Govt. restores ETA system extending biggest relief to tourism sector

The Government last night announced that the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system was reinstated, allowing all foreigners to once again obtain hassle-free pre-arrival visas.The decision, effective from midnight yesterday comes as a welcome relief to the tourism industry, which had long lobbied for the restoration of the system with previous administration, was largely ignored.

The Daily FT learns that with the ETA system back in place visa fees will also be reduced. “The 30-day tourist visa fee will come down to $ 35, while national from SAARC countries will also see the current visa fees coming down to $ 20. Visas will be free for children under 12 years, offering further incentives for family travel,” a top official told the Daily FT based on anonymity.

Public Security Minister Vijitha Herath acknowledged the difficulties caused by the visa service provided by VFS Global, particularly for foreigners arriving in Sri Lanka who faced significant challenges in obtaining their on-arrival visas.

“The visa issue has caused great distress but we have now addressed this problem,” he stated, adding that the Ministry intervened following a Court ruling to resume visa issuance under the previous ETA system within 24 hours.

He said under the restored ETA system, foreigners can apply for visas online, which will now be processed within 24 hours, marking a significant improvement in efficiency.

“We have initiated an immediate forensic audit to investigate the irregularities associated with the VFS Global. Any discrepancies found will be subject to legal action in the future,” Minister Herath noted in a communiqué issued by the President’s Media Division.

Separately, the Department of Immigration and Emigration (DIE) on Wednesday officially requested the restoration of the previous Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system, in a move aligned with the recent Supreme Court interim order.

DIE Additional Controller General Imal Gunawardena sent a formal letter to Informatics Ltd., CEO and the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), Mobitel Ltd., Chief Operating Officer and Managers of Sampath Bank PLC and Nations Trust Bank PLC, urging them to reinstate the visa processing system which existed as of 16 April 2024.

In his communication, Gunawardena directed Mobitel Ltd., to re-enable the same ETA front-end system and resume the ETA contact centre service, as it existed prior to the changes made in April 2024.

Similarly, Informatics Ltd., was asked to restore the backend services that had been previously provided, while Sampath Bank and Nations Trust Bank were requested to re-establish the Internet Payment Gateway (IPG) services.

The directive also includes, ICTA to revert the official ETA website to its original domain, https://eta.gov.lk ensuring that the system mirrors its configuration which existed as of 16 April 2024.

Gunawardena has emphasised the need for immediate action, requesting all relevant parties to collaborate and appoint a point of contact to ensure the smooth reinstatement of the system.

The latest move from the DIE comes much later than expected, as SLT-Mobitel had been awaiting swift action from several stakeholders to get the ETA system online, two weeks after the Supreme Court ordered authorities to abandon the outsourced arrangement and revert to the previous status quo.

On 13 August SLT-Mobitel Chairman A.K.D.D.D. Arandara wrote to the DIE Controller General HarshaIlukpitiya notifying the urgency in support as a follow up to the first letter sent on 7 August, post Supreme Court’s interim order issued on 2 August to reinstate the ETA system. (https://www.ft.lk/top-story/slt-mobitel-still-awaiting-action-from-other-stakeholders-to-get-visa-system-online/26-765568)

The latest directive by the Additional Controller comes as part of a wider response to a Supreme Court order suspending a controversial e-visa outsourcing arrangement. It aims to address the concerns raised by tourism industry stakeholders and other petitioners regarding transparency, excessive fees and confusion created by the new e-visa system introduced from 17 April 2024.

The restoration of the ETA system is intended to restore order and efficiency in the visa application process, which was widely regarded as one of the best in the region before the outsourcing arrangement.