Sri Lanka Approves Free Visas for India, China, Russia, and More

• 26 Oct 2023

Recently, the Cabinet of Sri Lanka has granted approval for the issuance of free visas to visitors from India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand.

Key Points

• Free Visas for Select Countries: The new policy goes into immediate effect as a pilot project and will run until March 31, 2024, as announced by Sri Lanka's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali Sabry.
• Historic Shift: This decision marks a significant departure from the previous visa regulations, allowing travelers from the mentioned countries to obtain Sri Lankan visas without any charges. India has traditionally been the leading source of tourists for Sri Lanka.
• Tourism Statistics: According to data from September, India led the arrivals with more than 30,000 visitors, comprising 26 percent of the total. Chinese tourists were the second-largest group, with over 8,000 arrivals.
• Tourism Challenges: Sri Lanka has faced a decline in tourist arrivals since the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, a tragic event that resulted in the loss of 270 lives, including 11 Indians, and left more than 500 people injured.
• Economic and Political Challenges: The country has been grappling with severe economic challenges since gaining independence from Britain in 1948.
• It is currently experiencing political turmoil marked by protests calling for President Rajapaksa's resignation.
• The economic crisis has led to critical shortages of basic necessities, such as food, medicine, cooking gas, fuel, and more, creating long queues and hardships for the population.
• Ministry of Tourism Proposal: The Ministry of Tourism introduced a Cabinet Paper during a recent Cabinet meeting, suggesting the provision of complimentary tourist visas to travelers from five countries who plan to visit Sri Lanka for tourism.