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Sri Lanka Announces Visa-Free Access to Indians

  • 22 Aug 2024

On 21st August 2024, Sri Lanka announced visa-free access to citizens of 35 countries, including India, the UK, and the US, for a period of six months starting October 1, 2024.

Key Points

  • List of Eligible Countries: The countries benefiting from this visa-free access include India, the UK, China, the US, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Australia, Denmark, Poland, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Nepal, Indonesia, Russia, and Thailand.
  • The list also includes Malaysia, Japan, France, Canada, the Czech Republic, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Israel, Belarus, Iran, Sweden, South Korea, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and New Zealand.
  • Policy Background: This initiative follows a period of controversy over increased on-arrival visa fees, which were previously managed by a foreign company.
  • Previous Visa Free Arrangements: Previously, citizens from India, China, Russia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia were granted tourist visas free of charge to Sri Lanka.