With the new changes, tourists can enjoy a more affordable visa to visit and explore Sri Lanka, as the online platform will reduce the USD 25 that was being charged by the India-based VFS Global.
Travelling Translated
In May of 2024, Sri Lanka made an interesting decision when it came to its tourism industry as the Government decided to change its visa fees. This change also occurred when Sri Lanka’s popularity took off, as tourists from all across the globe started travelling to the destination to explore its natural beauty and cultural diversity. The change in fees came as a shock to many, as the single-entry tourist visa which used to be obtainable for a reasonable USD 50 granted a month-long stay in the country increased to the total cost of USD 100.77 in 2024 - doubling the financial commitment for visitors. Although citizens of SAARC countries were still free to enjoy the 30-day visa-free entry to the country, the increase in fees for other travellers raised the fear that the Sri Lankan tourism industry would also get affected during a time when the country was already struggling to overcome its financial crisis.
This change which was implemented by the former President was not favoured by the country or travellers, making it one of the promises of the newly elected President of Sri Lanka Anura Kumara Dissanayake to bring changes to the visa policy to make travel to the country more affordable. Just a few days following his win at the recent election, President Dissanayake has restored an online visa application platform, reversing the controversial multimillion-dollar deal that outsourced visa processing to a foreign consortium. With the new changes, tourists can enjoy a more affordable visa to visit and explore Sri Lanka, as the online platform will reduce the USD 25 that was being charged by the India-based VFS Global.
This is expected to further boost tourism in Sri Lanka, as the former visa-processing method through VFS Global required every single foreigner entering the country to pay USD 25 as a processing fee - including the visitors from SAARC countries who had the visa-free travel arrangements with the country as well. With the additional burden now removed, making the process of obtaining a visa cheaper and less bureaucratic, Sri Lanka is expected to see better tourist arrival rates.
