Sri Lanka will offer visa free entry to visitors of 35 countries effective as of Tuesday, October 1, 2024 as part of a pilot program that was approved by the cabinet of ministers of that country. The pilot program is expected to last for six months. The visas will be valid for 30 days once visitors arrive at customs.
Sri Lanka To Offer Visa Free Entry to Visitors of 35 Countries
Holders of passports of the following countries will get to travel to Sri Lanka via visa free entry — including:
- Australia
- Austria
- Bahrain
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Canada
- China
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- France
- Germany
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Malaysia
- Nepal
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Oman
- Poland
- Qatar
- Russia
- Saudi Arabia
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States
Citizens of China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan, were approved for visa free entry earlier this year, which was valid until Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Sri Lanka transitioned to a new e-Visa system, which cost approximately $26.00 in United States dollars — but the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka temporarily halted this system after numerous graft cases were filed.
We have been notified of certain interim orders issued by the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka today pertaining to the agreement under which this platform is operated.
In view of these orders, the website is suspended effective 2 August at 17:00 hours Sri Lanka Standard Time.
Please visit https://www.immigration.gov.lk/index_e.php for any further information.
For applicants, whose visa applications is under process
In case you have applied on 2 August after 17:00 hours Sri Lanka Standard Time you will receive a refund. Please share your application reference number to travel.partner@srilankaevisa.lk
Final Boarding Call
Sri Lanka has reportedly been suffering through difficult times financially. By implementing this pilot program for visa free entry for citizens of 35 countries, it hopes to increase revenue from tourist dollars…
…and I hope that Sri Lanka succeeds beyond its wildest dreams.
More countries should consider following the lead of Sri Lanka, in my opinion. The news would be even better if Sri Lanka implemented its visa free entry to visitors on a permanent basis. I have never visited Sri Lanka; but this new policy would certainly have me considering it more now than before.
Idealistically, I would really like to see the day where you and I can travel anywhere in the world with few to no impediments; but with human nature being the way it is, I know that will not happen anytime soon — if at all…
…but at least the world still seems to generally be heading closer towards that goal overall — even if it is only at a glacial pace…
Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.
