Everything You Need to Know About Maldives Officially Opening Its Borders on July
Tuesday 23rd of June 2020
Everything You Need to Know About Maldives Officially Opening Its Borders on July
On 23rd June, The President of Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih announced that the country will officially reopen its borders on the 15th of July. The Maldives has publically released the Guidelines for Restarting Tourism as well as key travel information for visitors to the destination.
The country had closed its borders for the first time in 47 years since tourism was introduced to the Maldives on 27th March 2020 due to the COVID19 pandemic. This had stopped tourism and a vast majority of resorts had temporarily ceased operations. With the reopening of borders on July, all the resorts, liveaboards and hotels on uninhabited islands will be allowed to open, and guesthouses and hotels in inhabited islands will open in August.
Visitors are guaranteed utmost safety as they arrive to the Maldives. In fact, the biggest European market Germany as well as the United Arab Emirates has declared that the Maldives is safe to travel. All industry stakeholders discussed action plans and funding for a fast economic recovery. The resorts have initiated their own health & safety measures to ensure that guests have a worry-free, safe holiday.
Key Information for Tourists
Tourists travelling to the Maldives will be provided a free 30-day tourist visa on arrival. You will not be subjected to any quarantine measures on arrival and will not be required to submit any medical test results for entry to the Maldives. However, if you have symptoms of COVID19 upon arrival, you will be subjected to a PCR test at your cost. A health declaration card will also be required.
A confirmed booking in a tourist establishment registered with the Ministry of Tourism, prior to travelling is mandatory. Tourists are advised to directly check offers and operational status with the preferred tourist establishment on their website and mobile apps. Tourists who are visiting Maldives during Phase 1 of opening shall book their entire stay in one registered establishment. However, exemptions are made for transit arrangements.
When you depart from the destination, note that testing services are available for tourists who require COVID19 test results to return to their home country or to another destination.
The Main Airport & Tourist Arrivals
On 21st June, Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), the government owned company operating Velana International Airport, revealed that expects to see 10 daily international flights as the country reopens. This includes flights by Emirates, Etihad, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, SriLankan Airlines, Qatar Airways, Silk Air, IndiGo and Hong Kong Airlines.
Regarding the annual tourist arrival estimates, President Ibu Solih stated the government expects to see 850,000 tourist arrivals this year, including the 382,762 tourist arrivals recorded prior to the closure of the borders on March 27.
The physical distancing measures in place at the airport will cut down the number of passengers who can be catered to at any given time from 1,000 passengers to 570. Further, the capacity of the international departures terminal will be cut from 1,200 to 750 passengers. Safety measures taken at the airport are detailed in the Guidelines for Restarting Tourism.
Regular official updates on travel to the Maldives can be viewed on the websites of the Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Cover: St,Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort