Sri Lanka raises visa fees for tourists

This is an additional expense to plan for if you are going to Sri Lanka soon. From December 1, an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) will cost tourists $50 (€48), up from the current $35 (€33.50). It allows you to stay in the country for 180 days and must be requested online before departure, provided you have a passport valid for at least six months beyond the date of arrival and a confirmed return ticket.

It is still possible to apply for a visa upon arrival in Sri Lanka. costs are then $60 (€58) and the permit is only valid for 30 days. It should be noted that the transit visa (valid for two days) and the visa for children under 12 remain free of charge. Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted in early 2022.”Travelers, including travelers without a complete vaccination schedule, are not required to be tested on arrival in Sri Lanka“, the website France Diplomatie notes.

Response to the economic crisis

These price hikes are part of the 2023 budget proposal recently presented by Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickramasinghe. In particular, it aims to attract more foreign currency to boost the economy of the country, which is highly dependent on tourism, and above all to calm the political and economic crisis that has shaken the country for several months. At the height of the demonstrations, at the beginning of the summer, the Quai d’Orsay even advised the French not to go there.

Sri Lanka is not the only country to appeal to tourists’ wallets in the post-Covid context. Nepal increased the visa fee by 5 euros in October. In November, the Philippines did the same with its three-month single-entry visas ($33 instead of $27). Bhutan tripled its Sustainable Development Fee in September 2022, from $65 to $200 per day ($250 in high season). Thailand will implement a tourist tax of around 8 euros from January 1, 2023 to finance sustainable tourism projects.