Confusion on free-visa for seven countries
View(s):By Raj Moorthy
While tourists from seven countries are eligible to obtain a free-visa to Sri Lanka, the country’s border control has implemented two methods allowing them to obtain the authorisation to enter Sri Lanka. This allows some tourists to pay and some not.
One way is, tourists from India, China, Russia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Japan, once they arrive at the airport, will be provided a visa to enter the country completely free-of-charge. The other procedure is by applying online via the e-Visa system introduced by the Department of Immigration and Emigration (DIE) where a US$10 convenience fee is charged.
This has created confusion among tourists while they had stood in line at the immigration section at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) recently, where some have paid US$10 per application and some are walking into the country without paying a cent.
The Business Times learnt from a family of three that arrived in the country from India, that they had paid a total convenience fee of $30 (three tourists) by applying via the e-Visa system, which was not necessary if they had flown into the country from India and got the passport stamped at the BIA immigration section.
“The border control system is confusing to travellers from countries that are eligible for free-visa whether we have to pay or not. We knew about travelling to Sri Lanka free-of-charge only after arriving here. The immigration officer at the counter informed us that it was not necessary to apply online and pay $10 when you can fly here and get the passport stamped for free-of-charge,” the father of the family who is a global head of marketing of a top technology company in India told the Business Times.
It is learnt that the e-Visa system takes at least 48 hours to approve the authorisation to enter Sri Lanka, whereas the previous ETA system had an instant email authorising the visa for a traveller.
Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Chairman, Priyantha Fernando also confirmed that the two systems are in place for tourists from countries that are eligible for the free-visa. “The online e-Visa system is functional while tourists from the seven countries can fly to Sri Lanka and get the passport stamped,” he said.
When the Business Times questioned that the free-visa for the seven countries was last updated only up to 31 May, Mr. Fernando stated, free-visa for tourists from the seven countries is extended indefinitely.
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