Certified Dhivehi Document Translation Services

Q: What types of Maldivian documents can be translated?

We translate all types of Maldivian documents including birth certificates issued by the Department of National Registration (DNR), marriage certificates , police clearance certificates from the Maldives Police Service, national identity cards, academic transcripts, employment references, medical reports, business registration documents, power of attorney documents, and immigration records. All documents written in Dhivehi using Thaana script are supported.

Q: Are your Dhivehi translations certified?

Yes. Every translation includes a signed certification statement from the translator attesting to the accuracy and completeness of the translation. This certification is accepted by USCIS, UK Visas and Immigration, IRCC (Canada), the Australian Department of Home Affairs, and embassies and courts worldwide. The certification includes the translator's name, credentials, and date of certification.

Q: How long does translation of Maldivian documents take?

Standard certified translation is delivered within 4-6 business days . Express processing is available for 2-3 business days , and rush service within 24 hours for select document types. Dhivehi documents written in Thaana script may require additional review time due to the unique nature of the script — our team will advise during intake if this applies to your documents.

Q: What language pairs do you offer for Maldives documents?

Our primary language pair is Dhivehi to English , covering the majority of translation requests for Maldivian documents. We also translate Dhivehi documents into German, French, Arabic, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, and Japanese, as well as English to Dhivehi for documents intended for submission within the Maldives. Over 100 language pairs are available on request.

Q: Does the Maldives have an apostille for document authentication?

No. The Maldives is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention . As confirmed by the HCCH status table (updated 31 December 2025), the Maldives is not among the 129 Contracting Parties. Maldivian documents for international use must therefore undergo full consular legalization : authentication by the issuing authority, attestation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives, and legalization by the destination country's embassy. DoVisa provides the certified translation as part of this legalization chain.

Q: What is the MDAC and when do I need it?

The Maldives Document Attestation Certificate (MDAC) is a certification required for foreign documents to be legally recognized within the Maldives. It is handled through Maldivian embassies and high commissions worldwide and typically takes 5-10 business days to obtain. If you are submitting a foreign-language document to a Maldivian government authority, you will need MDAC certification in addition to a certified translation.

Professional certified translations of Maldivian documents written in Dhivehi and Thaana script. Accepted by embassies, immigration authorities, and credential agencies worldwide.

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How Maldives Certified Translation Works

Submit Your Documents Securely

Upload clear scans of your Dhivehi-language documents through our encrypted portal. We accept PDF, JPEG, and PNG. Our intake specialists review each upload for legibility, including documents written in the right-to-left Thaana script used for Dhivehi, and contact you if higher-resolution scans are required.

Translator Assignment

Your documents are matched with a certified translator specialising in Dhivehi, the official language of the Maldives. Our translators are proficient in Thaana script and familiar with Maldivian civil registration documents, immigration records, and legal terminology issued by authorities such as the Department of National Registration (DNR) and Maldives Immigration.

Translation and Certification

The translator produces your certified translation and affixes their official certification statement attesting to the accuracy and completeness of the translation. The certification includes the translator's credentials and a statement of accuracy suitable for submission to USCIS, UK Visas and Immigration, IRCC, and embassy authorities worldwide.

Delivery with Full Certification

Receive your certified translation as a high-resolution PDF by email, with optional physical delivery via tracked courier. If your destination country requires consular legalization of Maldivian documents, our team can advise on the authentication steps through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives.

Maldives Translation Service Specifications

Popular Language Pairs

We support all languages — 100+ language pairs available for Maldives documents.

Common Documents

Birth certificates (certificate of birth issued by Department of National Registration)
Marriage certificates (issued by Maldives High Commission or DNR)
National identity cards (ID card / NIC documents)
Police clearance certificates (issued by Maldives Police Service)
Academic diplomas and university transcripts
Employment references and work experience letters
Medical reports and health certificates
Business registration certificates
Property ownership documents
Immigration documents and work permit approvals
Power of attorney documents
Death certificates

Turnaround Time

Standard certified translation is delivered within 4-6 business days. Express processing is available for 2-3 business days, and rush delivery within 24 hours for select document types. Dhivehi Thaana-script documents may require additional review time — our team will advise at the intake stage.

