The Sri Lankan authorities have decided to extend for 30 days all categories of visas held by foreigners who were in Sri Lanka between March 14 and April 12.
Sri Lanka is the most frequent destination for Maldivians going abroad for medical treatment and vacation. There are currently about 13,000 Maldivians living in Sri Lanka for education and work.
The Sri Lankan government announced on March 15 that it would indefinitely suspend the issuance of visas on arrival to all countries, including the Maldives, amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Any individual who has been granted a 30-day extension is urged to pay the required fee and have their passport stamped at the Sri Lanka Immigration Visa Section on April 8 or 9.
The extension is intended to address difficulties caused by the cancellation of a large number of international flights.
Also, anyone arriving in Sri Lanka from Iran, South Korea and any European country between 1-15 March is urged to register at the nearest police station or call 119.
Areas covered by the Maldives travel ban
– Mainland China: Effective February 4.
– Iran: Effective 26 February.
– Gyeongsangbuk-do and Gyeongnam-do, South Korea: Effective March 3.
– Italy: Effective March 8.
– Bangladesh: Effective from March 10 to March 24.
– Spain: Effective March 15.
– Ile-de-France and Grand Est, France: Effective March 15.
– German states of Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg: Effective March 15.
– Malaysia: Effective March 17.
– United Kingdom: Effective March 19.
In addition to the above, travelers from other countries, including India and other European countries, may need to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
People traveling from the above countries are allowed to enter the Maldives if they have transited for more than 14 days in countries not subject to the ban.
Still, health experts and travel advisors are strongly advising people not to travel between countries at this time, including returning to their home country. It is still possible for a person to contract the disease during travel, in the country of origin of the trip, or even at the airport, because contact with other people will be higher.
Given the incubation period of the disease, the person could carry the virus strain into the destination without knowing it. If that happens, many vulnerable groups could be exposed to the virus and spread it to the area again.
Therefore, the safest decision is to maintain vigilance and immunity as per the guidelines issued by WHO and HPA until the spread of COVID19 is curbed globally.
The World Health Organization has declared the spread of COVID-19 a global pandemic. The novel coronavirus has infected more than 220,800 people worldwide and claimed more than 8,980 lives. However, of those infected, more than 85,770 have recovered.
There are currently 13 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Maldives, including a tourist couple on a liveaboard, two cases at Anantara Dhigu, five foreign nationals at Kuredu Island Resort, and Sandys Batara and Kurama Two foreign nationals in the Maldives. So far, no locals have tested positive for the virus.
