The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has issued an interim order suspending the new eVisa platform, which was implemented in April 2024.

Key Points:

• The Department of Immigration and Emigration is in the process of reinitiating the previous electronic travel authorization (ETA) visa system that was in place before the introduction of the new eVisa system. The government has not yet confirmed when the old ETA visa system will be online.
• In the meantime, travelers from eligible countries may apply for on-arrival 30-day tourist visas.
• Business visas are currently suspended indefinitely.

Additional Information: Travelers who have applied and obtained an eVisa from the new system will not be affected and will be able to utilize their visas as long as they applied before 5:00 p.m. IST on Aug. 2, 2024.

BAL Analysis: The Supreme Court’s decision to suspend the eVisa considered fundamental rights petitions that challenged the potential procedural violations and negative impacts to the Sri Lankan tourism sector. BAL will continue following the suspension and will provide updates as information becomes available.