During a press conference held on March 29 at the President’s Office, the Special Committee of the Council of Ministers, formed in response to tensions in the Middle East, took stock of the situation, marked by the repercussions on air traffic and the economy tourist.
The authorities have notably confirmed the gradual resumption of several connections suspended in recent weeks: the Emirates, Etihad and flydubai companies now operate two daily flights to the archipelago via reorganized air corridors. Qatar Airways, for its part, must relaunch daily service from April 1, marking a further step in reestablishing connections with the region.
The government also reports an improvement in the occupancy rate of flights, a sign of a gradual return in demand, while continuing its efforts to identify new routes and secure essential flows in a still uncertain context.
In this context of still fragile recovery, the authorities also intend to act on the conditions of stay of travelers already present in the territory.
Maldives: simplified and accelerated visa extension from April
Already available online, the extension of the tourist visa in the Maldives will soon be simplified.
Until now, travelers could already complete this procedure online via the official IMUGA Maldivian immigration portal. However, the procedure could prove to be more demanding, both in terms of documents to be provided and processing times. Starting next month, the authorities intend to take a new step by significantly reducing these formalities.
The Maldivian Minister of Tourism and Environment, Thoriq Ibrahim, announced that a simplified service for extending tourist visas would be launched in April.
“Without the long waiting times of the past or the multitude of documents to provide, it will now be enough to submit an application via the online platform by simply attaching a photo of your visa, pay the fees, and you will obtain the extension of your visa in 48 hours.”declared the minister.
This development is part of a logic of rapid response to the drop in tourist arrivals. The minister recalled that nearly 30% of visitors usually pass through companies from the Middle East, today strongly affected by the geopolitical situation, making the facilitation of extended stays all the more strategic.
The visa is issued on arrival in the Maldives for the majority of travelers
The Maldives’ entry policy remains one of the most accessible in the world. The vast majority of international travelers can benefit from a free 30-day tourist visa issued on arrival, without prior action.
No electronic travel authorization is required in advance. However, entry into the territory remains conditional on compliance with several requirements:
- have a passport or machine-readable travel document, valid for at least one month (extended passports are not accepted);
- present a complete itinerary with confirmed return ticket and prepaid accommodation reservation, or demonstrate sufficient resources, or hold sponsorship validated by the authorities;
- complete a travel declaration online via the IMUGA system within 96 hours before the flight;
- meet the entry requirements of the next destination;
- present, where applicable, a certificate of vaccination against yellow fever.
This flexible framework, combined with the absence of prior formalities, has long contributed to making the Maldives a particularly seamless destination for international travelers.
Towards new visas for teleworkers and content creators
Beyond the simplification of extensions, the Maldivian authorities are working on a more structural evolution of their tourist migration policy. The objective: to attract visitors capable of staying longer in the archipelago.
Two new visa categories are thus under study: a remote work visa intended for digital nomads, and a specific visa for content creators. These measures aim to attract a clientele less dependent on seasonal air flows and more inclined to settle over several weeks, or even several months.
This orientation comes in a context of strong dependence on international tourism. The authorities have also recognized a drop of around 21% in arrivals since the start of the month, a direct consequence of disruptions in air hubs in the Middle East, essential for flows from Europe and Asia.
At the same time, the government intends to diversify its tourist offer, in particular by developing new activities, technical diving, sport fishing or even the reopening of underwater fishing after several decades of ban, in order to broaden the attractiveness of the country.
