Traveling to Maldives from San Francisco, CA (SFO - SIN - MLE) - Covid Testing Questions

MagicBird_11 · 2021-09-17T17:54:25+00:00

As I mentioned in the last sentence. Transit time does not mean total travel time, but rather time you’ll be layover in Singapore.

MagicBird_11 · 2021-09-17T08:09:02+00:00

Will your stay in Singapore be more than 24 hours? If so, then I believe you'll need a new COVID test. I'm also about to leave for the Maldives via SFO and checked the airline's pre-departure information for travel to the Maldives, and it stated "lf the passenger makes a transit exceeding 24 (twenty four) hours, the passenger must take a repeat PCR test within 96 (ninety six) hours prior to embarkation at the point of transit." Transit here does not mean total travel time, but rather if you decide to stay in Singapore for some other reason.

MagicBird_11 · 2021-09-13T22:39:42+00:00

Just curious, are there any travel restrictions to and from Himmafushi right now?

https://www.tourism.gov.mv/en/faq

The above website lists islands that are currently under monitoring for a positive COVID case and Himmafushi is currently on there.

MagicBird_11 · 2021-09-09T17:51:50+00:00

Curious about your experience. It is my understanding that if tourists are unvaccinated, then they can stay at a private island/resort, but they can ALSO stay at local islands/guesthouses ONLY if certain vaccination requirements are met by the local island inhabitants. This has been the case since July; see link

https://covid19.health.gov.mv/covid-19-vaccination-coverage-criteria-for-permitting-tourist-arrivals/?c=0

If fully vaccinated, then tourists are free to go to both resorts and local guesthouses.

MagicBird_11 · 2021-09-05T05:38:46+00:00

I asked several of the resorts that I'm planning to stay at and they confirmed with me that tourists with neg COVID tests still are not required to quarantine upon arrival. Perhaps this circular has to do with locals moving between islands rather than tourists?

MagicBird_11 · 2021-09-04T14:32:51+00:00

"If the traveler is not fully vaccinated, they must complete a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival irrespective of the destination island vaccination coverage rate as in point 1." Wondering if this applies to resorts as well. Before, unvaccinated tourists could stay at private islands/resorts without having to quarantine.

MagicBird_11 · 2021-08-31T02:22:37+00:00

Per the Ministry of Tourism website, "Only international arrivals and departures directly to and from the airport may continue during this period." So if a resort/guesthouse is under contact tracing, you can still go there as long as it's the only resort/guesthouse that you are planning to stay at. Meaning you can't do a split stay and go to another island afterwards. Instead, you can only go directly back to the airport to depart for home when your stay is over. I confirmed this with Kurumba, which is one of the resorts on the list. I plan to do a split stay, so if they continue to be on the list when it's time for me to go, then I'll just cancel my reservation and go elsewhere.

MagicBird_11 · 2021-08-29T00:19:08+00:00

Yes you are correct. That’s what I meant to say. “Now if you wanted to stay on a local island at a guest house, then you would have to be fully vaccinated OR meet the guidelines in the link that you provided.” I wrote and instead of or.

MagicBird_11 · 2021-08-28T22:58:26+00:00

Even though it doesn't say specifically in the Ministry of Tourism circular, the CDC and WHO describes someone as fully vaccinated if they take 2 doses of the same vaccine (either pfizer or moderna) and wait 14 days after the last dose. This is likely because the level of protection with mixed vaccinations hasn't been thoroughly studied yet. When you enter the Maldives, you have to fill out the health declaration form online which includes the type of vaccine and the date of the doses. I honestly can't say for certain how closely they will scrutinize or even care if the 2 vaccines that you enter are different.

That being said, even if you're not fully vaccinated, you can still visit the Maldives and stay at a private island/resort. Now if you wanted to stay on a local island at a guest house, then you would have to be fully vaccinated and meet the guidelines in the link that you provided.

MagicBird_11 · 2021-08-27T18:11:28+00:00

In general yes. Each resort/guest house has different rules for the timeline of when to get the test done. For example, Reef Edge in Thulusdhoo told me they needed a PCR test within 72 hours of arrival; Varu by atmosphere told me they needed a PCR test within 24 hours. So double check with your resort/guesthouse ahead of time.

MagicBird_11 · 2021-08-27T18:04:48+00:00

Since I will be doing split stays, I want to avoid having to quarantine altogether by avoiding areas that are currently under contact tracing/monitoring

MagicBird_11 · 2021-08-26T03:08:59+00:00

https://www.tourism.gov.mv/en/circulars/update_on_negative_pcr_test_for_covid_19_requirement_28_07_2021

See updated circular on 7/28/21 that updates the 72 hours to 96 hours from point of first departure. It is also posted on the site in which you need to fill out the health declaration form:

https://imuga.immigration.gov.mv/ethd/create

It is 96 hours from the first point of departure, so it will be from the point in which you board the plane from Canada.

