Maldives Bill Would Make Israeli Passport Entry Ban Permanent
The Maldives has submitted a bill that would make its ban on Israeli passport holders unconditional, President Mohamed Muizzu said, ending a link to the war in Gaza that is written into the current law.
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The announcement was made at a press conference in the President’s Office on Monday, Nov. 9, as the government sent a sponsored Immigration Bill to the People’s Majlis. The proposal has not become law.
President Mohamed Muizzu said the current Immigration Act still ties the restriction to events after Oct. 7, 2023, and keeps it in force until “the situation changes.” The new bill, he said, would impose an unconditional ban on anyone holding an Israeli passport, “irrespective of changing circumstances.”
“Holders of Israeli passports will not be permitted to enter the Maldives under any circumstances,” the President’s Office quoted him as saying.
What the Bill Changes
The measure would harden an existing restriction, not impose a first-time travel ban. Israeli passport holders are already barred under the Third Amendment to the Maldives Immigration Act, which the Majlis passed and Muizzu ratified on April 15, 2025.
That law followed a Cabinet decision announced on June 2, 2024, after the government said it would amend the rules to prevent entry on Israeli passports. The existing restriction remains in force until parliament approves the new bill. Local reporting said the legislation had so far passed only a first reading.
Who the Restriction Covers
The rule applies to people travelling on Israeli passports, not automatically to every Israeli citizen. Muizzu has said, according to The Jerusalem Post and Ynet, that people who hold a second nationality may still be able to enter on another passport. The President’s Office statement itself refers to “holders of Israeli passports.”
Israel’s Foreign Ministry has advised its citizens, including dual nationals, to avoid travel to the Maldives, a warning issued after the 2025 law took effect. It said Israel could have difficulty assisting them if they ran into trouble there.
A Separate Property Bill
The government also submitted a real estate bill that would bar Israeli citizens, and companies with Israeli ownership, from acquiring leasehold rights in designated development zones. Muizzu said buyers would be screened, local outlets reported, so the restriction would also apply to people entering on a second passport.
He described Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide, a characterization attributed to him by the President’s Office, and said allowing Israeli passport holders into the country was unacceptable. Both bills still require parliamentary approval.
Kamer Kurunç
Kamer Kurunç is the Team Leader of Clash Report and has led the outlet for four years. He oversees its breaking world news coverage, from the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war to defense and global politics. His focus is fast, verified, source-based reporting. Follow him on X at @kamerknc.
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