The Maldives and Belarus have signed a mutual visa exemption agreement that will allow citizens of both countries to travel without obtaining a visa in advance for short stays.
Foreign Minister Iruthisham Adam and her Belarusian counterpart Maxim Ryzhenkov signed the agreement in New York on Thursday on the sidelines of the High-Level Week of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Under the agreement, Maldivian and Belarusian nationals will be exempt from visa requirements when entering, leaving or transiting through each other’s countries.
Travellers will be permitted to remain for up to 30 days on an individual visit. Those making multiple trips will be allowed a combined visa-free stay of no more than 90 days during a calendar year.
The agreement represents a significant change for Maldivian travellers, who have until now been required to obtain a visa before travelling to Belarus.
The Foreign Ministry’s existing travel information currently lists Belarus among countries requiring Maldivian passport holders to obtain a visa.
The government has not yet announced when the newly signed agreement will enter into force. Travellers should therefore continue to follow the existing entry requirements until authorities confirm its implementation.
Following the signing ceremony, Adam and Ryzhenkov held discussions on relations between the two countries and opportunities for further cooperation.
Adam welcomed progress in strengthening ties with Belarus and expressed confidence that easier travel would encourage greater contact between citizens of the two countries while creating opportunities for cooperation in other areas.
The visa agreement follows increased diplomatic engagement between Malé and Minsk this year.
In February, senior officials from the Maldivian Foreign Ministry travelled to Minsk for what was described as the first official meeting of its kind between the two countries.
The Maldivian delegation met Belarusian First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Lukashevich during the visit, with discussions covering ways to broaden bilateral cooperation.
Tourism, healthcare and education were among the sectors discussed, alongside potential cooperation in food supplies and machinery.
Officials also explored opportunities to strengthen economic relations and expand the legal framework governing cooperation between the Maldives and Belarus.
The latest agreement adds Belarus to a growing number of countries with which the Maldives has pursued easier travel arrangements for its citizens.
Expanding visa-free access for Maldivian passport holders has been a stated foreign policy objective of the government, with several new arrangements negotiated in recent years.
Earlier this year, a mutual visa exemption agreement with Azerbaijan entered into force, allowing Maldivian ordinary passport holders to stay in Azerbaijan without a visa for up to 90 days. The agreement had initially been signed in September 2025 before taking effect in April 2026.
The Foreign Ministry maintains separate lists of destinations offering visa-free entry, visas on arrival and electronic visas to Maldivian passport holders.
Once the Belarus agreement enters into force, Maldivians travelling under its terms will no longer have to complete the prior visa application process for qualifying short visits.
Longer stays and travel for purposes outside the scope of the agreement may remain subject to separate immigration requirements.
