Hinnavaru introduces MVR 2K deregistration fee as population plummets

The local council of Lh. Hinnavaru has decided to introduce an administrative fee of MVR 2,000 to process applications of individuals who wish to remove themselves from the residential registry of the island – a move local officials say is designed to prevent the island’s population from declining further.

The council announced the decision via its social media accounts on Wednesday.

According to the council, the fee is designed to boost the residential population of the island, which is currently around 2,000 people.

The council will begin levying the fee on September 1.

“We hereby announce that starting 1 September 2026, the council will charge an administrative fee of MVR 2,000 for the service of deregistering from Hinnavaru and registering elsewhere,” reads the announcement.

Hinnavaru Council’s president Mohamed Affan told Sun that they made the decision earlier this week.

“This decision was made with the unanimous consensus of all councilors who engaged in this discussion,” he said.

Maldivian laws grant all citizens the right to migrate from one island to the other at will.

The decision by the Hinnavaru Council comes as more and more people living in the atolls move to the greater Male’ area to gain access to better education and healthcare services, as well as employment opportunities.