YuSMP Travel Editorial Team
Since 18 October 2026, the Maldives' largest bank, Bank of Maldives (BML), has been rejecting and returning payments that Russian tour operators send to pay for hotel bookings on the islands. As a result, some tourists who had already paid for a package learn about the problem only on arrival: at Male airport they're told the room isn't formally paid for, and at some resorts guests aren't even allowed on the transfer boat without a guarantee letter from the tour operator. If you're planning an independent trip to the Maldives without a package tour, the visa-free entry rules and the recent TGST tax reversal for the destination are covered in "Maldives to Scrap Tax on Foreign Tour Operators".
What happened with the payments
According to the travel industry, since 18 October 2026 BML has been returning "any payment linked to Russia," regardless of the sending bank or currency used. In practice, this means money that a tour operator transfers to a Maldivian hotel or receiving company for already-sold tours simply doesn't arrive, or stays stuck for an indefinite period. On 6 November 2026, the Russian Union of Travel Industry (RST) sent letters to Russia's Ministry of Economic Development and the Russian ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, asking them to discuss settlement procedures for Russian companies with the Maldivian side.
Timeline of the Maldives payment situation
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 18 October 2026 | Bank of Maldives began rejecting and returning payments linked to Russia |
| 3 November 2026 | Travel agents publicly reported cases of Russian tourists being denied check-in at paid hotels |
| 6 November 2026 | RST sent letters to the Ministry of Economic Development and the Russian embassy on Maldives settlements |
| 9 November 2026 | The Ministry of Economic Development is preparing an appeal to the Maldives Ministry of Tourism and central-bank talks |
Why the bank is blocking payments from Russia
The reason comes down to tighter checks inside BML itself: the bank now requires recipients to submit lists of the tourists a payment covers, and if Russian citizens are on that list, the transfer isn't credited. "BML doesn't credit payments that come to them from Russia," tour operator Dmitry Arutyunov (Art-Tur) told reporters. One major Russian tour operator reportedly sent the receiving company Resort Life payment documents without a UETR transfer identifier — the funds never arrived in the account. According to Kommersant, the formal reason is that Russia is on the bank's list of countries subject to money-transfer restrictions.
Who is affected and how big the problem is
From January through August 2026, around 200,000 Russian tourists visited the Maldives — up 20% year on year — and Russia remains the destination's second-largest source market. The volume of delayed and returned payments is estimated at roughly $2 million, of which $1.8 million is tied to a single receiving company, Resort Life, covering tourists who are already on their trip. Travellers on package tours face the biggest risk, where payment flows through the chain of tour operator → receiving company → hotel via BML. Tourists who pay a hotel directly with a foreign card, without a Russian tour operator in the chain, aren't affected by this specific block.
What travellers should do before and during the trip
If you're flying to the Maldives in the coming weeks, it's worth asking your tour operator in advance for written confirmation that the hotel has been paid, and keeping that document together with your tour voucher. If you're told at check-in or at the transfer desk that the room isn't paid for, don't rush to pay again out of your own pocket — the right move is to contact your tour operator and ask them to send the hotel a guarantee letter; in the cases reported by travel agents, guests were ultimately placed in the same or a comparable room once the payment went through a second time. Resort Holiday representative Irina Taku says nothing needs to be done in advance for bookings in December 2026–April 2027: operators are already restructuring their payment arrangements. If you're weighing whether to pay anything locally yourself while this gets sorted out, see "Money in Asia: Where Russian Cards Fail and What to Take in Cash" for which payment methods actually work on the ground.
What happens next
For now the matter sits with the ministries: Russia's Ministry of Economic Development is preparing an appeal to the Maldives Ministry of Tourism and the Maldivian ambassador in Russia, while also exploring talks between the two countries' central banks. Lawyers note that dialogue with the financial institution could in theory soften its stance, but Artur Muradyan, vice-president of the Association of Tour Operators, calls the situation "a discriminatory problem" and warns that without a resolution, tourist flow to the Maldives could noticeably decline. This is already the second autumn complication in Russia-Maldives tourism relations — in October, the islands' authorities tried to introduce a 17% TGST tax on foreign tour operators before backing down under industry pressure; see "Maldives to Scrap Tax on Foreign Tour Operators" for details. Before any trip to Asia, it's also worth arranging travel insurance that covers the full length of the stay — what your policy should include is covered in "Travel Insurance: What Your Policy Must Cover Before a Trip to Asia".
Frequently asked questions
Why is Bank of Maldives rejecting payments specifically from Russia?
The bank tightened its transfer checks: before crediting a payment it requires a list of the tourists it covers, and if Russian citizens are on that list, the transfer is rejected or returned as Russia-linked.
If I've already paid for my Maldives tour, am I at risk?
The tour itself, paid to your operator, isn't cancelled. The risk is different: the operator's payment to the hotel may not arrive in time, so at check-in or on the transfer boat staff may ask for proof of payment or a guarantee letter.
Do I need to pay for the hotel again if told the room isn't paid for?
First contact your tour operator and ask them to send the hotel a guarantee letter — in most reported cases that resolves it. Don't pay out of pocket a second time without checking with your operator.
Does this affect bookings for December–April?
According to receiving companies, nothing needs to be done in advance for those dates — operators are already arranging alternative payment routes.
Have Maldives visa-free entry rules changed because of this?
No, that is a separate matter: the up-to-30-day visa-free entry allowance for Russian citizens is unaffected by this banking issue.
Sources
- Profi.Travel — on cases of Russian tourists being denied check-in at Maldives hotels over BML policy, 3 November 2026.
- U-F.ru — on transfer denials for Russian tourists in the Maldives, 3 November 2026.
- Kommersant — on the Ministry of Economic Development preparing an appeal to Maldivian authorities, 9 November 2026.
- Travel Russian News — on Bank of Maldives payment returns and the RST appeal, 9 November 2026.
The situation is developing: confirm your hotel payment status and the availability of guarantee letters with your tour operator before flying to the Maldives.
