Maldives and Belarus Advance Plans for Mutual Visa-Free Travel

Belarus has moved towards establishing mutual visa-free travel with the Maldives after President Aleksandr Lukashenko approved a draft agreement that will now be negotiated between the two governments.

Under the proposed arrangement, Maldivian and Belarusian citizens would be permitted to enter, leave, and transit through each other’s countries without obtaining a visa. Each visit would be limited to 30 days, while the total period spent in either country could not exceed 90 days within a calendar year.

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The approval does not mean that visa-free travel has taken effect. The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been authorised to negotiate the terms with the Maldivian government and sign the final agreement.

If concluded, the agreement would simplify travel for Maldivians visiting Belarus, including students pursuing higher education. Belarus is an established destination for Maldivian medical students, making the proposed exemption particularly relevant beyond leisure travel.

It could also make travel to the Maldives easier for Belarusian citizens, supporting efforts to develop tourism and wider people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

The proposal follows increased diplomatic engagement between the Maldives and Belarus. Senior officials from the Maldivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs travelled to Minsk on 3 February and met Belarusian First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Lukashevich.

The meeting was described by the Belarusian Foreign Ministry as the first high-level official engagement of its kind between the two countries. Discussions covered possible cooperation in tourism, healthcare, education, and the supply of food products and machinery.

Both sides also agreed to pursue closer political and economic cooperation and expand the legal framework governing bilateral relations.

Belarus has separately extended temporary visa-free entry for citizens of 38 European countries until the end of 2026. The proposed agreement with the Maldives, however, would be a bilateral arrangement setting reciprocal travel rights for citizens of both countries.

The Belarusian Presidency confirms that Decree No. 311 approved the draft and authorised the country’s Foreign Ministry to negotiate and sign it. Visa-free travel is therefore proposed but not yet operational.