- The Maldives government updated its official immigration website to reflect a major tourist entry policy change effective April 2025
- The island nation grants tourist visas on arrival to foreigners from virtually every country, with one notable exception now written into official policy
- The Maldives Immigration website names the specific country whose passport holders will be turned away at the border
The Maldives has made clear that nearly every foreigner is welcome to visit its shores without prior visa approval but one country’s citizens are barred from entry entirely.
According to the official Maldives Immigration website, tourists travelling to the island nation do not need to obtain a visa before arrival.
Photo credit: mustafahacalaki/ Getty Images, Wikipedia.
Source: UGC
Foreign visitors are granted a 30-day tourist visa upon landing, provided they meet the country’s basic entry requirements.
Travellers are also encouraged to submit an IMUGA Traveller Declaration before their trip.
Israel Singled Out in Maldives Entry Policy
Buried within the tourist visa section of the immigration portal is a notice that sets one nationality apart from all others.
The website states:
“Effective from 15th April 2025, entry to the Maldives will not be granted on Israeli passports.”
The restriction means that holders of Israeli passports are the only nationality explicitly excluded from the Maldives’ otherwise open-door tourist visa policy. No other country is named or restricted on the page.
What Visitors Need to Know
For everyone else, the process remains straightforward. Tourists do not require pre-approval and can obtain their visa at the point of entry.
However, all visitors must satisfy standard immigration clearance requirements upon arrival. The immigration authority also directs travellers to complete the IMUGA Declaration ahead of their journey as part of the entry process.
The Maldives, known globally as a luxury travel destination, draws visitors from across the world to its coral islands and resorts.
The country’s decision to single out Israeli passport holders makes it one of a number of nations to have introduced formal travel restrictions tied to Israeli citizenship in the period following the conflict in Gaza.
Maldives speaks about visa on arrival
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a Maldives mentioned the names of five African countries that are eligible for its visa-on-arrival policy.
The duration that travellers from each of the countries can stay in the Maldives has also been outlined.
Source: Legit.ng