Written by Staff Writer
Sri Lanka has reopened its land and sea borders to foreign travelers, bringing an end to strict visa requirements in the capital city, Colombo.
The airport and sea terminal have been completely renovated, making travel from and to Sri Lanka faster and easier, and offering a visa waiver for visitors flying in on an international flight.
The new arrangement has been made possible by the Colombo Agreement for Remittance, which was signed by then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in June 2018. The agreement aims to restore foreign investment and business confidence in Sri Lanka’s economy.
Here’s what it means for you:
Visa waiver
Colombo Airport will be the only airport in the world to allow visa-free entry for foreign travelers traveling on an international flight. (CNN)
Foreigners can apply for a visa at the Colombo International Airport or the port of Colombo, or visit the offices of the Ministry of International Trade to apply for a waiver. After receiving an approval, travelers will be able to apply for visas in Sri Lanka.
The waiver applies to all states in the Commonwealth of Nations, including India, Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, and Malaysia, but not China, the European Union, and the United States.
On the non-European side, travelers can visit Turkey, India, Pakistan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia, and Laos.
More and more Indian travelers have been traveling to India via Sri Lanka to avoid regulations on visa-free travel to Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.