Sri Lanka has reintroduced plans to offer visa-free entry to nationals from 40 countries, though an implementation date has yet to be confirmed.
This marks a renewed effort following a similar proposal in August 2024 to extend visa-free travel to 35 countries, which was approved at cabinet level but never came into effect.
The latest announcement was made by Vijitha Herath, minister of foreign affairs, foreign employment and tourism, at the opening of the Hotel Show in Colombo. While full details were not disclosed, a list of eligible countries has since been released by the ministry.
The 40 countries include the UK, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Australia, Poland, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Nepal, China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, France, the US, Canada, Czech Republic, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Israel, Belarus, Iran, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, South Korea, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, New Zealand, Kuwait, Norway, Türkiye and Pakistan. Nationals from India, China, Russia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia are already eligible for visa-free travel.
The tourism industry has welcomed the move. Hotels Association of Sri Lanka president, M Shanthikumar, said the decision provides a welcome boost to the sector, which has been growing steadily. Sri Lanka is aiming to attract three million visitors in 2025, up from two million in the previous year.
Nishad Wijetunga, immediate past president of the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators, also supported the announcement but noted that the industry is still awaiting clarity on when the policy will take effect. Other industry sources suggest it could take up to two months to implement.
One industry source noted that although cabinet approval has been granted, parliamentary approval is still required due to the potential impact on government revenue, and expressed concern that the announcement was made before all necessary authorisations were secured.