Certification Details

Each translation includes a signed certification statement attesting to the accuracy and completeness of the translation. Our certified translations are accepted by immigration authorities, embassies, courts, and credential evaluation agencies worldwide, including USCIS, UK Visas and Immigration, IRCC (Canada), and the Australian Department of Home Affairs. Because the Maldives is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, Maldivian documents intended for international legal use require consular legalization — authentication by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives followed by the destination country's embassy. DoVisa provides certified translations as part of this legalization chain.

Maldives Translation Requirements and Regulatory Framework

Embassy Acceptance

Our certified translations of Maldivian documents are accepted by international authorities including USCIS, UK Visas and Immigration, IRCC (Canada), the Australian Department of Home Affairs, and credential evaluation agencies worldwide such as WES. For submission to Maldivian domestic government authorities — including Maldives Immigration, the Department of National Registration (DNR), and the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology — foreign-language documents must undergo consular legalization through the relevant embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives before recognition.

Notarization Process

The Maldives does not maintain a statutory sworn translator system comparable to civil law countries. Certified translations — bearing the translator's signed certification statement and professional credentials — are generally accepted for immigration, visa, and international purposes. For Maldivian documents to be used abroad, the standard process involves (1) authentication by the issuing Maldivian authority, (2) attestation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives (processing time: approximately 2 working days), and (3) consular legalization by the destination country's embassy in Male or nearest consulate. DoVisa's certified translations are accepted as the translation element of this chain.

Apostille Information

The Maldives is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention (Convention of 5 October 1961). As of the HCCH status table updated 31 December 2025, the Maldives does not appear among the 129 Contracting Parties. Documents from the Maldives intended for international legal use must therefore undergo full consular legalization: (1) authentication by the Maldivian issuing authority, (2) attestation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives, and (3) legalization by the destination country's embassy. The Maldives Document Attestation Certificate (MDAC) may be required for foreign documents used within the Maldives. This process typically takes 5-10 business days depending on the destination country's embassy.

Legal Framework

Civil registration in the Maldives is governed by the law on birth registration and death certification enacted in 1993, with the Department of National Registration (DNR) responsible for maintaining the national civil registry database under the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology. Immigration matters are regulated under the Maldives Immigration Act, administered by Maldives Immigration. No specific statutory law mandates sworn translators for document submissions; certified translations from accredited professional translators are the accepted standard for immigration and international use. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs oversees document attestation services.

Common Scenarios for Maldives Document Translation

Work Permit and Employment Visa Applications

Foreign nationals seeking employment in the Maldives must obtain a work permit through the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology and a work visa through Maldives Immigration. Supporting documents including diplomas, academic transcripts, employment references, and police clearance certificates often require certified English translation for submission to immigration authorities.

Immigration and Residency Applications Abroad

Maldivian nationals applying for visas, residence permits, or citizenship in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia must provide certified English translations of Dhivehi-language documents including birth certificates, marriage certificates, police clearance certificates from the Maldives Police Service, and national identity card records.

Marriage and Family Reunification

Cross-border marriages involving Maldivian nationals require certified translations of marriage certificates, birth certificates, and divorce decrees for submission to foreign embassies and immigration authorities. Dhivehi-language civil registry documents from the Department of National Registration require professional translation to support family reunification visa applications.

Academic Credential Evaluation

Maldivian students and professionals pursuing education or employment abroad must have their academic transcripts, diplomas, and school leaving certificates translated from Dhivehi into English or other target languages. Certified translations are required for recognition by foreign universities, professional licensing boards, and credential evaluation agencies such as WES.

Business and Corporate Documentation

International companies operating in the Maldives' tourism and hospitality sector frequently require certified translations of business registration certificates, employment contracts, and regulatory filings. Maldivian businesses expanding overseas need translations of company documents for legal registration in foreign jurisdictions.

Legal and Court Proceedings

Legal proceedings involving Maldivian parties in foreign jurisdictions require certified translations of court orders, power of attorney documents, and civil registry records. Translated documents must meet the standards of the destination country's judicial system and immigration authorities for evidentiary acceptance.

Dhivehi and Thaana Script: Challenges in Certified Translation

Dhivehi is the official language of the Maldives, an Indo-Aryan language closely related to Sinhala and spoken by approximately 350,000 people across the archipelago. What makes Dhivehi uniquely challenging for document translation is its writing system: Thaana script, a right-to-left abugida that is unique to the Maldives and unlike any other major world script.

