180-day tourist visa for online applications

In a bid to facilitate more tourists entering the country, the Cabinet of Ministers yesterday announced its decision to issue tourist visas valid for 180 days for those arriving via electronic visa approvals.

The 180-day validation will be granted for tourists applying for visas through the Online Electronic Tourist Visa Activation System (ETA).

While the proposal was submitted by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in his capacity as Defence Minister, the decision to link the Sri Lanka Tourist Mobile App, developed by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) to the visa application process through ETA was taken in January this year.

According to this week’s Cabinet decision, tourists from SAARC countries will be charged a visa fee of US$ 70, tourists from non-SAARC countries will be charged US$ 85, whereas tourists from Singapore, Maldives, Seychelles will be charged a fee of US$ 50. 

Lower fee for the latter category is due to Sri Lanka’s bilateral agreements with those nations.