The Maldives and Kyrgyzstan have signed a visa waiver agreement.
The agreement was signed by Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives Abdulla Shahid and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan Zheenbek Kulubaev. Under the agreement, nationals of both countries will be exempted from visas for single or multiple entries, exits, or transits, for a period not exceeding 30 days as of the date of entry.
The government is working to allow visa-free travel to more countries and facilitate easier means by which Maldivians can obtain visas. Currently, Maldivians can travel to 88 countries without visas and discussions are being held to sign visa exemption agreements with more countries. The government is also working to facilitate easier means by which Maldivians can obtain visas. The government has facilitated visa-free travel to eight countries in the past three years, which include Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Thailand, Indonesia, Russia, and China.
The visa exemption agreements allow for the exemption from visa requirements for nationals of both countries, for single or multiple entries, exits, or transits for nationals of both countries, for a period of 30 days. Additionally, a permanent Schengen Visa Application Centre was established in 2020 to ease the difficulties Maldivians face while applying for visas to travel to Germany and the Czech Republic, and the government is also working on allowing Maldivians to apply for visas via the centre to travel to other countries.
Furthermore, the Maldives passport has been recognised as the most powerful passport in the South Asia region, demonstrating a successful foreign policy of the government. The Maldives has been ranked as one of the countries holding one of the most powerful passports in the region.