27 August 2010 10:56 am
Sri Lanka has decided to suspend the on arrival visa facility for all countries except Singapore and Maldives with effect from 30th of September 2010, the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration W. A. C. Perera told Daily Mirror online.
Mr. Perera said that under the move tourists arriving to Sri Lanka from nearly 70 countries will be required to obtain visas from the department of immigration and emigration in Colombo or from the Sri Lankan missions abroad before their arrival in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka however is willing to offer visas on arrival to citizens of any country if those countries also reciprocate in the same manner, Mr. Perera explained. So far only Singapore and the Maldives offers visas on arrival for Sri Lankan citizens.
Tourism industry officials meanwhile said that the move could affect the tourism industry in Sri Lanka as there maybe a drop in tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka. (Daily Mirror online)
List of countries which were earlier given on arrival visa