Effective from February 1, Maldives has initiated the process of granting Indian nationals visa free entry for business purposes for 90 days

This was stipulated in the Agreement on the Facilitation of Visa Arrangements between the Government of Maldives and the Government of India signed on 17 December 2018.

Maldives has initiated the process of granting Indian nationals visa free entry for business purposes, effective from February 1.

“Visa-free entry into Maldives for Indian business travellers comes into effect,” The Indian High Commission in Maldives tweeted.

Earlier on Sunday, a statement by the Maldivian government had said that effective from February 1, 2022, the Government of Maldives has initiated the process of granting Indian Nationals visa free entry for business purposes, for a period not exceeding the visa free period of 90 days.

This was stipulated in the Agreement on the Facilitation of Visa Arrangements between the Government of Maldives and the Government of India signed on 17 December 2018, it had noted.

As part of the reciprocal arrangement, a multiple entry, non-resident, business visa shall be granted for Indian Nationals for a period of 90 days within 6 months, the statement had said.

Any Indian National with an approved business visa is eligible to renew their visa up to 180 days within a calendar year, it had stated.

This is in addition to the visa free period of 90 days stipulated in the bilateral agreement, the statement had added.

An agreement on the facilitation of visa arrangements between India and Maldives was inked in December 2018 during the visit of Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to India.

The agreement aims to further deepen people to people exchanges between the two countries making it easier for Maldivian and India nationals to travel to each-others’ countries for tourism, medical treatment, education as well as business and employment.

India and Maldives share time tested and traditional bonds of friendship.

Close people to people contacts constitutes the foundation of special bilateral relation between India and Maldives, which received a positive momentum with the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Male in November 2018 for the inauguration ceremony of the newly elected President of Maldives, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, and the subsequent visit of the Maldivian President to India in December, 2018.