Revenue collected from airport departure tax and the Airport Development Fee (ADF) increased by 17.5 per cent during the first six months of 2026, according to the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA).

MIRA said a total of MVR 2.1 billion was collected from the two charges between January and June this year, compared with MVR 1.8 billion during the same period in 2025.

Revenue from departure tax reached MVR 1 billion in the first half of the year, up from MVR 907 million in the corresponding period last year, representing an increase of 17 per cent.

Meanwhile, collections from the Airport Development Fee also totalled MVR 1 billion, up from MVR 913 million in the first six months of 2025, representing an 18 per cent increase.

Departure tax has been imposed on passengers departing the Maldives since 1 January 2022, while the Airport Development Fee has been collected from passengers departing Velana International Airport since 1 May 2017.

Passengers exempt from departure tax include those with diplomatic immunity, transit passengers and children under the age of two. Exemptions from the Airport Development Fee apply to individuals with diplomatic immunity and direct transit passengers.