The visa-waiver agreement between China and Maldives has taken effect, according to Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday.

Aerial photo taken on Sept 1, 2019 shows the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge in Maldives. (File photo: Xinhua)

Under the deal, Chinese holding a valid passport can travel to Maldives on a 30-day visa-free basis for short-term purposes such as tourism, business, family visits, and transiting.

Those who intend to enter Maldives for activities requiring prior approval from the authorities, such as working, settlement, and news reporting, should complete relevant procedures before entering the country, it added.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, China had been the largest source of foreign tourists to the Maldives for several consecutive years. According to statistics from the Ministry of Tourism of the Maldives, nearly 300,000 Chinese tourists visited the Maldives in 2019, accounting for about 17 percent of the total number of foreign tourists received by the country that year.