Republic of Maldives vs Kingdom of Norway
A neutral side-by-side of immigration systems, routes and regulators. Each row links to the underlying visa page with its primary government source.
Last reviewed:
Source basis
This comparison combines Republic of Maldives and Kingdom of Norway government portals with the primary sources for each side's dominant skilled route. Every detailed figure links through to the underlying route or data page.
Reviewed
Primary sources
- Maldives Immigration
Maldives Immigration - verified
- UDI — Norwegian Directorate of Immigration
Utlendingsdirektoratet (UDI) - verified
- Work Visa Service - Maldives Immigration
Maldives Immigration - verified
- UDI — Skilled workers
UDI (Utlendingsdirektoratet) - verified
Republic of Maldives
Maldives Immigration runs visa services through the official Immigration website, IMUGA and the Xpat Online System. The route set is strongly digital: work visas are moving to e-Visa status linked to work permits, business visas start in the Business Portal before immigration verification, and family-linked marriage, resident and dependent visas are filed through IMUGA. Short meeting visitors may use a 14-day on-arrival Meeting Visa if they meet the official prerequisites.
- Official portal
- Maldives Immigration
- Languages
- Dhivehi
- Currency
- Maldivian rufiyaa
Kingdom of Norway
Norway's immigration is administered by the Directorate of Immigration (UDI). As an EEA member (not EU), Norway participates in free movement for EU/EEA nationals. Third-country nationals require a residence permit for skilled workers, with employer sponsorship and a salary meeting the going rate. Self-employment, family immigration, and student permits are also available. Permanent residence after 3 years of continuous legal residence on a work permit.
- Official portal
- Utlendingsdirektoratet (UDI)
- Languages
- Norwegian (Bokmål), Norwegian (Nynorsk)
- Currency
- Norwegian krone
How Republic of Maldives and Kingdom of Norway differ
| Dimension | Republic of Maldives | Kingdom of Norway |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 7 | 4 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 2 | 1 |
| Routes leading to permanent residence | 0 | 1 |
| Typical full settlement timeline | — | Skilled worker permit -> permanent residence after about 3 qualifying years -> citizenship after meeting the UDI citizenship residence category. |
| Dominant skilled visa | Work Visa | Skilled Worker Residence Permit (Oppholdstillatelse som faglaert) |
| Skilled visa salary minimum | — | No fixed published floor |
| Skilled visa processing time | — | UDI - Skilled workers does not publish one fixed, route-wide end-to-end processing time that can be stated responsibly for this application route. |
| Skilled visa government fees | — | Norway lists NOK 6,300 for an adult skilled-worker residence permit application, with NOK 3,150 for under-18 work applicants and separate first-time family immigration fees. |
| Official languages | Dhivehi | Norwegian (Bokmål), Norwegian (Nynorsk) |
| Currency | Maldivian rufiyaa | Norwegian krone |
| Primary regulator | MBC | Advokatforeningen |
| Policy changes (last 12 months) | 0 | 0 |
Skilled-route head-to-head
Comparing each country’s most-used skilled-migration route side by side.
Republic of Maldives
Work Visa
- Salary minimum
- —
- Government fees
- —
- Processing time
- —
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- No
Kingdom of Norway
Skilled Worker Residence Permit (Oppholdstillatelse som faglaert)
- Salary minimum
- No fixed published floor
- Government fees
- Norway lists NOK 6,300 for an adult skilled-worker residence permit application, with NOK 3,150 for under-18 work applicants and separate first-time family immigration fees.
- Processing time
- UDI - Skilled workers does not publish one fixed, route-wide end-to-end processing time that can be stated responsibly for this application route.
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Routes unique to Republic of Maldives
Visa routes side by side
Republic of Maldives (7)
Work Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · The Work e-Visa validity corresponds to the approved Work Permit; renewed Work Visas are issued with a maximum validity of 1 year.
Business Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Granted for 30 to 90 days at a time, not exceeding 180 days total per calendar year.
Meeting Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · 14 days on arrival; non-extendable.
Marriage Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Issued for 1 year for new applications; extensions can be issued for up to 5 years.
Resident Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · The official page lists initial Marriage Visa validity of 1 year and renewals up to 5 years.
Dependent Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Duration depends on the approved dependent visa grant. Confirm the active period in IMUGA.
Sponsorship Declaration
Sponsor · Non-settlement · The sponsored person must arrive in the Maldives within 30 days of approval.
Kingdom of Norway (4)
Skilled Worker Residence Permit (Oppholdstillatelse som faglaert)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · 1–3 years initially; renewable.
Job-Seeker Visa (Oppholdstillatelse for aa soeke arbeid som faglart)
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to 1 year (previously 6 months — extended to support recruitment); non-renewable.
International Company Assignment Permit
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to 2 years at a time; up to 6 years total, followed by 2 years outside Norway before a new permit of this type.
Student Residence Permit (Oppholdstillatelse for studier)
Sponsor · Non-settlement · 1 year; renewable for duration of studies.
Frequently asked questions
Which country has an easier skilled-migration route, Republic of Maldives or Kingdom of Norway?+
Republic of Maldives’s Work Visa is the dominant skilled route; Kingdom of Norway’s Skilled Worker Residence Permit (Oppholdstillatelse som faglaert) requires No fixed published floor. “Easier” depends on your salary, sponsor situation, and nationality — see each visa’s eligibility detail.
Does Republic of Maldives or Kingdom of Norway have more visa routes without an employer sponsor?+
Republic of Maldives has more: 2 of its covered routes can be pursued without an employer sponsor, against 1 for Kingdom of Norway. No-sponsor routes — such as digital-nomad, self-employment, and points-based skilled migration — matter most if you do not yet have a job offer.
Cite or reuse this dataset
This comparison is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the page for the compiled head-to-head table and use the country-comparisons JSON endpoint to retrieve the indexed pair, destination profiles and underlying source datasets.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "Republic of Maldives vs Kingdom of Norway immigration comparison", https://visaatlas.org/compare/maldives/vs/norway. Last verified 27 June 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/country-comparisons
Underlying comparison sources (4)