Sri Lanka waives visa fees for 40 countries

Sri Lankan authorities have announced the abolition of visa fees for citizens of 40 countries, as part of a strategy to boost tourism and revive the economy. In 2025, the country has set ambitious goals: to attract at least 3 million tourists and reach $5 billion in industry revenue.

Important: this is not a full visa-free regime. The requirement to obtain an electronic visa (ETA) remains in force; however, citizens of the listed countries no longer need to pay the standard fee for a short-term tourist visa, which previously stood at $50–60.

Russians have already been enjoying these benefits since March 2023. That was when Sri Lanka launched a pilot programme under which free 30-day visas began being issued to citizens of Russia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand. From July 2025, another 33 countries were added to this list.

Who is on the expanded list

The new wave of relief covers countries from Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania.

Asia: Bahrain, Belarus, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey, UAE.\nEurope: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom.\nNorth America: USA, Canada.\nOceania: Australia, New Zealand.

It is not yet clear whether the requirement to submit an online visa application will remain going forward, or whether this process will be simplified.

What the industry is saying

The tourism sector broadly supports the government's decision: abolishing fees increases the destination's appeal and aligns with the global trend toward simplifying entry. Market participants believe this could give a noticeable boost to tourist numbers, though it alone does not guarantee the targets will be met.

At the same time, some experts point out that the main problem remains the lack of an effective international marketing strategy. In their view, with a convenient e-visa in place and funding available, the priority should be efforts to promote the country, not just lowering the cost of entry.