The headline room rate on a Maldives booking is rarely the final number. Three separate charges get added on top, and understanding them is the difference between a budget that survives checkout and one that doesn't.
Green tax
A per-person, per-night environmental fee, paid by every non-Maldivian tourist. Since 1 January 2025 it stands at US$12 per person per night for resorts, resort hotels, larger hotels (50+ rooms) and tourist vessels — double the previous $6 rate. Smaller guesthouses on local islands (50 rooms or fewer) charge the lower $6 per person per night rate instead. Children under two are exempt.
Tourism GST (TGST)
A goods-and-services tax applied to the tourism sector specifically, increased from 16% to 17% effective 1 July 2025. It applies broadly — room rate, food, drinks, spa treatments and excursions all carry it.
Service charge
A mandatory 10% charge added on top, distributed to resort staff — not a discretionary tip, and not optional.
A worked example
For a couple staying seven nights at a resort charging the $12 green tax rate: that's US$12 × 2 guests × 7 nights = $168 in green tax alone, before GST or service charge are applied to the rest of the bill. That figure scales with your party size and length of stay, not with how much you spend — worth factoring in before you compare two quoted rates.