Sri Lanka’s much-anticipated visa-free scheme for 33 countries is facing delays as the government awaits clearance from the Attorney General’s Department, amid ongoing legal complexities related to a previous private visa deal, Foreign and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath said.
Announced in July, the plan aims to expand the list of countries exempted from paying ETA visa fees to 40, in an effort to boost tourism.
However, the measure has yet to take effect, and travelers from the targeted countries still must pay the standard visa fees.
“We have to submit the new gazette notification to Parliament. After that, we will implement the process. We expect to finalize it within one or two months,” Minister Herath told reporters at the weekly post-Cabinet media briefing on Tuesday (28).
He added that the delay stems from the need for clarification and legal advice from the Attorney General, citing unresolved issues from the previous online visa scheme.
“There is some legal advice required related to revenue when we go for a free visa scheme,” he said.
Currently, free ETA access is limited to holders of ordinary, diplomatic, official, or service passports from China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Russia, and Thailand.
The Minister’s comments follow a special audit by Sri Lanka’s Auditor General into the controversial visa outsourcing deal with VFS, IVS, and GBS companies, which was suspended by the courts on August 2, 2024.
The audit found that some revenues due to the government were not properly remitted through the system.
The outsourced visa scheme, launched in April last year, had previously raised concerns over high fees and hidden charges, adding to the legal and administrative hurdles delaying the rollout of the new visa-free initiative.
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