follow us:
Starting October 1, Sri Lanka will grant visa-free entry to citizens from 35 countries, including India, the UK, and the US, for six months.
Starting October 1, Sri Lanka will grant visa-free entry to citizens from 35 countries, including India, the UK, and the US, for six months. The decision, reported by PTI, aims to boost tourism and facilitate easier travel for visitors from these nations.
The Sri Lankan Cabinet has approved visa-free access for citizens from 35 countries, effective from October 1, 2024, for six months, according to local newspapers Daily Mirror and PTI.
The list includes nations like India, the UK, the US, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, and several others, aiming to promote tourism and ease travel.
In October last year, Sri Lanka introduced free visas for travelers from India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand as a pilot project until March 2024. Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry emphasized the importance of India in their foreign policy.
By September, India was the top source of tourists, with over 30,000 arrivals, making up 26% of the total, followed by China with over 8,000 arrivals.
Previously, there was controversy over the increased fees for on-arrival visas in Sri Lanka, managed by a foreign company, according to PTI. However, visitors from India, China, Russia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia were granted free tourist visas during this period.
