Sri Lanka ends visa on arrival
Sri Lanka today scrapped the visa on arrival facility for citizens of all but two countries, replacing it with an online application system whereby visitors will have to apply before arriving here.
The new electronic travel authorisation system (ETA) is now applicable to 78 nations, including India.
Only passport holders from Singapore and Maldives are exempted from it and will be eligible for on arrival visas.
Following representations from India, the visa fee payable by Indian and SAARC region tourists under ETA was reduced to USD 10 from the originally-planned USD 50.
Non-SAARC nation visitors would, however, be charged USD 20 as visa fee.
The government said that on arrival visa system where bona fide tourists were given 30-day visas had to be scrapped due to increasing number of abuses, PTI reports.
Courtesy: Ada Derana
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An on-line application system is good, and is an indication that Sri Lanka is keeping apace with technological developments elsewhere.The allocation of fees needs some clarification, as to what criteria is used in determining the fee structure, and whether it will adversely impact on foreign nationals’ motivations to travel to Sri Lanka. Bilateral and multilateral arrangements need to be in place to treat each foreign country’s policy towards Sri Lankan tourists and returning that reciprocally. Streamlining the system is commendable if it facilitates a smoother process.
Surely, charging a visa fee for bona fide tourists could adversly affect tourism! Previously, it was free visa for 30 days. This helped tourism.
The tourists have to pay for the privilege of meeting up with machine gun yielding political chiefs in their hotels.
PD’s comment is frivolous and unhelpful when we are trying to generate foreign exchange through tourism also. Just because an undisciplined stupid local govt politician was involved in an alleged murder in a drunken brawl, one should not generalise and condemn all politicians. By his wise cracks, PD displays his ignorance and shows himself to be unpatriotic and unreasonable. All individuals involved in the drunken brawl and unfortunate incident have been arrested and questioned. Law will take its course without political interference. If found guilty, the politician involved will have to pay a heavy price for his alleged villainy.
Very stupid system if i say straightly this visa methoud.Future no more tourists interesting come to visit Sri lanka,tourists always first looking cheaper price for every moments!
Athanayake, oya kiyane de attha. mamath eya piligannava. Europe visa kramaya apata gelepenne neha. Tourism valata loku badavak. ape thiyana kramaya bohoma hondai. dina 30 ta nomile visa pathak. evita tourist sankiyava vediveyi.
Nicholas
Aiy Athanayake ta sinhalen liyanne? Athanayake kiyanne Middle east wala wedakaranne demala LTT pissek.
Mr:Pora Dias ei ane nikang Nicholas mathayate bahinne?Mame LTTE pissek ne.We all have right to speak,talk and wright any languadge in sri lanka.Anyway its so madness system this visa fees for tourists.Many of our Sri lankans living abroud also if they also come to visit sri lanka they also need to pay for visa.
Myself i living with my family in netherland.
Lasantha started this blog with a well meaning and a constructive piece of clarifications and suggestions to improve our tourist traffic flow. Then ND added his bit of advice on it.Then enters No.3 Mr.Pora Dias with his usual “bull in china shop attitude”and starts attacking and running down others who are against his illogical thinking.In another previous blog he was knave enough to call me a lap dog.Although he himself admits he doesn’t care about what others think and say about him,we do care about what others say or write about us.The majority of our bloggers is made of gentlemen and never would think of dragging insult into their arguments.Then when Athanayaka enters this column ,ND very nicely understood his predicament in his command of the English Language and posted his comments in Sinhala transliteration.You in that usual attitude props up to declare that Athanayaka is a LTTE pissek.See how very wicked.You are a pissek yourself and need to consult a psychiatrist soon.Please stop insulting your fellow bloggers and learn to be a Gentleman