Sri Lanka will introduce a six‑month program granting free tourist visas to passport holders from 39 selected countries, in a bid to boost the nation’s tourism industry.

Approval for the initiative was granted at the Cabinet meeting held on July 21, 2025. 

Under the Immigration and Emigration Act, draft regulations prepared by the Legal Draftsman for the issuance of free visas will be presented to Parliament for approval.

The proposal was submitted by the Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs and received Cabinet endorsement. 

The government expects the move to encourage more visitors and strengthen Sri Lanka’s position as a leading travel destination. 

The selected countries, as announced by Cabinet Spokesman Minister Nalinda Jayatissa at the post- Cabinet media briefing held today (31), are as follows;

• Australia
• Austria
• Bahrain
• Belarus
• Belgium
• Canada
• China 
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• India
• Indonesia
• Iran 
• Israel
• Italy
• Japan
• Kazakhstan
• Kuwait
• Malaysia
• Nepal 
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Oman
• Pakistan
• Poland
• Qatar
• Russia
• Saudi Arabia
• South Korea
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Thailand
• Turkey
• UAE
• United Kingdom 
• United States (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka has expanded its visa-fee waiver to 40 countries in a bid to boost tourist arrivals.

While the initiative is expected to result in an annual revenue loss of around USD 66 million, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath expressed confidence that the increase in tourism-related income will offset the shortfall.

Here is the full list of countries now eligible for free-visa to Sri Lanka.
(*Indicates countries already under the earlier visa waiver scheme.)

1.⁠ ⁠United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2.⁠ ⁠Federal Republic of Germany
3.⁠ ⁠Kingdom of the Netherlands
4.⁠ ⁠The Kingdom of Belgium
5.⁠ ⁠The Kingdom of Spain
6.⁠ ⁠The Commonwealth of Australia
7.⁠ ⁠Republic of Poland
8.⁠ ⁠The Republic of Kazakhstan
9.⁠ ⁠The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
10.⁠ ⁠The United Arab Emirates
11.⁠ ⁠Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
12.⁠ ⁠People’s Republic of China *
13.⁠ ⁠The Republic of India *
14.⁠ ⁠The Republic of Indonesia *
15.⁠ ⁠The Russian Federation *
16.⁠ ⁠The Kingdom of Thailand *
17.⁠ ⁠The Federation of Malaya *
18.⁠ ⁠Japan *
19.⁠ ⁠Republic of France
20.⁠ ⁠United States of America
21.⁠ ⁠Canada
22.⁠ ⁠Czech Republic (Czechia)
23.⁠ ⁠Republic of Italy
24.⁠ ⁠Swiss Confederation (Switzerland)
25.⁠ ⁠Republic of Austria
26.⁠ ⁠State of Israel
27.⁠ ⁠Republic of Belarus
28.⁠ ⁠Islamic Republic of Iran
29.⁠ ⁠Kingdom of Sweden
30.⁠ ⁠Republic of Finland
31.⁠ ⁠Kingdom of Denmark
32.⁠ ⁠Republic of Korea
33.⁠ ⁠State of Qatar
34.⁠ ⁠Sultanate of Oman
35.⁠ ⁠Kingdom of Bahrain
36.⁠ ⁠New Zealand
37.⁠ ⁠State of Kuwait
38.⁠ ⁠Kingdom of Norway
39.⁠ ⁠Republic of Türkiye
40.⁠ ⁠Pakistan

The post Sri Lanka waives visa fees for 40 countries : Full list released appeared first on Newswire.

Sri Lanka is considering providing free visas to over 50 countries, it was reported.

According to Tourism Ministry sources, a proposal in this regard is to be submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers next week. 

The Cabinet paper is to be drafted by the Tourism Minister as a joint paper with Foreign Minister Ali Sabry and Public Security Minister Tiran Alles.

The move will allow over 50 countries to enjoy free visas to visit Sri Lanka. (Newswire)

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The pilot project of Free Visa to seven countries will be extended until April 30, 2024, Minister of Tourism Harin Fernando announced today.

Taking to ‘X’, the minister said a final decision on the pilot project is to be taken during the next few weeks.

Last week, participating in a session at OTM 2024, which is the leading travel trade show in Asia, Minister Fernando hinted at the possibility of visa extensions.

According to the Press Trust of India (PTI), Minister Fernando said that Sri Lanka was likely to extend visa exemption status for India after March. 

The minister said the decision aims to keep attracting travellers from India and encourage repeat visits.

“India is our number one source market and tourists from India helped our country on its path of recovery from the recent crisis we faced,” Minister Fernando said.

Sri Lanka facilitated visa-free entry for Indian travellers from December 2023 to March. “We are working on extending it beyond March. We want to make Sri Lanka an easily accessible destination for Indians, who can just walk into our country for a hassle-free holiday,” he said.

By offering visa exemption to Indians, Sri Lanka will attract more footfalls, especially those who make last-minute plans and find the visa process a hindrance, he said.

“In the time of more options, we have to ease the travel process to encourage more tourists from India and repeat footfalls,” he added. (NewsWire)

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