Russian and Ukrainian tourist visas further extended

The government has decided to further extend visas of Russian and Ukrainian tourists in Sri Lanka by another two months free-of-charge due to the on-going war between the two countries.

Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga on Monday sought Cabinet approval for the visa extension of nationals from the two countries by further two months.

“Since the crisis between the two countries has not yet subsided, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by Tourism Minister to extend the visa period of Ukrainian and 

Russian tourists in Sri Lanka so that they can remain further in Sri Lanka,” the Government Information Department said.

As of March, there were 11,463 Russian tourists and 3, 993 Ukrainian tourists in the island.

Up until end of February, Russia and Ukraine were among the largest source markets for Sri Lanka tourism.