Free entry to Sri Lanka can be extended
Sri Lanka has launched a new visa system since April 17. According to the Department of Immigration and Emigration, now instead of an electronic travel permit (ETA), tourists need to obtain an electronic visa (E-Visa) on the portal www.srilankaevisa.lk . The visa platform states that all visitors must complete an e-visa application before arriving in the country.In accordance with an earlier decision of the Sri Lankan government, citizens of Russia, China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan traveling for tourism purposes are exempt from E-Visa fees until April 30, 2024 (the last arrival date).To take advantage of this benefit, citizens of these countries in the online visa system need to choose the option of obtaining a single-entry 30-day electronic visa. It’s free for them.However, there is a catch: now for all categories of visas issued on www.srilankaevisa.lk , a service fee of $18.5 per person is charged. An application processing fee is added to it.As reported in one of the tour operator companies, when applying for an electronic visa for arrival on April 24 (entry 30 days), the service fee was $ 18.5, the application processing fee was $ 3.11. In total, getting a free E-visa cost $ 21.61, which is about 2 thousand rubles.It is not yet clear what the cost of a tourist E-Visa and a visa on arrival in Sri Lanka will be for citizens of the Russian Federation from May 1, 2024. Tour operators have not received clarifications from the Ministry of Tourism of the country and the host companies. Before the launch of the experiment on free entry for Russians at the end of 2023, obtaining an ETA cost $ 50, and a visa on arrival cost $ 60.According to preliminary information, on Monday, April 22, the Cabinet of Sri Lanka will consider the possibility of extending free entry for citizens of Russia and 6 other countries.Recall that the experiment on the abolition of visa fees was supposed to end on March 31, 2024, but was extended for another month.According to the Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka, an electronic visa valid for 180 days with a stay limit of 60 days and the possibility of re-entry now costs $ 75, a multiple–entry annual visitor visa (90 days stay) – $ 200, a two-year multiple-entry visa (180 days stay) – $ 300. Five-year and ten-year e-visas will cost $500 and $1,000, respectively.Transit rules have also changed: now citizens of any country have the right to two-day visa-free transit through Sri Lanka airports. Previously, a free visa was issued for this purpose.To apply for a visa, you need to create an account on the portal, fill out an online application, upload a photo and a copy of the main page of the passport.We remind you that you cannot pay for a visa to Sri Lanka online using a Russian bank card. A foreign bank card is required for these purposes. Tour operators will help you with obtaining an electronic visa for an additional fee.So far, the innovation does not apply to Russian tourists: they are exempt from visa fees until April 30. Tour operators are waiting for official explanations from the Ministry of Tourism of Sri Lanka.Transit rules are also changing. Two-day visa-free transit through the country’s airports is now allowed. Previously, it was impossible to leave the transit zone of the air harbor even for a short period without special permission.But this is a topic for selected travelers. How many of us transit through Sri Lanka?
