Srilanka Visa Free from 1 October: Sri Lanka has given great news for Indian travelers. From October 1, 2024, citizens of 35 countries including India will get visa-free entry to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Visa Free from 1 October: Sri Lanka has given great news for Indian travelers. From October 1, 2024, citizens of 35 countries including India will get visa-free entry to Sri Lanka. Earlier on 2 August 2024, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka had banned the e-visa service being offered by IVS-GBS and VFS Global. After which Indians were given the option of visa-on-arrival instead of the option of e-visa. Now from October 1, Indian travelers will be able to enter without a visa.
Countries benefiting from visa-free travel
Apart from India, citizens of UK, USA, China, Germany, Australia and many other countries will be able to avail this visa-free travel facility. The list includes countries like Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, UAE, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, France, Canada, Italy, and many more.
What does visa-free travel mean?
Visa-free travel means that travelers will not need to obtain a visa in advance to enter the country. This simplifies the process and also saves visa fees. Usually you just need a valid passport.
Efforts to attract Indian travelers
Indians accounted for 20% of the total tourists in Sri Lanka in 2023. This visa-free policy is expected to further increase the number of Indian travelers to Sri Lanka. In October 2023 also, Sri Lanka waived visa fees for 7 countries including India, which was extended till 31 May 2024. In 2024, Sri Lanka welcomed 2,46,922 Indian tourists, while 1,23,992 tourists came from the UK. This policy of visa-free travel is considered an important step for Sri Lanka’s tourism economy. However, in the first six months of 2024, Sri Lanka earned $1.5 billion from tourism, up from $875 million in the same period in 2023.
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Visa-free travel conditions
The conditions for visa-free travel are:
- Valid passport
- Period of travel
- Proof of return or onward travel
- Proof of sufficient funds to cover expenses during travel
- Proof of stay
- Travel/medical insurance
- Criminal record check
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