Thaana was developed in the 18th century and replaced earlier Maldivian scripts. Unlike Arabic — another right-to-left script — Thaana has no direct relationship with Arabic, Persian, or Devanagari writing systems, making it a genuinely distinct script family. Translators who work with Dhivehi documents must master Thaana script rendering, its consonant-vowel diacritic system, and the specialised legal and administrative vocabulary used in Maldivian government documents.

All official Maldivian government documents — birth certificates issued by the Department of National Registration (DNR), police clearance certificates from the Maldives Police Service, and immigration documents from Maldives Immigration — are issued in Dhivehi using Thaana script. This means that every Maldivian document presented to a foreign authority requires a qualified Dhivehi-to-English translator who can accurately render names, dates, locations, and legal terminology from Thaana script into the Roman alphabet.

DoVisa works exclusively with translators who have native or near-native Dhivehi proficiency and demonstrated experience with Thaana script document translation. Our translators apply standard romanisation conventions for Dhivehi names and places, ensuring consistency across all pages of a document set.

Example of Dhivehi Thaana script writing system used in official Maldives government documents requiring certified translation

Thaana script — the unique right-to-left writing system used for all official Maldivian documents

Consular Legalization: Getting Maldives Documents Accepted Abroad

Because the Maldives is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, there is no simplified apostille procedure for authenticating Maldivian documents for international use. Instead, documents must undergo the full consular legalization chain — a multi-step process that certifies the authenticity of both the original document and any accompanying translation.

The standard legalization process for Maldivian documents consists of three stages. First, the document must be authenticated by the issuing authority — for example, a birth certificate must carry the official stamp of the Department of National Registration (DNR), or a police clearance must bear the seal of the Maldives Police Service. Second, the document is submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives (located at Fathulla Jameel Building, Male) for attestation; this step takes approximately 2 working days and carries no fee. Third, the attested document — together with its certified translation — is submitted to the destination country's embassy in Male or the nearest consulate abroad for final legalization.

For foreign documents to be accepted within the Maldives, an additional certification known as the Maldives Document Attestation Certificate (MDAC) may be required. MDAC certification is handled through Maldivian embassies and high commissions worldwide and typically takes 5-10 business days.

DoVisa provides the certified translation component of this chain. Our certified translations are formatted to meet the requirements of receiving embassies and immigration authorities, and our team can advise clients on the full legalization process for their specific destination country.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives in Male, responsible for document attestation and authentication for international use

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives oversees document attestation — the key step in consular legalization

55+Documents Translated

98.5%Acceptance Rate

4.6Customer Satisfaction

100+Language Pairs

Ahmed R.Jan 14, 2026

"Had my Dhivehi birth certificate translated for a USCIS green card application. The Thaana script was rendered accurately and USCIS accepted it without any request for evidence. Very professional."

Fathimath N.Dec 8, 2025

"Needed my Maldivian marriage certificate translated to English for a UK spouse visa. DoVisa delivered within three days and the UK Visas and Immigration office accepted it immediately."

Ibrahim M.Nov 22, 2025

"My university transcripts from a Maldivian college needed certified translation for WES credential evaluation in Canada. Fast turnaround and the translation was accepted by IRCC without issues."

Mariyam S.Oct 30, 2025

"Used DoVisa to translate my police clearance certificate from the Maldives Police Service into English for an Australian skilled visa. Accurate translation and helpful customer service throughout."

Ali H.Sep 17, 2025

"Needed several Maldivian employment documents translated from Dhivehi to German. The translators clearly understood the Thaana script and all documents were accepted by the German embassy in Colombo."

Aminath K.Aug 5, 2025

"Had my DNR birth certificate and national ID card translated for a New Zealand residency application. Very impressed with the accuracy and the certification statement included with the translation."

Mohamed Z.Jul 20, 2025

"Initial delivery was a day late due to the Thaana script complexity, but the team communicated proactively and resolved it quickly. Final translation was accurate and accepted by the British High Commission."

Hussain A.Jun 11, 2025

"Translated my Maldivian business registration certificate into English for company registration in the UK. Clear, accurate, and delivered on time. The certified stamp was accepted without question."

Aishath F.May 3, 2025

"Used the express service to translate medical reports from Dhivehi to English for a US employer requiring health documentation. Received within two business days and the employer accepted it."

Shathir M.Mar 28, 2025

"My family needed multiple Maldivian documents translated for a Canadian family sponsorship application through IRCC. DoVisa handled everything efficiently and all translations were accepted first time."

