The Embassy of China in the Maldives has announced the Agreement on Mutual Visa Exemption between the Government of China and the Government of the Maldives has officially entered into force allowing Maldivians to travel to China on a 30-day visa-free basis.
The agreement was signed on January 2022, during the visit of State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China Wang Yi to the Maldives. However, the implementation of the agreement has been postponed due to the COVID-19 situation.
In a tweet, the embassy revealed that Chinese citizens holding valid passports who plan to stay in the Maldives for no more than 30 days for short-term reasons such as tourism, business, family visits, and transit are exempt from visas. The tweet also noted those who plan to enter the Maldives to engage in work, settlement, news reporting and other activities that require prior approval from the competent authorities of Maldives should complete the relevant procedures before entering the country.
With the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, direct flights between Maldives and China were suspended. After nearly a three-year hiatus, direct flights from China and Maldives have resumed on May 18, 2022. The visa waiver agreement will ease tourists arriving in the Maldives.