The government of Sri Lanka has launched its official eVisa application website.

Key Points:

• The Department of Immigration and Emigration has transitioned from the ETA system to the new eVisa scheme for tourist and business visas, operated by IVS-GBS and VFS Global.
• The Department of Immigration and Emigration has also implemented new sub-visa categories under the tourist and business visa categories.
• Sri Lankan authorities recently implemented visa-free travel for nationals of China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Russia and Thailand. Nationals of these countries are still required to apply for an eVisa prior to travel and should select the 30-day single-entry eVisa option when applying on the new online system. The eVisa fee waiver scheme is valid until May 31.

BAL Analysis: As BAL previously reported, government officials have recently announced several other policy updates designed to simplify the visa system and attract more investors and tourists.