Maldives and Belarus Advance Plans for Mutual Visa-Exemption Agreement

The Republic of Maldives and the Republic of Belarus have formally signed a bilateral agreement on mutual visa exemption, significantly easing travel restrictions for citizens travelling between the two nations.

According to the Maldivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the treaty was signed in New York on the sidelines of the High-Level Week of the United Nations General Assembly by Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs Iruthisham Adam and Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxim Ryzhenkov.

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Under the terms of the reciprocal arrangement, passport holders from both countries are permitted to enter, exit, and transit through each other’s territories without obtaining a visa beforehand. The exemption allows travellers a stay of up to 30 days per single entry, with a cumulative ceiling capped at 90 days within any given calendar year.

The agreement follows a period of expanding diplomatic engagement between Malé and Minsk, initiated earlier this year during high-level bilateral talks in the Belarusian capital, says the Ministry. Beyond fostering stronger diplomatic ties and encouraging people-to-people exchanges, the waiver is set to streamline administrative processes for Maldivian medical students residing in Belarus, whilst also serving to facilitate bilateral commerce and regional trade discussions.

The Ministry also expects the treaty to provide a substantial boost to the Maldivian tourism sector. Belarus has represented a steadily expanding source market for the Indian Ocean archipelago, with visitor figures rising from 4,080 in 2022 to nearly 7,500 in 2025. Following the formal execution of the agreement, both governments are expected to notify their respective border control agencies before the visa-free regime officially comes into force.