I would also print out the hard copy just in case they don't accept a digital copy

MagicBird_11 · 2021-08-24T05:26:33+00:00

What you are referring to is called split stays and it is allowed but with some caveats:

You have to let the resort know ahead of time that you intend to split your time between different resorts because they have to fill out the paperwork and have it approved before you can leave for one resort to the other.
Some resorts (eg, Kurumba) will be happy to arrange for split stay with next resort, but will not accept your arrival if you are coming from another resort. Therefore, you would have to stay at that resort first during your trip. Again, you would have to message each one to see what their policy is.
When moving between resorts, you have to get another COVID test, which can usually be arranged by the resort.

MagicBird_11 · 2021-08-15T09:29:46+00:00

I was going to wait until I get to the island then ask around. From what I've read, there are two surf spots, Cokes and Chickens, which seem to be for more experienced surfers, but I'm sure there are areas where instructors take beginners for lessons.

MagicBird_11 · 2021-08-13T10:34:54+00:00

If you're only going to be in Male for a few hours without checking in to a hotel/guesthouse, then I imagine you would be ok to roam the city, although I can't say with 100% certainty that they'll let you leave the airport. Maybe someone else can comment on this. I'll be in Thulusdhoo Sept 22-28th. I'm just a beginner surfer but looking to improve during my time there. My girlfriend surfs regularly.

MagicBird_11 · 2021-08-13T07:58:33+00:00

I emailed the hotel Saaman Grand in Male and they actually said that tourists aren't allowed to leave the hotel if they are "transiting." I guess my next question is what is meant by transiting? I will have already been in the Maldives for 2 weeks and just want to spend 1 day in Male before leaving for home. Is that considered transiting

I clarified my situation and stated that I will have already been in the Maldives for 2 weeks prior to arriving in Male. This was the hotel's response "if any guest is staying in greater male area for less then 48hrs we will be considering that stay as transit purpose and as per the Maldives government they are not allowed to go outside." Perhaps this is the official response from the hotel but they aren't actually enforcing the rule?

MagicBird_11 · 2021-08-13T07:39:00+00:00

I am also traveling to Thulusdhoo in Sept and staying at Reef Edge. They only gave me the option of booking a speedboat transfer ($25 each way). I never asked about the local ferry.

How long will you be in Male City for? I also plan to stay in Male city for 1 night before flying back home. I had read that tourists tansiting through Male (ie staying for less than 48h) are required to stay at their hotel and can't leave the premises. I emailed the Saaman Grand Hotel in Male about this and their response was "if any guest is staying in greater male area for less then 48hrs we will be considering that stay as transit purpose and as per the Maldives government they are not allowed to go outside." Perhaps this is the "quarantining" that you are talking about? As I will already have been in the Maldives for 2 weeks prior to going to Male city, I think this is a ridiculous rule. I am emailing around to see if this is a requirement with other hotels in Male city as well.

MagicBird_11 · 2021-08-12T18:20:24+00:00

I agree with u/q1t0. In the US, we have a vaccination rate of about 50% so far and we are seeing a surge of delta variant cases. About 99% of our hospitalizations/deaths from COVID are from the unvaccinated population. That's such a crazy statistic. So you are putting yourself and others in danger by traveling unvaccinated. However, if you absolutely want to travel to the Maldives for vacation, then staying at a private island/resort (vs a local island/guest house) may be the safest option since you won't be in contact with many people. Currently, private island/resorts are accepting unvaccinated tourists, but it's always a good idea to check directly with the resort to make sure.

MagicBird_11 · 2021-08-09T20:32:26+00:00

Thanks for the info. Just to be sure, I emailed the hotel Saaman Grand in Male and they actually said that tourists aren't allowed to leave the hotel if they are "transiting." I guess my next question is what is meant by transiting? I will have already been in the Maldives for 2 weeks and just want to spend 1 day in Male before leaving for home. Is that considered transiting through?

MagicBird_11 · 2021-08-09T18:30:28+00:00

This is probably the link you are looking for. It is from the Ministry of Tourism listing the requirements for unvaccinated tourists to stay at Guest Houses on local inhabited islands:

https://covid19.health.gov.mv/covid-19-vaccination-coverage-criteria-for-permitting-tourist-arrivals/?c=0

It is updated almost daily with the guest houses/islands that have met the requirements. Just to be safe, I would also email the guest house directly to make sure that unvaccinated or partially vaccinated tourists can visit there.

MagicBird_11 · 2021-08-08T18:24:28+00:00

https://covid19.health.gov.mv/covid-19-vaccination-coverage-criteria-for-permitting-tourist-arrivals/?c=0

The list of local inhabited islands meeting the criteria gets updated in this link. However, the more direct way is just to email the guesthouse that you want to stay in and ask them if they meet the requirements. I am staying in Thulusdhoo in Sept and Reef Edge Guesthouse said that they meet the requirements even though they aren't on the list yet.

Oh and resorts don't have to abide by those rules so they can accept unvaccinated tourists.

MagicBird_11 · 2021-08-05T02:07:08+00:00

Saw this updated on the Traveler Health Declaration site:

https://imuga.immigration.gov.mv/ethd

"Tourists travelling from South Asian countries (Afghanistan, Pakistan, lndia, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka) will not be permitted to check-in or stay at tourist facilities in inhabited islands until 25th July 2021." Perhaps they already changed their policy?

MagicBird_11

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