Maldives is reopening for Indian tourists from July 15. Before you plan a trip, here’s all you need to know about the guidelines issued by the island country.
Many countries are reopening for Indian tourists who want to enter their borders for non-essential travel, and the Maldives will soon become a part of this list. In June, the Maldives government had announced that it will issue on-arrival tourist visas to South Asian travellers from July 15. The list also included Indian travellers.
Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had announced in June that the archipelago is reopening its borders for South Asian countries from July 15.
This announcement comes as good news for all travel enthusiasts as Maldives is one of the most sought-after destinations for Indian tourists. So, in case you are planning to visit the Maldives anytime soon, here’s all you need to know before planning your trip.
Covid-19 travel requirements:
According to the Maldives Ministry of Tourism (MoT), there is no mandatory quarantine on arrival for those showing no symptoms on arrival. However, all passengers, except one-year-old children, will have to produce a negative RT-PCR before arrival for entry.
Additionally, the Tourism Ministry said individuals will be exempted from the mandatory travel quarantine within the Maldives if they have completed two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine two weeks before their travel date. They will have to present a negative RT-PCR test, taken 96 hours before travel, to the authorities.
Moreover, before travelling, one will have to submit a Health Declaration on the Maldives immigration portal 24 hours before arrival, download the Maldives contact tracing app TraceEkee, and wear a face mask while in public.
The Maldives gives a visa on arrival. To enter, Indian nationals visiting the country as a tourist do not require any pre-arrival visa. They should have a valid passport, with at least 1-month validity from the date of your expected departure.
Resorts, Liveaboards and hotels located on uninhabited islands will be open for tourists from July 15, 2020. Indian nationals will not be allowed to visit inhabited islands. They will be required to have a confirmed hotel reservation for their entire stay in one hotel (no change of address allowed) and a valid return ticket.
A list of approved resorts is also available on the Maldivian government’s website.
For non-tourist visitors travelling to an inhabited island, they will have to undergo self-quarantine of 14 days upon arrival at the island.
In May, Maldives had temporarily suspended entry for tourists from all South Asian countries from May 13, 2021. They had released a statement that said, “All categories of visa holders originating from South Asian countries are now temporarily restricted to enter the Maldives, until further notice.”
