Parliament approves regulations on free visa for 40 countries

Parliament approved regulations under the Immigration and Emigration Act today (7) that will allow free visa entry for citizens of 40 countries, as part of the government's efforts to promote tourism.

Minister of Public Security and Parliament Affairs Ananda Wijepala stated that the new regulations will provide free 30-day visas to countries including the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Bahrain, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey, the UAE, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Russia, and Thailand.

He noted that previously, free visas were only available for China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Russia, and Thailand.

The Minister explained that travelers from these countries will now be granted a free 30-day visit visa, but must still adhere to all other entry procedures, including obtaining an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). The visa fee will be waived.

While the government anticipates a loss of approximately USD 75 million due to the free visa policy, it is estimated that the initiative will attract an additional 247,000 tourists, generating around $317 million in revenue and resulting in a net profit of $242 million.

Source: The morning