Sri Lanka has come up with a new expensive visa system. Travellers wishing to visit the island country are now required to use a new visa portal run by VFS Global, instead of the previous Electronic Travel Authorization system. The old system, known for its speed and accessibility, has been scrapped.
The new adjustment, which came into force on April 17, was made based on a cabinet decision last year. The cost of Sri Lankan visa has nearly doubled due to the implementation of the new VFS system, along with the addition of $18.5 (INR 1,544.93) as service fee and $5 (INR 417) as convenience fee.
Minister of Tourism Harin Fernando said he had opposed these charges which were not included in the original proposal. He claimed that the decision was not made by his ministry. Fernando further informed that his ministry is working on a proposal for visa free travel for 50 countries.
Sri Lanka has removed the visa charge for citizens from India and six other countries since October 2023. However, with the new system coming into force, Indian applicants will have to pay roughly $23 as convenience and service fees.
Along with Indians, citizens from China, Russia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia have also been exempted from visa charges.
Citizens from countries that are not part of South Asian Association for Regional Coorporation (SAARC) will now have to pay $75 for a standard Sri Lankan tourist visa—an increase of around 50 per cent. Citizens from SAARC countries will have to pay a fee of $35 for a standard tourist visa.
Foreigners who apply for a two-year multiple entry tourist visa will now have to pay a fee of $300. The prices for business visas have also increased.
