Maldives
The Maldives has no freedom of panorama, but its draw is natural scenery rather than architecture, so the bigger constraints are resort drone bans and modesty norms.
Guidance, not legal advice
Permit
Conditional
Issuer: Resort or property owner for commercial shoots; no permit for personal photography
Cost: No permit for personal photography; commercial shoots need resort or property permission
Personal photography needs no permit. Avoid airport and government areas. Respect local-island modesty norms.
Drone / airspace
Regulated by the Maldives Civil Aviation Authority; registration required and many resorts enforce no-fly zones for guest privacy
For category detail, see Drone Authority.
Street / public space
Yes, but on local islands modesty norms are strong; photographing residents, especially women, without consent is poorly received
Resorts are private property with their own rules.
Freedom of panorama
Restricted (no freedom of panorama)
The Copyright and Related Rights Act (Law 23 of 2010) provides no panorama exception, so commercial images of copyrighted buildings or public art are not exempt. In practice the draw is reefs and beaches, so this rarely bites.
Practical notes
- Most resorts ban or tightly restrict drones to protect guest privacy; get written permission first.
- On local islands, dress and photograph conservatively; photographing people without consent can cause offense.
Sources
Keep shooting
Knowing the rules is half the job. The craft side: