Maldives drops mandatory PCR testing for vaccinated travelers

By Nina Done 11 March 2022

Effective from 5 March, the Maldives has declared it no longer requires PCR tests for fully vaccinated travelers arriving by plane or boat, heradling a welcome step change to a region that relies heavily on tourists, including luxury yacht charters, which has been adversely affected by the pandemic over the last couple of years.

The latest regulations for fully vaccinated visitors are as follows;

No longer required to take a PCR test prior to arrival.
Must have had 2 vaccine doses of any of the WHO Emergency Use List vaccines for COVID-19 or vaccines approved under the Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA).
Last vaccine dose must have been administered no later than 2 weeks prior to arrival in the Maldives.

Booster doses are not required for this exemption to apply.

For all non-vaccinated visitors (except children under the age of one), the following applies;

Must present a negative PCR test on arrival to the Maldives.
The test and negative PCR certificate must be issued no more than 96 hours prior to departure.

All travellers to the Maldives must fill in a Traveller Health Declaration form 48 hours before departure to and return from the Maldives.

Yacht rentals in the Maldives

Marking 50 years of tourism in 2022, the Maldives will be looking forward to welcoming luxury superyachts to their shores.

Boasting 26 major atoll reefs containing more than 1,190 islands, the Maldives offers exceptionally beautiful cruising grounds and is a fantastic winter charter destination, and a good alternative to the Caribbean, ideal for hopping from one paradise island to the next.

Wooden pier stretching out over turquoise waters in the maldives

Fine dining on the beach in the Maldives

This Indian Ocean destination arguably offers some of the best scuba diving in the world, with around 240 varieties of corals boasting an abundance of marine life that is off the charts.

There are also nearly 200 resorts spread amongst the incredible atolls of the Maldives, with each island hosting its own resort which range from the luxurious to the sublime.

A scuba diver with a turtle in the Maldives

To find out more about chartering in the region, check out our Maldives yacht charter guide for more information. For some inspiration, check out our sample itineraries handpicked by experts with in-depth knowledge of the region.

If you’d like to learn more about chartering a superyacht in the Maldives, please contact a recommended yacht charter broker.

Discover more: