There is good news for Indians planning a trip to Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan government has announced free visas on arrival for tourists from 40 countries, including India.
Under this new scheme, Indian travellers will get a free 30-day tourist visa with double entry from the date of first arrival. This means tourists can enter Sri Lanka twice within the visa period without paying visa fees.
Electronic Travel Clearance Still Required
Sri Lanka’s Department of Immigration and Emigration said that travellers from these countries will still need to get Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) approval before arriving in the country.
The rule also applies to countries that already have bilateral visa agreements with Sri Lanka, including Singapore, Maldives, and Seychelles.
India continues to be the biggest source of foreign tourists visiting Sri Lanka. Other major countries sending tourists include Russia, the UK, the US, Germany, China, and Denmark.
What If You Want to Stay Longer?
The Sri Lankan government said travellers who want to stay for more than 30 days can apply for a visa extension by paying the required fee.
Officials also clarified that the existing ETA rules will continue for countries that are not included in the free visa scheme.
Full List of Countries Included
The free visa facility is available for citizens of these countries:
Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Iran, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, UK, and USA.
Sri Lanka also confirmed that people holding diplomatic, official, service, or ordinary passports from these countries can use the free tourist visa scheme.
