The Maldives issued a couple of lines the other day about who could travel to the Maldives from India, and that caused more confusion than answers. Here is a much more sorted line of communication from the Maldives clarifying who can visit the Maldives now, especially for those originating from India.

The government of Maldives has recently announced temporary measures to control the spread of COVID-19 about the rising COVID-19 cases in India. Indian travellers arriving in the Maldives are restricted from staying at guesthouses and hotels located in local inhabited islands. The restriction does not apply to resorts and liveaboards. All flights will be as per the schedule, and no change is expected in terms of local transport from the Airport to the Resorts.

#Maldives resorts and liveboards continue welcoming tourists from all countries, including tourists traveling from #India. Hotels and guest houses in inhabited islands continue welcoming all tourists except those traveling from India.@visitmaldives

— Ministry of Tourism (@MoTmv) April 26, 2021

The following safety measures are in place to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of the local population and travellers alike. Indian tourists who are already checked into hotels and guesthouses will be allowed to stay at the facilities until the completion of their booking duration. The measures are temporary, and tourists can spend their holiday in the Maldives at resorts as usual.

For Safety measures, the below restrictions are being imposed effective April 27, 2021:

1. Indian travellers arriving in the Maldives from India, including travellers exceeding 24 hours transit periods, must hold a negative PCR test for COVID-19 before entry into the Maldives. The restriction also applies to tourists who have completed the prescribed dose(s) of a COVID-19 vaccine. The PCR test must be conducted not more than 96 hours before the travellers scheduled time of departure from the first port of embarkation en route to the Maldives from India. Besides, travellers must undertake a PCR test for COVID-19 a maximum of 72 hours before departure from the Maldives.
2. Maldivian citizens and work permit holders to the Maldives from India must undertake a PCR test for COVID-19 within 24 hours of arrival to the Maldives and must complete a mandatory 10-day quarantine period followed by a negative PCR test result at the end of this quarantine period. Children below one-year-old are exempted from the requirement as mentioned earlier.
3. Travellers arriving from India (including travellers exceeding 24 hours transit periods) are restricted to check-in to Guesthouses and hotels located in Inhabited Islands. However, the restriction does not apply to guesthouses and hotels located in secluded areas of the Inhabited Islands.

Bottomline

You can still proceed to travel to the Maldives. However, you need to clarify if where you plan to stay in the Maldives is open for business to you as originating from India or not. A call or a text to your hotel and airline should be in order.

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