Russia Imposes New Travel Restriction To Maldivians As A Safety Measure Against The Pandemic

On 25^th July 2019, the Maldives and the Russian Federation entered into an agreement whereby the latter provides a 90-day on-arrival visa for the citizens of Maldives travelling to Russia for purposes that do not involve working, studying or residing in the country.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russia has further tightened the border control measures imposed due to the ongoing pandemic which effectively means that Maldivians travelling to Russia from now on will only be awarded on-arrival visa if they are arriving via direct flights straight from Maldives.

Hence, the Ministry requests those Maldivians that are travelling to Russia to be attentive to these restriction measures in addition to staying updated on the most updated travel guidelines prior to travelling, as these guidelines are subject to change.

The Russian Federation tightened the border control measures just ahead of the Moscow International Travel & Tourism Exhibition scheduled to be held in Moscow from 16^th March to 18^th March. This exhibition is held with the participation of tourism industry stakeholders from all parts of the world including the Maldives. Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), along with various other tourism industry partners from Maldives are expected to be taking part in this event.