New Bill Seeks to Remove Five-Year Wait for Island Residency Transfers

The Maldivian Parliament is considering a legislative amendment that would allow individuals to transfer their official residency immediately after acquiring property on an island, removing a long-standing bureaucratic barrier. Currently, the Residency of an Island Act requires individuals to maintain a continuous stay of five years on a target island before they can officially register as a local resident. This requirement has often complicated the lives of citizens moving for work, family, or housing opportunities. The proposed amendment, tabled by MP Mohamed Ibrahim, introduces a property-based route to residency. Under this new provision, any person who obtains legal title to land, a house, a flat, or any other suitable dwelling would be eligible for immediate residency. This applies regardless of whether the property was acquired through purchase, inheritance, government housing schemes, distribution, or a court judgment. To prevent fraud and ensure accuracy, the bill mandates that applicants provide official documentation proving their legal right to the property. Relevant authorities will be required to verify these documents before the individual is entered into the island’s resident registry. To maintain the integrity of the national registry and prevent double-registration, the bill stipulates that once a person is registered on a new island, their name will be automatically removed from the registry of their previous place of residence. This ensures that every citizen holds residency on only one island at any given time. If passed, the bill is expected to streamline the process for thousands of Maldivians moving into new housing developments, particularly in expanding urban hubs like Hulhumalé, by aligning official residency status with actual property ownership.