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| AP Photo |
The Maldives has officially banned Israeli passport holders from entering the country, a move ratified by President Mohamed Muizzu on April 15, 2025, as a strong protest against Israel’s ongoing military actions in Gaza. This legislative change amends the Maldives Immigration Act to prohibit Israeli citizens from visiting the Indian Ocean archipelago, a luxury tourist destination known for its pristine beaches and resorts.
The ban reflects the Maldives government’s “resolute solidarity” with the Palestinian people and condemnation of what it describes as “continuing atrocities and ongoing acts of genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinian people,” according to a statement from the President’s Office. The decision follows intense domestic political pressure from both government supporters and opposition parties to take a firm stand on the Gaza conflict.
The Maldives first proposed restricting Israeli entry in June 2024 but delayed implementation after concerns arose that Palestinians holding Israeli passports could also be affected. After careful legislative amendments, the ban was passed by the People’s Majlis (parliament) and promptly ratified by the president.
While Israeli passport holders are barred, individuals with dual nationality may still enter the Maldives using passports from other countries. Official data shows that Israeli tourists accounted for a small fraction of visitors only 59 arrivals in February 2025, down from nearly 11,000 in 2024.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry has responded by advising all Israeli citizens, including dual nationals, to avoid travel to the Maldives and to leave if already there, citing limited consular support.
President Muizzu also announced plans to send a special envoy to assess humanitarian needs in Palestinian territories and to launch a national fundraising campaign titled “Maldivians in Solidarity with Palestine.”
The Maldives, a predominantly Sunni Muslim nation with no diplomatic relations with Israel, has long supported the Palestinian cause. The government reaffirmed its commitment to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with United Nations resolutions.
This ban is one of the most comprehensive travel restrictions imposed on Israelis in response to the Gaza conflict, marking a significant diplomatic stance by the Maldives amid the ongoing war that erupted after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
