Last Updated on June 26, 2020 by WFD
Traveling to the Maldives is not going to be the same again (at least for some years to come). The government of the Republic of Maldives has announced plans to open the island’s borders for international holidaymakers after months of closure, due to the global coronavirus pandemic. Starting July 15, 2020, tourists can now book flights and head to the Maldives for sightseeing.
To curb the spread of COVID-19 and maximize the safety of both travelers and the citizens of Maldives, the Government of Maldives, together with the Ministry of Tourism, has put in place measures for tourists to follow before and during their travel to the island nation.
It should be noted that travelers who have a history of contact with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID- 19 within the past 14 days and persons who have fever or respiratory symptoms such as cough, sore throat, shortness of breath within the past 14 days are advised not to travel to the Maldives.
Traveling to the Maldives
Before You Travel to the Maldives
- A confirmed booking in a tourist establishment registered with the Ministry of Tourism, prior to traveling is mandatory.
- Tourist resorts, live-aboard vessels, and hotels located on uninhabited islands are open for bookings starting from July 15th, 2020.
- Guest houses and hotels located on inhabited islands will open for bookings starting from 1st August 2020.
- However, guest houses and hotels located on inhabited islands will be allowed to accommodate transiting passengers waiting for domestic transfers under special permits. Transit arrangements can be made through the primary facility where the stay is booked.
- Tourists are advised to directly check offers and operational status with the preferred tourist establishments on their websites and mobile applications.
- Tourists who are visiting the Maldives during phase 1 of opening shall book their entire stay in one registered establishment. Stays at multiple resorts and hotels are not permitted during this period. However, exemptions will be made for transit arrangements.
During Your Flight to the Maldives
- All passengers will be required to submit a health declaration card upon arrival.
- As per border health and aviation procedure, if a passenger has a fever, cough, or shortness of breath on board the flight, the Health Protection Agency should be informed.
Arrival at the Airport in the Maldives
- Tourists traveling to the Maldives will be provided a free 30-day tourist visa on arrival.
- A health declaration card will be required as part of the on-arrival procedure.
- All arriving passengers will be required to wear face masks.
- Physical distancing should be ensured.
- All arriving passengers will be required to undergo thermal screening at entry.
- Tourists will not be subject to any quarantine measures upon arrival to the Maldives.
- Tourists will not be required to submit any medical test results for entry to the Maldives. However, travelers presenting with symptoms of Covid-19 upon arrival will be subject to a PCR test at the traveler’s cost. The tourist will be sent to a designated facility for isolation. Isolation will be done at a designated transit facility or at the tourists’ destination resort (depending on the resort policy).
If the result of the PCR test is positive, the tourist may continue isolation at the resort or will be transferred to a designated state-run isolation facility. If the result of the PCR test is negative, the tourist will be released from isolation.
In the case of a negative PCR test in a tourist who is isolated temporarily at a transit facility, he/she will be released from isolation and may travel to the destination resort. Although released from isolation, asymptomatic tourists will have to follow restrictions on attending public places such as restaurants until the symptoms resolve.
- Contact tracing will be done for the symptomatic patient to identify passengers who were close contacts during the flight and during the journey. Contacts who are tourists can be quarantined in their destination resorts until the PCR test result of the patient is known. Contacts will be released from quarantine if the patients’ PCR test is negative.
- On arrival, if any tourist gives a history of contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 within 14 days prior to arrival (as per passenger health declaration card), the tourist will be examined by the doctor at the airport clinic. If the person is asymptomatic, he/she will require to be quarantined. If the person is symptomatic, a sample will be taken for PCR for COVID-19 and the patient will be sent to a designated facility for isolation.
- Installing the contact tracing app “TraceEkee” is encouraged for all tourists.
- Additionally, local health authorities may conduct random testing at no cost to travelers.
- Mandatory restrictions on travel within the Maldives for tourists during the COVID-19 pandemic: Tourists will be required to observe the existing Health Protection Agency (HPA) rules and regulations on restrictions on inter-island travel.
- All tourists should inform the resort if they test positive for COVID-19 within 14 days of departure from the resort.
At Departure from Your Place of Stay
- Tourists will have to undergo an exit screening prior to departure from the place of stay.
- Routine testing for COVID-19 is not required prior to departure, however during exit screening, if any tourist is found to have fever or symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 within the prior 14 days, they should undergo PCR testing for COVID-19.
- Testing services will be available in the Maldives for tourists who require Covid-19 test results to return to their countries of origin or another destination.
About the Maldives Island
The Maldives is an island nation made up of 1,190 coral islands strewn across the equator. It is a world-class holiday destination well-known for its unique one-island-one-resort concept. Only tourists and staff are accommodated on these resorts, far away from the hustle and bustle of other islands. Along with the pristine natural beauty surrounding the resorts, privacy and seclusion are the epitome of what makes it one of the most sought after tourist destinations in the world.
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