Maldives is now open; remember these COVID guidelines issued by the island nation

Panchali Dey, TIMESOFINDIA.COM, TRAVEL TRENDS, MALDIVES Created : Jul 15, 2021, 19:00 IST

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Maldives is now open; remember these COVID guidelines issued by the island nation

The Maldives is now open for travellers from India. The island nation reopened its borders for South Asian countries from today; the reopening was announced by the Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih last month.

Since the island nation has been one of the most favoured tourist destinations among the Indians, this news comes as a good one for those who want to travel to the Maldives. However, do note that you will have to abide by certain COVID-related rules to plan your trip to the island nation.

To help you plan your trip, here is all that you need to know about the guidelines that have been issued by the Maldives.

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COVID tests and vaccination

Those with symptoms will be asked to undergo a PCR test, and will be sent to isolation till the results are in. All tourists, along with those who have received both the doses of COVID vaccination, will be required to provide a RT-PCR negative test report.

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Quarantine protocol and testing rules

As of now, mandatory quarantine is not in place. Those arriving from India will have to produce a negative RT-PCR test report, which is no older than 96 hours before arriving in the country. Note, infants below 1 year of age will be exempt from this rule. As per the reports, certain visa holders (like those holding a work visa) will be exempted from the pre-arrival test requirements.

Further, those arriving from the Maldives to India, will also need to carry a negative RT-PCR test that has been conducted 72 hours before boarding the flight. For this, visitors can contact their hotels in the Maldives to book the self-paid RT-PCR test, and once they receive their negative test result, it will be uploaded on the Air Suvidha portal. Those who are able to provide a negative RT-PCR test report will not be required to undergo quarantine.

Also, there might be random PCR test checks at the airport, which will be voluntary, and the cost of which will be borne by the Maldives Government.

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Eligibility

Those travelling from India to the Maldives must be tourists, or Maldives nationals, or expatriates and their dependents holding a work permit.

Further, those travelling from the Maldives to India must be Indian nationals, and all those with OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) cardholders holding Maldivian passports. This category will also include foreigners (including diplomats) and hold a valid visa, issued by an Indian Mission in any category covered under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

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Guidelines for tourists

Visitors arriving for tourism must have a confirmed reservation at a resort, and a valid return ticket. As of now, a resort stay is mandatory, as staying on the island has not been permitted yet. Short-term visitors must have a RT-PCR negative certificate in English that has been issued no more than 96 hours before departure.

Further, those travelling on business visa/ sponsorship approval, are also required to have an RT-PCR negative certificate in English, issued no more than 72 hours before departure.

Wearing face masks is mandatory while in public.

You will also be required to download the Maldives contact tracing app, TraceEkee, before travelling to the Maldives, and submit a Health Declaration on the Maldives immigration portal 24 hours before arrival.

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Visas

As per the latest reports, the Maldives has started issuing tourist visas on arrival, starting from July 15 to those travelling from South Asia. However, they will also need a negative RT-PCR result to enter the Maldives.