Health Protection Agency (HPA) has announced that Maldivians will now be able to travel to resorts with a negative PCR test.
Under the new regulation change, locals traveling to resorts will need a negative PCR test that is less than 72 hours old and have to arrange accommodation and food separate from the staff.
Effective from 20th December, locals and people with work visa traveling from abroad must have a PCR negative result that was obtained within 96 hours from the first port. Children below the age of 1 are exempted.
HPA further stated that local tourists and short visit workers going to resorts outside the Male’ Area (Male’, Hulhumale’ and Vilimale’) would have to quarantine for 10 days under this regulation.
If traveling to inhabited islands, resorts, and those in the health & education sector and who work at government shelter facilities to observe a 10 days quarantine period. They will be released with a PCR negative result.
However, PCR negative results will not be required before traveling to other islands to provide essential services.
HPA further stated that they will be taking action against those who are not adhering to the set guidelines.
Maldives ceased local tourism as a safety measure to curb the spread of the COVID-19.
However, the destination opened opened borders to all nationalities from 15th July 2020. All visitors are granted a 30-day free on-arrival visa with a confirmed booking for a stay at any registered tourist facility in the country.
Maldives has also extended ‘Split Stay’ for all types of tourist accommodation facilities, allowing tourists to split their stay between resort, hotels, guesthouses and live aboard boats, with prior approval as per split-stay procedure and guideline by the Ministry of Tourism.
While there is no mandatory quarantine or testing on arrival, tourists traveling to Maldives are required to complete an online health declaration form and provide a negative PCR test result taken at least 96 hours prior to their departure.
The negative PCR test result must be attached while completing Traveler Health Declaration form, which has to be submitted online via IMUGA (www.imuga.immigration.gov.mv), by all arriving passengers before arrival (but not exceeding 24 hours before arrival time).
