MALE, the Maldives 21 April 2021: Effective 20 April, the PCR negative test result is no longer required for tourists visiting the Maldives who can show proof they were inoculated with a recommended Covid-19 vaccine two weeks before they departed to the Maldives.
Asia Pacific Superyachts Maldives head Mohamed Hameed welcomed the news saying it supersedes the previous regulation that required tourists, including yacht owners and crew, to present a negative Covid-19 test on arrival.
Below are some of the other measures that the agent must comply with on behalf of their yacht clients. (Using an agent is mandatory in the Maldives) will advise:
• Clearance will be issued electronically.
• Sailors are categorized as crew and not as tourists. Immigration, therefore, are issuing 90-day visas on arrival (in place of the 30-day visas which are issued for tourists).
• Yacht crew can go ashore at resorts and some islands after showing negative PCR test results.
• Visiting inhabited islands: It is not permitted to visit all islands but there are some inhabited islands which sailors are allowed to go (such as Dharavandhoo Island in Baa Atoll). This includes islands that operate guest houses + if there is an airport on that island. During the pandemic, the agent has to arrange permission from the island council in advance if sailors request to go there.
• Rules continue to be in a state of flux. It is important to contact the agent for the latest before departing for the Maldives.
The Maldives is also one of the few top cruising destinations lifting Covid-19 restrictions as early as last July. The decision to open during the pandemic has been a positive and beneficial decision for visiting vessels, notes Hameed, “Maldives entrance formalities and restrictions are very easy to comply with, and there has been a lot of demand and inquiries, especially when compared to other competitive markets/countries. “Also benefiting yachts is a substantial reduction in fees to enter the Maldives, a decision made in April 2020. It also provides a viable stopover for all yachts crossing the Indian Ocean as well as a convenient stopover for yachts bound for either the Red Sea or en route via the Cape of Good Hope.”
