British holidaymakers planning a tropical getaway to the Maldives have been issued an important travel advisory by the Foreign Office.
Travellers are being reminded that they must complete a specific form prior to their departure.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) updated its guidance on Thursday, stressing the necessity for all tourists to fill out a Traveller Declaration Form before leaving the UK for the Maldives.
The FCDO’s latest statement reads: “You must complete a traveller declaration form (IMUGA) within 96 hours before your flight to or from the Maldives.”
Maldives Immigration has clarified that the Traveller Declaration Form is free of charge and accessible online.
It has also warned against scams, asserting: “Recently, there have been reports of misleading activities where individuals are asked to pay for the submission of this form.
“We would like to inform all travelers that the Traveller Declaration is a self-declaration form provided by Maldives Immigration and is completely free of charge.”
The authority strongly recommends using the official IMUGA portal for completing the Traveller Declaration form and advises against using alternative websites that might impose fees or disseminate false information.
It said: “We strongly advise all travelers to use the IMUGA portal to fill out the Traveller Declaration form and avoid using any other websites that may charge a fee or provide misleading information.
“Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we wish you safe travels.”
The Foreign Office added: ” To avoid any confusion, please remember the following points – the Traveller Declaration form is a self-declaration form that can be easily submitted on your own.
“You can access and fill out the form directly by visiting the official IMUGA portal at https://imuga.immigration.gov.mv/. There are no fees associated with submitting this form through the official IMUGA portal.”
The Maldives is a nation of islands in the Indian Ocean, comprising of 1192 islands that stretch along a length of 871km that span across the equator.
A visitor to one of the islands – Alimatha Island – wrote on Tripadvisor: “The island is wonderful. If you love peace, beauty, nature, snorkelling, diving, and fishing, it’s simply the place to go.”
A visitor to Filitheyo said: “The island is perfect if you‘re looking for a peaceful tropical paradise to relax and snorkel.”