any young travellers who smoke should be prepared to show ID when purchasing cigarettes at the airport, at resorts, and in any of the towns and villages. In theory, they could also have tobacco products removed from their luggage by Customs officers if they were 18 or under at the start of this month.
All luggage is scanned on arrival in the Maldives, and Customs officers regularly confiscate alcohol from tourists’ luggage. That is because it’s also illegal for anyone, of any age, to bring alcohol into the Maldives (it can only be purchased at resorts). Any alcohol seized from tourists on arrival in the Maldives will be held in secure lockers and returned to them when they fly home. So, hypothetically, Customs officers could also seize cigarettes from anyone aged 18 or under and return them when they depart from the Maldives.
The generational smoking ban follows a nationwide ban on vaping and electronic cigarettes. Unlike with the smoking ban, the vaping ban applies to Maldivians and tourists of all ages. But, as we previously reported, the vaping ban does not appear to be enforced on resort islands. So, it remains to be seen how strictly the smoking ban for youngsters might be enforced on resort islands.
You may also be interested in:
Can I bring my vapes to the Maldives?
Maldives’ vaping ban currently unenforced at most resorts
About the Author
