The new president changed the rules in two days
In Sri Lanka, the electronic visa issuance system ETA, which was in effect until April 2024, was restored. The introduction of the old rules is envisaged from the first minute on September 27. Such a statement by the new president of the country was quoted yesterday by Daijiworld. The head of state, who took office at the beginning of the week, solved the problem of issuing visas to foreigners in just a couple of days. For Russians, innovations are not relevant. According to the information on the website of the immigration department, tourists from Russia can still get a free entry permit at the airport upon arrival. It is designed for a single entry of up to 30 days. It is allowed to extend the visa for the same period. For guests from other countries, a double-entry tourist visa for a month again costs $ 50 when applying online. It can be purchased at Colombo Airport for $60. In August, the country’s Supreme Court canceled the increase in visa fees for tourists and demanded the return of the old tariffs. Due to the closure of the online portal for obtaining an e-visa, the admission of foreigners has become a headache for the immigration service. With the beginning of the mass issuance of tourist visas, huge queues appeared at airports there. Therefore, a temporary simplified free regime was introduced for citizens of a number of countries – until March 31, 2025. It is not yet known whether there will be any changes to this list in connection with the resumption of accepting applications for entry online. To arrive in Sri Lanka, you must have a passport valid for at least six months on the date of arrival. A confirmed travel document is also required to leave the country. At the border control, they may ask about the availability of sufficient financial resources for the duration of their stay. Earlier it was reported that since September 2, Sri Lanka has once again changed the rules for accepting tourists. Tourists from almost four dozen countries stopped applying for visa permits to enter – at the border they were stamped with an arrival stamp in their passports without additional formalities. By the way, Russia was included in this list at that time.
