Cluzta
Cluzta
Cluzta Team·October 11, 2026·6 min read

How to Get a Building Permit in the Maldives: Step-by-Step Approval Guide

Before any building work starts in the Maldives, three things have to line up: a recognised right to the land, a drawing set prepared and checked by professionals registered with the Ministry of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure, and approval from the building consent authority for your location. Which authority that is depends on where you build: Malé City Council in Malé, the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) in Hulhumalé and Thilafushi, the Ministry of Tourism for resort islands, and the island council for most other inhabited islands.

This guide walks developers, landowners and contractors through each step, using only what the regulations and official guidelines actually say. Rules change through gazette amendments, so confirm current requirements with the authority before you lodge.

The regulations that apply

Three regulations made under the Construction Act (Law No. 4/2017) do most of the work:

Regulation Number What it covers
Building Code 2024/R-21 Technical requirements for buildings, including structure, durability, means of escape and fire safeguards
Construction Administrative Regulation 2023/R-24 How approvals and permits for buildings and structures are obtained, and the related fees
Construction Industry Practitioners Regulation 2024/R-39 Registration of architects, engineers, checkers and building inspectors, and penalties for breaches

Contractors are also covered by the Construction Contractor Regulation (2019/R-1019). Under it, a registered contractor needs a Project Licence for any project involving structural works, or any project valued at MVR 1.5 million or more. The Project Licence is also what lets the contractor apply for project-specific foreign worker quotas.

Since June 2025, the Fifth Amendment to the Practitioners Regulation requires proof of insurance with any building permit or project licence application. The cover must include damage to the surrounding environment and nearby buildings, injuries caused by the works, and vehicles parked near the site.

Step 1: Confirm your land rights and planning limits

Start with the land, not the drawings.

  • Title or lease. Make sure your ownership, lease or allocation letter is current and covers the use you plan. On resort islands, the development has to sit within the boundary set in the lease or in the Boundary Regulation (2023/R-90).
  • Planning controls. Each authority publishes its own limits on plot coverage, height and setbacks. In Hulhumalé, for example, HDC applies the Hulhumalé Phase 2 Planning and Development Guidelines and its published setback plans. Drawings that ignore these controls are rejected.
  • Boundaries. Confirm the plot boundary on site before design starts, so footings don't stray onto a road reserve or a neighbour's plot.

Step 2: Appoint registered designers and checkers

Drawings must be prepared by a licensed architect and a licensed engineer on the ministry's register, and then reviewed by a registered Architectural Checker and Structural Checker, who stamp them once they comply. HDC's guideline is explicit: if any of these professionals is not registered or their licence isn't active, the drawings are rejected. It also states that where violations are found, HDC asks the ministry to fine the professionals involved and, if a fine goes unpaid, to suspend or revoke their licence.

Role What they do
Licensed architect Prepares the architectural drawings to the planning controls
Licensed engineer Prepares the structural design and calculations
Architectural checker Checks the architectural drawings against the planning rules and stamps them
Structural checker Checks the structural design and stamps it

You can confirm a practitioner's registration with the ministry, which runs registration services for licensed architects and engineers, checkers, building inspectors and contractors.

Step 3: Prepare the drawing package

A typical package includes:

  1. Architectural drawings: site plan with setbacks, floor plans, elevations and sections.
  2. Structural drawings and calculations, stamped by the structural checker.
  3. Services drawings: drainage and sewerage, water supply and electrical layouts, usually with calculations.
  4. Fire safety drawings, which on government projects are approved by the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) fire service.
  5. Environmental approval where the project needs one. Resort developments, reclamation and many coastal works require an Environmental Impact Assessment approved by the Environmental Protection Agency.

HDC's rules for Hulhumalé and Thilafushi add a few specifics: drawings must be in English and submitted in both PDF and CAD formats. Check your own authority's checklist for its format rules.

Step 4: Submit to the right authority

Where you are building Building consent authority How to apply
Malé City Malé City Council Online through the council's Maavehi portal, which issues e-permits that can be verified by QR code
Hulhumalé and Thilafushi Housing Development Corporation Private residential drawings through HDC's online portal using the plot owner's eFaas login; industrial drawings by email to hello@hdc.mv
Resort islands Ministry of Tourism Master plan, then detailed drawings, under the ministry's Development Handbook; a Construction Permit is issued once the detailed drawings are approved
Other inhabited islands The island council (check with the council secretariat) Ask the council for its current process and checklist

On any portal, expect the authority to come back with comments. HDC, for instance, either approves, asks for more information, or rejects; a rejected application has to be resubmitted. None of these authorities publishes a guaranteed turnaround time, so build slack into your programme rather than relying on a fixed number of days.

Step 5: Build to the approved drawings and keep records

Once you have the permit, construction has to follow the approved drawings. The 2023 amendments to the practitioners rules split building inspectors into two categories: Category 1 inspectors oversee structural works and can issue a certificate of structural compliance, and Category 2 inspectors can issue a certificate of compliance for occupancy.

In practice, that means keeping a clean record as you go: which inspection happened when, who signed off, test results for concrete and materials, and photos of work before it is covered up. Missing evidence is what turns a routine sign-off into a delay.

This is where a site tool earns its keep. Cluzta lets your team log inspections and approvals against each project, attach site photos, and track subcontractor work alongside the permit status, so the paperwork is ready when the inspector asks for it.

Step 6: Get the building usage permit

When the work is finished, the building needs a Building Usage Permit (in the Building Code's terms, a Certificate of Compliance for Occupancy) before it is occupied. HDC states that it issues the usage permit only if the building matches the approved drawings and complies with the regulations and its planning controls; otherwise it withholds the permit and is not liable for any resulting losses.

Have ready the as-built drawings, the structural compliance certificate, and the approvals from the fire service and utility providers that apply to your building.

Before you lodge: a short checklist

  • Land title, lease or allocation letter is current and covers the planned use
  • Design fits the authority's coverage, height and setback controls
  • Architect, engineer and both checkers are registered and their licences are active
  • Drawings are stamped by the architectural and structural checkers
  • Insurance proof is ready (required since June 2025)
  • Contractor holds a Project Licence if the work is structural or worth MVR 1.5 million or more
  • EIA approval is in hand if the project needs one

Related guides

Sources

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