Ahmed R.Jan 14, 2026

"Had my Dhivehi birth certificate translated for a USCIS green card application. The Thaana script was rendered accurately and USCIS accepted it without any request for evidence. Very professional."

Fathimath N.Dec 8, 2025

"Needed my Maldivian marriage certificate translated to English for a UK spouse visa. DoVisa delivered within three days and the UK Visas and Immigration office accepted it immediately."

Ibrahim M.Nov 22, 2025

"My university transcripts from a Maldivian college needed certified translation for WES credential evaluation in Canada. Fast turnaround and the translation was accepted by IRCC without issues."

Maldives Document Translation FAQs

What types of Maldivian documents can be translated?

We translate all types of Maldivian documents including birth certificates issued by the Department of National Registration (DNR), marriage certificates, police clearance certificates from the Maldives Police Service, national identity cards, academic transcripts, employment references, medical reports, business registration documents, power of attorney documents, and immigration records. All documents written in Dhivehi using Thaana script are supported.

Are your Dhivehi translations certified?

Yes. Every translation includes a signed certification statement from the translator attesting to the accuracy and completeness of the translation. This certification is accepted by USCIS, UK Visas and Immigration, IRCC (Canada), the Australian Department of Home Affairs, and embassies and courts worldwide. The certification includes the translator's name, credentials, and date of certification.

How long does translation of Maldivian documents take?

Standard certified translation is delivered within 4-6 business days. Express processing is available for 2-3 business days, and rush service within 24 hours for select document types. Dhivehi documents written in Thaana script may require additional review time due to the unique nature of the script — our team will advise during intake if this applies to your documents.

What language pairs do you offer for Maldives documents?

Our primary language pair is Dhivehi to English, covering the majority of translation requests for Maldivian documents. We also translate Dhivehi documents into German, French, Arabic, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, and Japanese, as well as English to Dhivehi for documents intended for submission within the Maldives. Over 100 language pairs are available on request.

Will my translation be accepted by immigration authorities?

Our certified translations are accepted by immigration authorities worldwide including USCIS (United States), UK Visas and Immigration, IRCC (Canada), and the Australian Department of Home Affairs. Our current acceptance rate is 98.5%. If your application is rejected due to our translation, we will retranslate the document at no additional charge.

Does the Maldives have an apostille for document authentication?

No. The Maldives is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention. As confirmed by the HCCH status table (updated 31 December 2025), the Maldives is not among the 129 Contracting Parties. Maldivian documents for international use must therefore undergo full consular legalization: authentication by the issuing authority, attestation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives, and legalization by the destination country's embassy. DoVisa provides the certified translation as part of this legalization chain.

What is the MDAC and when do I need it?

The Maldives Document Attestation Certificate (MDAC) is a certification required for foreign documents to be legally recognized within the Maldives. It is handled through Maldivian embassies and high commissions worldwide and typically takes 5-10 business days to obtain. If you are submitting a foreign-language document to a Maldivian government authority, you will need MDAC certification in addition to a certified translation.

Do I need notarization with my translation?

For submissions to US, UK, Canadian, and Australian immigration authorities, notarization is generally not required — a certified translation with the translator's signed statement is sufficient. For use within the Maldives or for legalization through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, notarization requirements depend on the destination authority. Our team can advise based on your specific requirements.

How are Dhivehi names romanized in translations?

Dhivehi names are romanized using standard transliteration conventions applied consistently throughout the translation. Our translators follow the romanization system used by the Maldivian government and international authorities to ensure that names match across all pages of your document set. If your passport or visa already contains a specific romanization of your name, please provide it so we can ensure consistency.

Can you translate handwritten Dhivehi documents?

Yes. Our Dhivehi translators are experienced with handwritten Thaana-script documents including older civil registry records and handwritten legal instruments. We will notify you during the intake review if any portion of a document is illegible and request a clearer scan before proceeding.

What format will I receive the translation in?

You will receive your certified translation as a high-resolution PDF by email, formatted to closely mirror the layout of the original document. Physical copies are available via tracked courier for an additional fee. If you require a specific format for submission to an embassy or immigration authority, please let us know at the time of order.

How much does certified Dhivehi translation cost?

Translation is priced per page with volume discounts for larger document sets. The exact cost depends on the document length and service tier (standard, express, or rush). Visit our order page for an instant quote — no commitment required. Our minimum order applies, and pricing is displayed in your local currency.