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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Travel
Julie Delahaye

Maldives ease last of Covid test rules for vaccinated Brits heading on holidays

Visiting the Maldives' luxury resorts with amazing experiences like underwater rooms and picture-perfect beaches just got a little easier for double jabbed Brits.

That's because the holiday hotspot has become the latest destination to join a line-up of countries vaccinated Brits can visit without Covid tests.

Under the new rules already in force, fully vaccinated travellers no longer need a pre-travel PCR test for holidays.

Visitors will need to have completed their vaccination course at least 14 days before travel to qualify, and will still need to fill out an online form within 48 hours before arrival.

Sign up to the Mirror's travel newsletter for more updates and holiday tips.

Those who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated will still need to show a negative PCR test result from within 96 hours before departure, and also fill out the online travel form before their trip.

Of course the Maldives offer up heaps of bucket-list-worthy experiences, whether you want to spend your days basking in the sunshine on white sand beaches, snorkeling along the reefs filled with marine life, or simply indulging courtesy of the seriously luxurious hotels to be found.

It won't make for a budget-friendly holiday, but the good news is that there are ways to keep costs down.

Visiting the Maldives just got easier for vaccinated Brits (Getty Images/Tetra images RF)

It's not just the Maldives which are reopening to tourists.

In recent weeks, 12 other countries eased their travel rules including hotspots such as Greece, France, Portugal and Tunisia, from scrapping pre-travel Covid tests to ending quarantine rules.

For example, Canada no longer requires PCR tests from vaccinated Brits if they prefer an antigen test, while Sri Lanka has scrapped pre-travel Covid tests completely.

Other countries have used tentative approaches to welcoming back tourists. Thailand offers 'sandbox' schemes where vaccinated tourists can travel freely around specific regions, while Vietnam is looking to reopen to vaccinated tourists three months earlier than planned. New Zealand is also taking a phased approach in reopening its borders, which could see Brits able to visit again no later than July.

Returning to the UK is also a little easier thanks to the latest UK travel rules, which kicked off back in February.

Under the changes, fully vaccinated arrivals no longer need Covid tests before or after arriving in the UK. For unvaccinated arrivals there are still pre-departure and post-arrival tests, although the requirement to self-isolate for 10 days has ended.

There are hopes that passenger locator forms could also come to an end in time for Easter.

Travel restrictions can change quickly during the pandemic. Always check the latest Foreign Office travel advice for a destination before booking and going on a trip abroad.

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