 "Sri Lanka retains $50 visa fee for foreign visitors, free for Indians")
In a policy u-turn, Sri Lanka has reversed its decision to double the tourist visa fee from $50 to $100 for a 30-day visit. This move, announced by the President’s Office on May 6, came after backlash from local tourism stakeholders and issues at key entry points at the Bandaranaike International Airport.
Moreover, the free visa service currently offered to citizens of India, China, Russia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, has been extended.
Fee hike
The new VFS system led to a near-doubling of Sri Lanka’s visa fees, as well as the addition of an $18.5 service fee and $5 convenience fee charged by VFS Global, a private company assigned to manage visa processing.
This decision was met with criticism from various tourism industry groups, who argued that the increase would deter visitors and complicate the entry process, especially as the nation continues to recover from economic setbacks.
On Monday, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said he opposed those charges and that they were not mentioned in the original deal. “When the new proposal was introduced, VFS charges were not mentioned. Since it came to light, I have objected to the proposal,” he said on X. He also claimed that his ministry was working on a proposal for visa-free travel for 50 countries.
This decision was met with criticism from various tourism industry groups, who argued that the increase would deter visitors and complicate the entry process, especially as the nation continues to recover from economic setbacks.
On Monday, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said he opposed those charges and that they were not mentioned in the original deal. “When the new proposal was introduced, VFS charges were not mentioned. Since it came to light, I have objected to the proposal,” he said on X. He also claimed that his ministry was working on a proposal for visa-free travel for 50 countries.
Operational challenges
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Complications peaked on April 30 when system failures led to extensive delays and long queues at immigration. This operational hiccup highlighted the inefficiencies introduced by the new system, prompting a swift response from local industry associations.
The Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators, the Travel Agents Association of Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka Association of Professional Conference Exhibition and Event Organizers, and the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises in Tourism had earlier issued a joint letter urging the government to restore “a competitive and user-friendly visa process through a government-operated website, similar to the previous ETA system, to enable a tourist to obtain the necessary 30 days single-entry visa with ease”, which was deemed crucial to “sustaining the positive momentum” in tourism recovery.
As conflict between the industry and the government spiked over the new visa fee and its implementation, tourism minister Harin Fernando told reporters that the changes were not implemented by him, but by the minister of national security Tiran Alles.
Fernando said: “My view is that we should do away with visas altogether for tourists. Travelling should be as simple as getting off the plane and going out.”
Reinstating the original fee structure
In response to the mounting pressure, the cabinet has decided to revert to the original visa fee. The President's statement confirmed that the Department of Immigration and Emigration would resume its role as the sole facilitator of the tourist visa system. The President's statement confirmed that the Department of Immigration and Emigration would resume its role as the sole facilitator of the tourist visa system.
Impact on Indian tourists
Indian tourists, who have consistently topped Sri Lanka’s arrival charts — 20% of total arrivals in 2023 — were in a peculiar situation after changes in visa policy.
In a bid to encourage tourism and revive the island’s crisis-hit economy, Sri Lanka in October 2023 waived visa fees for tourists from India and six other countries. The arrangement has since been extended. Moreover, Sri Lanka’s Tourism Minister Harin Fernando has been organising road shows in India, asking tourists to visit in large numbers.
However, despite being eligible for a visa fee waiver, Indians were still subjected to a service fee of approximately $23. This fee, initially part of the new visa price, became an additional burden even after the visa itself was made free again.
The recent decision to maintain the free visa offer and eliminate extra processing fees is expected to remove these hurdles, potentially boosting tourist arrivals from India and the other six nations, aiding in the economic recovery efforts of the island nation.
The tourism sector in Sri Lanka has faced challenges, especially in the aftermath of the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which resulted in a decline in tourist arrivals.