12/12/2025
Sri Lankaโs tourism authorities are expecting to roll out the long-delayed visa-free facility for 40 countries starting coming January, 2026. โค ๐ฑ๐ฐ
The initiative to open the borders visa-free to a wider pool of nations is not new, having faced significant headwinds since its inception. The proposal was first aggressively pushed forward last year, when the Cabinet approved visa-free entry for 35 countries in August 2024, later expanding the list to 38 countries with the intention of immediate implementation.
However, the move was paralysed by a Supreme Court interim order suspending the controversial VFS Global visa outsourcing deal, which threw the countryโs immigration processing into disarray.
Currently, holders of ordinary, diplomatic, official, or service passports from China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Russia, and Thailand are eligible for a free Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). Under the proposed rollout in January, this facility is expected to expand to 33 additional countries, including major source markets such as the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The scheme will also cover high-potential travelers from Europe including Austria, Belarus, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland as well as key regional and Middle Eastern partners such as Bahrain, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey, and the UAE. โค
๐Source - Daily Mirror (https://www.dailymirror.lk/print/business-news/Sri-Lanka-to-implement-visa-free-facility-for-40-countries-from-January-to-aid-post-Ditwah-recovery/273-327213 #:~:text=Buddhika%20Hewawasam&text=Sri%20Lanka's%20tourism%20authorities%20are,recovery%20following%20the%20cyclone%20impact.)
๐Update - There has been a lot of discussion recently about potential changes to Sri Lankaโs visa and ETA process. While these updates are encouraging and could positively impact visitor numbers, itโs important to remember one thing:
๐ Nothing is officially confirmed until it is gazetted and implemented.
At this stage, we are still waiting for the final decision, official conditions, and clear guidelines. ๐
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