Oman makes additional condition for on-arrival visa to Maldives

Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the government of Oman has made an additional condition to extend visa exemption to the Maldives.

Earlier, Oman was listed among the 13 countries with visa exemption to the Maldives shared by the ministry.

However, a Maldivian family traveling to Oman recently were detained at the country's airport for 12 hours before they were deported.

While the family in question shared their experience on social media, the ministry has since taken down its initial statement confirming visa exemption to Oman.

The ministry on Wednesday, October 11, said it made the announcement based on information received from the Omani government.

However, it was later confirmed by the ministry that an additional condition has to be met for Maldivians to be entitled to a 14-day visa exemption.

The condition for Maldivians traveling to Oman is that they must possess a valid Schengen Visa, or visas from the UK, United States, Canada, Australia, or Japan, or hold citizenship of these countries. Additionally, travelers should provide proof of a valid hotel booking, return tickets, and health insurance.

Meanwhile, the ministry stated that it was in discussions with the Oman government to facilitate on-arrival visa exemption without any conditions.