It’s one of the most paradisiacal holiday destinations on the planet, an archipelago of 1,200 islands home to some of the world’s most luxurious resorts, and the Maldives is set to rewelcome tourists from all destinations from July 15.
Announced by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Tuesday June 23, the country will reopen its borders on Wednesday July 15, giving the green light for resorts to welcome guests from that date. The guesthouse industry will be permitted to follow suit from August 1.
After initially outlining plans to introduce a mandatory 14-day stay and new fees that would cover the cost of Covid tests, tourist visas and a self-quarantine while awaiting test results, the country did a policy U-turn for new arrivals. From next month, tourists from all countries will be able to visit the Maldives visa-free, with no Covid-19 testing on either end of their flight to the destination, stay for as long as they like and won’t be required to self-quarantine either. So, in effect, it is back to business-as-usual in the tropical paradise, it seems.
Tourists will be granted a free, 30-day visa upon arrival, but will have to submit a health declaration card when they pass through immigration. No pre-granted health certificate will be needed.
At the airport random testing will be conducted, and anyone displaying symptoms of Covid-19 will be requred to takea PCR test. Covid tests will also be available for travellers who require it for their onward journey.
A four hour flight from Dubai, the Maldives is a popular destination for travellers from the UAE, and is set to become one of the first destinations to reopen to UAE residents next month. For those dreaming of summer travel plans, countries including Cyprus, Georgia, Tanzania and Lebanon are all either open or opening in the coming weeks to visitors from the UAE without quarantine requirements.
Source: Conde Nast Traveller