Sri Lanka has waived visa fees for citizens of 40 countries, including Pakistan, under a new travel scheme aimed at boosting tourism.
Under the scheme, eligible passport holders can now obtain a free Electronic Travel Authorization, or ETA, for Sri Lanka. The ETA allows travelers to stay in the country for up to 30 days.
Sri Lanka’s Immigration Department clarified that although the visa fee has been removed, travelers must still apply for and obtain an ETA before entering the country.
The department also said that any visa fees paid before May 25, when the changes came into effect, will not be refunded.
Those who want to extend their stay beyond the permitted 30 days can apply for a visa extension, but an extension fee will apply.
The visa fee waiver applies to eligible nationals holding diplomatic, official, service or ordinary passports.
Countries Eligible for Sri Lanka’s Free ETA Scheme
| Australia | Austria | Bahrain | Belarus |
| Belgium | Canada | China | Czech Republic |
| Denmark | Finland | France | Germany |
| India | Indonesia | Iran | 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 | United Arab Emirates | United Kingdom | United States |
When the scheme was announced last year, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said the government could face an annual loss of up to £50 million by waiving visa fees.
However, he said the move was expected to increase tourist arrivals, helping generate economic gains in other areas to offset the losses.
According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, the country has recorded 990,032 tourist arrivals so far this year.
However, tourist numbers fell sharply in early March after the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East led to flight cancellations. In March, arrivals dropped by nearly 20 percent to 184,000, compared with 229,000 in the previous year.
The new free ETA scheme is expected to make travel easier for visitors from eligible countries and support Sri Lanka’s efforts to strengthen its tourism sector.
