Last updated:  March 28, 2022

***  Effective December 6, 2021, all airline passengers to the United States ages two years and older, regardless of vaccination status or citizenship, must provide a negative COVID-19 viral test taken within one calendar day of travel.  Alternatively, travelers to the United States may provide documentation from a licensed health care provider of having recovered from COVID-19 in the 90 days preceding travel.  Check the CDC website for additional information and Frequently Asked Questions.

Country-Specific Information 

• The Ministry of Health has confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Maldives.
• According to data provided by Maldives’ Ministry of Tourism, positive COVID-19 cases for tourists at resorts constitute less than one half of one percent of Maldives’ total confirmed COVID cases since July 2020.  The majority of COVID-19 cases are localized in major population centers (e.g., Male, Addu City).
• For updates and instructions for entry, please visit: https://immigration.gov.mv/.
• Cases have been identified throughout the country with the majority in Male. However, COVID-19 cases have been reported on multiple islands.

The government is taking active steps to prevent further spreading, including travel restrictions, involuntary isolation, and mandatory quarantines.  Travelers who test positive or are exposed to someone with a positive test for COVID-19 are routinely separated from their travel companions and forced to isolate/quarantine at their own expense for a number of days as stipulated by the Government of Maldives. 

COVID-19 Testing

• Are PCR and/or antigen tests available for U.S. citizens in Maldives? Yes.
• If so, are test results reliably available within 72 hours? Yes.
• U.S. citizens can obtain PCR tests through their resort/hotel.  If the resort/hotel is unable to assist with the PCR test, the traveler will be required to travel to Male for testing.  A list of testing laboratories in the greater Male region is available here: https://covid19.health.gov.mv/covid-19-pcr-testing-laboratories-in-greater-male-region-for-travellers/?c=0.
• The traveler is responsible for the cost of testing unless chosen for random testing on arrival. Prices vary by resort/laboratory. 

COVID-19 Vaccine Information:

• Has the government of Maldives approved a COVID-19 vaccine for use?  Yes.
• Are vaccines available in Maldives for U.S. citizens to receive? Vaccines are available for residents of Maldives. Tourists are not eligible to receive vaccines.
• Which vaccines are available in Maldives? Oxford Astra-Zeneca, Covieshield, Sinopharm, Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Janssen.
• Visit the FDA’s website to learn more about FDA-approved vaccines in the United States.
• The U.S. government does not plan to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to private U.S. citizens overseas.  Please follow host country developments and guidelines for COVID-19 vaccination. 

Entry and Exit Requirements

• Are U.S. citizens permitted to enter? Yes
• Is a negative COVID-19 test (PCR and/or serology) required for entry? Yes
• Are health screening procedures in place at airports and other ports of entry? Yes
  • According to Maldives Health Protection Agency, effective July 26, 2021, all tourists are required to hold a valid negative PCR test result from a sample taken 96 hours or less prior to embarkation in Maldives. This requirement is not mandatory for children below the age of one.
  • All tourists should hold a negative PCR test result from a test taken within 72 hours of checking-out of a guesthouse from any inhabited island.
  • Maldives will provide a free 30-day tourist visa on arrival
  • Traveler Health Declaration (THD) must be filled in and submitted by all travelers travelling to and from Maldives, within 48 hours prior to their travel. You may submit the form electronically via https://imuga.immigration.gov.mv/ethd.
  • If any members of the travel party test positive, the person who tests positive will be placed in isolation for 14 days at their expense and the rest of the family will be placed in quarantine for 14 days at their expense.
• For information on limited humanitarian exemptions to CDC’s requirement that all U.S. bound travelers present a negative COVID test, please review the following page: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/requirements-for-air-travelers-to-the-us.html. Humanitarian exemptions to this order will be granted on an extremely limited basis and will only be considered when the country of departure lacks adequate COVID-19 testing capacity.  To submit information in support of an exemption, email ConsularColombo@state.gov.  

Movement Restrictions

• Is a curfew in place? No
• Are there restrictions on intercity or interstate travel? Yes
• Maldives lifted the curfew in Greater Male (Male’, Hulhumale, and Villingili), as of July 8. Please see Islands Under Monitoring – COVID-19 (health.gov.mv)
  • Islands with confirmed COVID-19 patients are placed under travel lockdown, with arrivals and departures to those islands prohibited.  Inter-island or inter-resort travel is prohibited without special permission.

Quarantine Information 

• Are U.S. citizens required to quarantine? No
  • Tourists are allowed entry without quarantine upon arrival.
  • Travelers who test positive (regardless of vaccination status) and are asymptomatic are required to quarantine for 7 days at their own expense from the date the testing sample was taken.  If symptomatic, the quarantine period will end 24 hours after the COVID-19 positive person stops showing symptoms.
  • Travelers who are fully vaccinated but have had contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19 will have two options:  
    • 1) 10-day quarantine at their own expense from the last date of contact with the COVID-19 positive patient.  If the direct contact does not show symptoms after 10 days, they will automatically be released from quarantine.  No further testing is required.  
    • 2) 5-day quarantine at their own expense from the last day of contact with the COVID-19 positive patient, followed by a negative PCR test.  
  • Travelers who are not fully vaccinated and test positive for COVID-19 must undergo 14 days of quarantine at their own expense and then receive a negative COVID-19 test result to be released from quarantine.   
  • Travelers who are required to quarantine must pay for their own extended stay.  You should reconsider travel to Maldives if you do not have sufficient funds to cover any additional quarantine period.
  • The Maldives Ministry of Health has established a website, COVID-19 Local Updates, to track the status of the disease and provide updates. Families of individuals who are currently in quarantine and isolation facilities may contact the following hotlines to get updates on their status: +960-722-3541 and +960-729-0223. These hotlines are staffed from 9am to 11pm Maldives time and have English speakers.  

Transportation Options

• Are commercial flights operating? Yes
• Is public transportation operating? Yes  

Fines for Non-Compliance (if applicable)

• Non-compliance with host country rules regarding social distancing, movement restrictions, or other COVID-19 prevention measures may result in fines or arrests.  

Consular Operations

• Due to travel restrictions, the U.S. Embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka is extremely limited in providing services to American citizens in Maldives. 
• The U.S. Embassy in Colombo is offering limited immigrant visa (IV) and nonimmigrant visa (NIV) services:
  • IV: Immediate Relative and Family-preference cases are currently being processed.
  • NIV: Student, petition-based, and crew/transit visas are currently being processed as well as B1/B2 (visitor) visas. 

Local Resources:

• Travelers are encouraged to review COVID-19 information available at travel.state.gov.
• For the latest information regarding COVID-19, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC)
  • You are encouraged to visit state.gov to view individual Travel Advisories for the most urgent threats to health safety and security. Please also visit the website of the relevant U.S. embassy or consulate to see information on entry restrictions, foreign quarantine policies, and urgent health information provided by local governments.
  • Travelers are urged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency. The Department uses these Alerts to convey information about terrorist threats, security incidents, planned demonstrations, natural disasters, etc. In an emergency, please contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate or call the following numbers: 1(888) 407-4747 (toll-free in the United States and Canada) or 1 (202) 501-4444 from other countries or jurisdictions.
  • The Sri Lanka Ministry of Health website contains information regarding the COVID-19 response.
  • Maldives Ministry of Health has published a COVID-19 Local Updates webpage as well as the Maldives Health Protection Agency.
  • The World Health Organization Maldives page provides some additional information about COVID-19.