The Maldives Becomes the Fifteenth Country to Remove Entry Requirements – An Attempt to Boost the Nation’s Tourism Industry

Travelers to the Maldives will no longer need to produce negative PCR tests or proof of vaccination. Even the “health emergency” status that was declared two years ago has also been lifted. The Maldivian government has also removed the mask mandate; however, the new rules must still be considered. According to the president of the nation, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, wearing masks is optional except in health care centers and hospitals, and should the positivity rate for COVID-19 go above 20 percent on any island.

This decision to remove entry requirements comes after the Maldives managed to vaccinate 68 percent of its population and overcome the impact of the spread of COVID-19. Now the nation’s government is focusing on recovering its tourism industry, whose revenues account for around 70 percent of Maldives’ GDP, with many Maldives events based at popular Maldives resorts such as Saii Lagoon Maldives.