Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged individuals applying for visas to travel abroad to submit their applications early in order to avoid delays.
In a statement released on June 19, the foreign ministry stated many visa applicants are submitting their applications very late, making it impossible to process the visa within the required timeframe. The ministry noted visa processing is carried out in accordance to the policies and procedures set by the governments of the respective countries. Therefore, the ministry said it is very important that visa applications are submitted in the allocated timeframe for visa processing, to provide enough time for all the required procedures.
The foreign ministry provides assistance in acquiring visas for Maldivians travelling to countries without a diplomatic mission of the Maldives. The ministry noted the current economic situation of Sri Lanka, which has many of the embassies assigned by foreign countries to the Maldives, has disrupted the work of embassies and visa centres and limited the working hours of such facilities.
