Maldives to restore visa-on-arrival for visitors from South Asia from July 15

Starting July 15, the Maldives will resume visa-on-arrival for South Asian countries, including India. The Ministry of Tourism, Maldives tweeted on Tuesday, "Maldives will restart issuing of on-arrival tourist visas starting 15th July to tourists travelling from South Asia. Tourists need a negative #PCR result to enter the Maldives. Further details will follow accordingly."

Maldives to resume visa-on-arrival for tourists 

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih announced at a press conference in the President's Office that the Maldives will resume issuing tourist VISAs to South Asian visitors on July 15. According to Maldives media, more information on this issue will be released soon. Additionally, from July 1, work visa holders will be able to re-enter the Maldives. After crossing the border, they will be subject to quarantine in the Maldives.

In May, a travel ban was enforced on visitors from South Asia in an attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka were among the countries affected by the restriction, in addition to India.  However, the ministry decided to admit tourists after analyzing the current situation and the decrease in the number of cases.

Maldives Bans Entry Of Indian Tourists 

A month ago, Maldives imposed restrictions on travellers from India as the restrictions were tightened due to a surge in the COVID-19 crisis. The Indian Ocean archipelago’s Health Protection Agency had informed that the residents of Male will be required to stay indoors from 4 pm until 4 am. Visas for tourists from India and other nations in South Asia will be halted from May 13, it added. 

The healthcare professionals, on the other hand, must have a PCR negative result from a sample obtained 96 hours before their trip to the Maldives, as per previous regulations. They will also be subjected to 14-day home quarantine. Only after a negative PCR test will they be removed from home quarantine. In addition, all inbound tourists from foreign countries must have a PCR negative result from a sample obtained 96 hours prior to their departure from the Maldives' first port of embarkation, said the release.

(with inputs from ANI)

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