Maldives has been removed Switzerland’s watchlist of coronavirus hotspots, giving Swiss travellers the option for a last-minute quarantine-free autumn break in one of their favourite Indian Ocean holiday destinations.

Starting Thursday, Swiss nationals will no longer need to self-isolate for 10 days when returning from the Maldives.

The new move will be a major boost for Swiss tourists, who accounted for 32,984 or 2.2 per cent of Maldives’ foreign visitors in 2018, the ninth biggest source market.

Switzerland’s decision to allow quarantine free travel to the Maldives also comes just a month after Edelweiss resumed its operations to the Maldives. The Swiss leisure airline now flies twice a week from Zurich directly to Male.

The Maldives reopened its borders on July 15.

With the border reopening, 30-day free on-arrival visa is issued to all tourists with a confirmed booking for a stay at any registered tourist facility in the country.

There is no mandatory quarantine or testing on arrival, but tourists have to complete an online health declaration form and provide a negative PCR test result taken at least 96 hours prior to their departure.

Visitors with symptoms of the Covid-19 respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus or those travelling with someone who has similar symptoms are also tested at their own expense.