As part of a strategy to boost its economy by targeting three million visitors and $5 billion in tourism revenue in 2025, Sri Lanka has announced it is scrapping the fee it charges for visas for citizens of 40 countries.
To be clear, this is not exactly a visa-waiver programme, as it is being reported in some outlets. It does not scrap the need for a visa but is removing the $50-$60 cost for a short stay visa for the countries in question. Eligible travellers are still required to apply for an electronic travel authorisation, but will no longer need to pay visa fees.
That means the South Asian Democratic Republic is taking a gamble. It is sacrificing around $66 million in annual visa revenue and betting that the increased tourist income will make up for the loss, according to Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, announcing the plan on 25 July 2025. “We have stabilised the economy, and through policy changes in tourism, we aim to ensure steady growth in arrivals,” he said.
The move builds on a previous opening up, which saw free 30-day tourist visas offered to citizens of: China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Russia, Thailand in March 2023 in a six-month trial. Those seven nations will continue to benefit from the scheme and 33 other countries have now been added to that list.
| Asia | Europe | North America | Oceania |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bahrain | Austria | Canada | Australia |
| Belarus | Belgium | United States | New Zealand |
| Iran | Czechia | ||
| Israel | Denmark | ||
| Kazakhstan | Finland | ||
| Kuwait | France | ||
| Nepal | Germany | ||
| Oman | Italy | ||
| Pakistan | Netherlands | ||
| Qatar | Norway | ||
| Saudi Arabia | Poland | ||
| South Korea | Spain | ||
| Turkey | Sweden | ||
| United Arab Emirates | Switzerland | ||
| United Kingdom |
It is yet to be confirmed whether the need for an electronic visa application will still be in place going forward.
Some industry stakeholders across Sri Lanka appear happy with the effort, noting that it is line with current thinking around the world. “The initiative is a strong step forward in making Sri Lanka more accessible and competitive as a destination,” said Amrit Rajaratnam, Managing Director of hospitality company Island Life, Sri Lanka. “While it may not fully close the gap to the 3 million visitor target for 2025, it’s expected to generate a meaningful boost in arrivals. Globally, the current trend in tourism-driven countries is to adapt the visa-free format.”
However to reach its tourism targets, Sri Lanka will need to increase tourist arrivals by nearly a third and grow revenues by nearly two thirds, a tall order, leading some to claim that scrapping the fee does not go far enough and is a distraction from strategic failures.
“For most visitors, what truly matters is an efficient online visa process, which Sri Lanka already offers,” said Malik J. Fernando, chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance, reported by Skift. “The visa initiative should not serve as a smokescreen for the ongoing absence of a coherent international marketing campaign. Despite repeated proclamations, no meaningful effort has materialized, even though funds have long been available.”
