According to the Maldives Customs Service, the entire process required to clear goods for export prior to a vessel’s departure averages 10 days, 10 hours, and 14 minutes. These details are outlined in the Time Release Study 2025, released by Customs on Saturday. 

The study tracks the complete export procedure from the moment a customs declaration is filed until the vessel leaves port. Customs officials state that these findings will help identify delays and support administrative and digital reforms aimed at reducing clearance times.

The data shows that 15 hours and 6 minutes are spent from declaration submission to assessment, followed by 17 hours and 31 minutes allocated for the payment process. This indicates that the administrative steps preceding operational activities—including offshore requests, inspections, and booking—already take more than a day.

Notably, the offshore request process and the approval required for it are significant sources of delay. On average, it takes 1 day, 16 hours, and 55 minutes from payment to offshore request, with an additional 1 day, 9 hours, and 47 minutes needed for approval.

Cargo inspections, involving checks by various government agencies, also contribute substantially to the timeline, averaging 1 day, 9 hours, and 35 minutes. Customs highlights that this reflects the coordination efforts among multiple institutions operating within the port.

After completing documentation and inspections, exporters must secure booking approval and move on to loading. The booking approval process takes about 1 day, 13 hours, and 57 minutes. The longest phase is the final step—loading the cargo and completing formalities until the vessel departs—which takes approximately 2 days, 12 hours, and 3 minutes.