Tourism stakeholders urge swift return of old online visa issuance system
Sri Lanka’s tourism industry commended the decision to suspend the e-Visa portal run by VFS Global, but urged the reinstatement of the old online system at the earliest to minimise inconvenience for tourists.
“We are pleased about the re-establishment of the “simple and user-friendly” Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA),” they said, while stressing the need for authorities to treat the system transition as top priority.
Industry stakeholders acknowledged that tourists may face some issues in getting their visas sorted during this period. However, they assure that all possible measures are being rolled out to make the visa process as easy as possible.
The Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) and The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) said that they have told overseas tour operator partners and potential visitors that, in the absence of a functioning online visa platform, visas on arrival are available at the airport.
“If you have not obtained an online visa for your travel in the next few days, you can still travel and avail yourself of a ‘Visa on Arrival’ at the same eVisa fee of US$ 50 at the Immigration counters in the arrivals hall,” the associations told tour operators in a joint communique.
The electronic visa system has undergone intense scrutiny due to allegations of procedural violations, corruption, and breaches of public trust during the contracting process. The Supreme Court’s suspension of the Cabinet’s decision aims to address these concerns and restore transparency.
The suspension of the e-Visa system will remain in place until the court rules on the petition.The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka also ordered the reinstatement of the previously used ETA portal, which was operated by Mobitel, a Sri Lankan telecommunications company.
In a circular, the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) announced that the ETA system is expected to be operational “within the course of next week” and is “pleased about the reestablishment of the simple and userfriendly ETA system and will keep it’s members posted on any further updates on the progress of the reestablishment of the ETA system”.
Viyani Gunathilaka, the Secretary of the Ministry of Public Security, confirmed today that discussions are ongoing with officials from the Department of Immigration and Emigration to swiftly resolve this situation.
As many Sri Lankan diplomatic missions around the world are now making clear, including Sri Lankan embassies in the UK, Germany and Japan, tourists who do not have an approved e-Visa can apply for a visa on arrival in the country.
Nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, North Korea, Ghana, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Syria cannot obtain a visa upon arrival in Sri Lanka.
Applicants from these countries must submit their applications to the headquarters of the Department of Immigration through a representative.
The eVisa portal https://www.srilankgevisa.lk was suspended on Friday at 17:00 Sri Lanka time. All eVisa applications made after this time will receive a refund, and applicants need to share their application number and details to [email protected].
Currently, there is no platform for issuing eVisas online for tourists coming to Sri Lanka. All tourists without a visa will need to apply for a visa on arrival until the former ETA system is reestablished.
There is no specific date for the ETA system’s return, but it is expected to be operational within the week.
