Maldivians still eligible for on-arrival visa to Sri Lanka, despite cancellations

Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid has announced that Maldivians will continue to get the on-arrival visa from Sri Lanka. The announcement comes after Sri Lanka decided to cancel on arrival visas provided to other nations after a Sri Lankan tested positive for the Covid-19.

Sri Lanka, has thus, imposed strict measures to ensure the safety of its citizens and the cancellation of the on-arrival visa scheme was part of these measures.

Maldivians will continue to get on arrival tourist visa to Sri Lanka as per the Agreement on Visa facilitation signed between the Government of Maldives and Government of Sri Lanka. ????????????????

— Abdulla Shahid (@abdulla_shahid) March 11, 2020

Sri Lanka along with India is a neighboring country resided and visited by many Maldivians, and the news of the visa cancellation brought concern to many Maldivians who frequently visit the country. To subside these worries, Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid tweeted last night that Maldivians would still be eligible for the on-arrival visa under an agreement signed between the governments of the two countries.

The Covid-19 was also declared as a pandemic by the WHO last night and while the Maldives has confirmed eight cases, no locals have been tested positive for the disease so far. The confirmed cases all came from resorts that local communities do not reside on.

The disease has now infected more than 100,000 worldwide. Deaths due to the disease are numbered at around 4,300.