Sri Lanka extend free visa to 35 countries

President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday extended the biggest boost for tourism by offering 30-day visas free-of-charge to nationals from 35 countries from 1 October.

The move for six months was approved at the Cabinet of Ministers meeting yesterday based on a proposal by the President who also holds the tourism portfolio, following recommendations from an Expert Committee tasked with evaluating the issuance of free tourist visas.

The 35 countries included in the new free visa initiative are; India, China, UK, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Australia, Denmark, Poland, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Nepal, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, France, the US, Canada, Czech Republic, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Israel, Belarus, Iran, Sweden, South Korea, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and New Zealand.

The original proposal was submitted as a joint Cabinet paper by Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry PC and former Tourism Minister Harin Fernando, proposing free visa entry for citizens of 67 countries.

The Expert Committee composed of Government institutions, private sector tourism champions and independent analysts provided a detailed overview suggesting that offering free visas would lead to a surge in tourist arrivals.

“Sri Lanka would break-even financially if there is a 3.74% increase in tourist arrivals for the remainder of 2024 due to the visa waiver. A more substantial increase of 10% could generate an overall financial surplus of $ 94.27 million for the country,” a top official told the Daily FT.

During the first seven months of 2024, Sri Lanka earned over $ 1.88 billion, marking a remarkable 72% increase from the same period last year.

The latest strategic move aims to woo more visitors, stimulate the economy and enhance Sri Lanka’s position as a top travel destination, aligning with the country’s goal of achieving 5 million tourist arrivals by 2030.

This week Sri Lanka crossed the 1.3 million tourist arrivals mark for the year, with 117,825 visitors registered in the first 19 days of August. Tourism officials expressed confidence of reaching the year-end target of 2.3 million arrivals from September onwards.

The Committee has also recommended measures to enhance security screening and improve information communication access for visitors to ensure that the implementation of the free visa initiative is both secure and efficient.

Separately, the tourism industry welcomed the Government’s decision ahead of the crucial winter booking season. “We are grateful for the lifeline extended to the industry,” they said.

The industry stakeholders believe that the free visa entry for these 35 countries will significantly boost Sri Lanka’s appeal as a holiday destination.

“The current average lead time for a trip to Sri Lanka is three months and by making travel free visas could further facilitate arrivals,” they added.