Overview
- Effective November 1, 2025, anyone born on or after January 1, 2007 is prohibited from buying, using or selling tobacco in the Maldives.
- The rules apply to residents and visitors, with retailers required to verify customer age before any tobacco sale.
- All tobacco products are covered, while vapes are banned outright for import, sale, possession and use regardless of age.
- Penalties include 50,000 Maldivian rufiyaa for selling to underage buyers and 5,000 rufiyaa for violations involving e-cigarettes.
- Reporting notes the Maldives as the first nation to fully implement a generational ban, with New Zealand having repealed a similar policy and the UK considering one.