Resort owners, investors granted special visa to travel to Maldives

National Emergency Operations Center, on Saturday, announced the decision to permit specific parties to travel to Maldives by granting special visas.

At the NEOC press briefing tonight, a technical team from Health Protection Agency (HPA) had authorized permitting specific parties to enter Maldives under special visa.

“We received the tech team’s decision today.  Since Maldives has cancelled issuance of on arrival visa, the parties who come to Maldives using special visa permit. This includes resort owners, investors, and officials from institutions such as the WHO or World Bank. And this also establishes guidelines for diplomatic services,” said Mabrouq.

He said that those who arrive in Maldives under special visa will also need to undergo mandatory 14-day quarantine, and will not be permitted to travel between islands.

They will need to undergo testing for COVID-19 within 24 hours of arrival, and a second round of testing following completion of 14 days of quarantine.

Mabrouq said that those who will be permitted to serve such parties must be the bare minimum number of workers necessary, and will need to remain 14 days in the island from the date the last guest departs from the island, as is current protocol.

“It is stressed that resort owners and resort investors when they arrive in Maldives be allowed the opportunity to stay in their own resorts where possible,” he said.