In the last few years, Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has seen a significant downfall including the 2019 Easter Sunday bombing, which caused a huge drop in the number of tourists arriving there. While the country is recovering from its economic crisis and tourism is the prime source of income, Sri Lanka has now introduced visa-free travel for 35 countries including India. This strategic move is seen to revitalize the tourism sector and attract more international travelers.
Last month, Sri Lanka suspended its online visa service after facing issues with the portal. Many were facing challenges with long wait times to get visas, and could only get visas upon arrival on the Island country. Now, with the visa restrictions being lifted, Indians can plan their trip any time of the year with no long waiting list for the visa. “Cabinet decides to allow visa-free access to Sri Lanka for citizens of 35 countries including the UK, USA, Canada, Germany, Australia, Saudi Arabia, China, India, Russia, South Korea & Japan from October 01, 2024, for 06 months,” Sri Lanka’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Ali Sabry announced the news.
The Foreign Minister stated that the newly elected president of the country Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced an online visa service to ensure a smooth tourist entry process. However, the process was interrupted after claims that the contract was not awarded transparently caused the agreement to come under investigation. The Supreme Court of India stepped in and mandated that immigration authorities return the online visa application system that was in use before this announcement.
Tourists from 35 countries including India can now apply for visas without the $25 cost formerly imposed by the country. The visa-free policy came into effect from October 1, 2024 and will remain active for the next six months aiming to get maximum tourists to the country.
Other countries included in the list of visa-free entry are:
Asia: China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Thailand