The tourism board of Maldives has announced the facilitation of split-stay between all types of resorts.

In addition, the validity of the Covid-19 PCR test has also been extended — now the test needs to be conducted within a maximum of 96 hours prior to departure from the first port of the embarkation en route to Maldives.

For split-stays, all accommodations must take a prior approval as per official procedures and guidelines from the Ministry. All facilities must submit a ‘no objection form’ for the split-stay to the tourism ministry, at least two days prior to the travelling date.

Spilt-stay can be permitted on the following basis:

  • Tourists are allowed to travel from one tourist resort to another, if neither of the properties are under monitoring nor have any reported community spread of Covid-19.
  • Tourists are allowed to travel from a tourist guesthouse island to another if the tourist guesthouse islands are not under monitoring nor have any reported cases of community spread.
  • Tourists are allowed to travel from a tourist resort to a tourist guesthouse and vice-versa, given the split-stay procedures are complied with. However, if a tourist has stayed at a tourist guesthouse at any point during their stay in Maldives, they are required to conduct a PCR test 72 hours prior to their scheduled departure from Maldives.
  • For approval of all above inter-island travels, tourists have to submit form SS-1 via email to [email protected] within two days of the scheduled travel date.

The tourism ministry has clarified that no prior approval is required for a day visit between different tourists resorts, tourist resorts and guesthouse islands and vice versa.

“However, tourists must undergo an exit screening to reduce the transmission of Covid-19 in the tourism sector prior their travel from one tourist Guesthouse island to the other. This is to ensure that a symptomatic person or a person undergoing quarantine does not exit the island,” reads an official statement.

visitmaldives.com