Since May 15, 2026, citizens of Maldives and Seychelles have been able to travel without a visa between the two countries for short stays of up to 30 days. The agreement coincided with the first official visit to the Maldives by a Seychellois foreign minister, Barry Faure, who was received in Malé by his Maldivian counterpart, Iruthisham Adam.
In its statement, the Seychelles Ministry of Foreign Affairs said bilateral talks were held on May 14 in Malé, one day before the mutual visa waiver agreement entered into force. The two ministers discussed several areas of cooperation, including tourism, trade, investment, climate change and people-to-people exchanges.
For Iruthisham Adam, the implementation of the agreement “marks another important step in Maldives-Seychelles relations.” The Maldivian foreign minister also said the measure reflects the “close friendship and cooperation” between the two island nations.
The agreement is also intended to support tourism travel and economic exchanges between the two archipelagos. According to the Maldivian foreign minister, the move should help “further promote people-to-people contact” and also “boost tourism arrivals and tourism-related investments.”
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— Iruthisham Adam ( Iru) (@IruthishamAdam) May 15, 2026
🇲🇻🤝🇸🇨Maldives-Seychelles visa waiver implementation
Very pleased to see the Visa Exemption Agreement between the Maldives and Seychelles enter into force today, 15 May 2026, allowing nationals of both countries to travel visa-free for short stays of up to 30 days.
The… pic.twitter.com/sufI7MNJjo
A visa waiver, but not an end to travel formalities
The same idea was highlighted by the Seychelles Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which described the visa waiver as a way to facilitate short-term travel between the two countries while encouraging people-to-people ties, tourism and tourism-related investment.
Barry Faure, for his part, placed the visit in the context of relations between small island developing states. “As neighbouring Small Island Developing States, it is important that we keep our bilateral and multilateral links strong,” the Seychellois foreign minister said.
For Maldivian travelers heading to Seychelles, however, the visa waiver should be distinguished from the electronic travel authorization required by Seychellois authorities.
Seychelles presents itself as a visa-free destination, but all travelers must obtain a Travel Authorisation before departure. The Seychelles Ministry of Foreign Affairs specifies that this prior authorization applies to all travelers entering Seychelles, even when no visa is required.
Seychellois citizens, for their part, can also travel to the Maldives visa-free for a short stay, but they must still complete the Traveller Declaration required by Maldivian authorities within 96 hours before arrival.
