Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has announced plans to make the ban on Israeli passport holders permanent. The government has submitted a new Immigration Bill to the People’s Majlis, the country’s parliament, that would bar anyone travelling on an Israeli passport from entering the Maldives under any circumstances.
Muizzu made the announcement at a press conference at the President’s Office in Malé on Monday 9 November. He said the current bill provides for an unconditional ban on entry for anyone holding an Israeli passport, irrespective of changing circumstances.
What the new bill changes
The key change is that the ban would no longer be linked to the war in Gaza. Earlier proposals sought to prohibit entry until Israel halted the military campaign that began following 7 October 2023. The new bill removes that condition entirely.
“In the current bill, without linking it to such conditions, we have absolutely stated that no individual holding an Israeli passport can come to the Maldives,” Muizzu told reporters. The ban would not be lifted automatically even if the situation in Gaza improves.
The bill will need to pass through parliament before it becomes law. It has had its first reading in the People’s Majlis, and the existing restrictions remain in force until the new law is approved. As of 11 November, the unconditional ban had not yet been confirmed as enacted.
The ban already in place
The Maldives already bars Israeli passport holders from entering the country. Parliament passed an amendment to the Immigration Act on 15 April 2025, and Muizzu ratified it the same day. That ban was introduced as a response to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
More than 11,000 Israelis visited the Maldives in 2023, in a year of about 1.88 million tourist arrivals. Muizzu has said the decision met strong objections from parts of the tourism industry and from within his own party, but he proceeded because the national interest required it.
The existing ban does leave one gap. An Israeli who holds a second nationality could enter the country on the other passport. The government has said it is working to close that gap for property purchases, though the entry rules for dual nationals remain a live question. You can read our earlier story on Gaza here: Gaza Embankment Collapse Kills 4 in Deir al-Balah Camp.
Property ban as well
The government has also submitted a separate Real Estate Bill to parliament. It would prohibit Israeli individuals and companies from investing in property developments or buying property in the Maldives. Sales to Israeli citizens, or to companies with any Israeli shareholding, would be void.
The rules would apply to the Ras Malé development, a major new housing and tourism project near the capital. Muizzu has said an Israeli citizen will not be allowed to enter the development “even for a single day”. No single nationality would be allowed to hold more than 25 percent of the properties in the project, and the state would approve every owner.
The bill also bars entry for people charged by, or subject to arrest warrants from, the International Criminal Court.
Why the Maldives took this step
The Maldives is a small Islamic republic of 1,192 coral islets in the Indian Ocean, known for its white sandy beaches and shallow turquoise lagoons. Tourism is the backbone of its economy, which is why the ban carries a cost for the country.
Israel issued a travel warning to its citizens against visiting the Maldives in December 2023, citing anti-Israel sentiment during the war. The Maldivian government has described its decision as a response to allegations of Israeli atrocities and genocide in Gaza, a position Muizzu has repeated in public statements.
Read more of our Politics coverage.
Sources: The President’s Office of the Maldives, The Jerusalem Post, Maldives Independent, The Standard, The Times of Israel.
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