Sri Lanka to introduce online visas on Sep 30
September 28, 2011 01:12 pm
Sri Lanka will introduce the new Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) on September 30 in order to grant prior approval for visa online for foreign nationals instead of the ‘on arrival visa’ system, the Government Information Department revealed.
It stated that, foreign nationals visiting the country on purposes of tourism affairs, medical treatments, sports, cultural shows, business conferences and discussions, training programmes and seminars can apply for the Electronic Travel Authorization via www.eta.gov.lk established in the Department of Immigration and Emigration.
Only tourists from Singapore and Maldives will continue to receive on-arrival visas as those are the only two countries that offer Sri Lankan tourists the same facility.
The Government Info Department further added that access to basic information in this regard in nine international languages would be a great convenience to foreigners.
However, applications should be forwarded only in English language and six methodologies have been introduced to facilitate forwarding of the applications i.e. applications can be forwarded by the applicant him/herself, by a third party on behalf of the applicant, through a registered agency, through Sri Lankan embassies or through the head office of the Department of Immigration and Emigration, and a foreigner who is unable to obtain prior approval by the above procedures, can visit Sri Lanka after obtaining prior approval by forwarding the application and making the relevant fee to the counter established in Sri Lankan access point which he/she has landed in.
According to this new visa granting system, since air and ship crew are
exempted from obtaining prior approval for the visa, the old system will be in
effect as before. Foreigners, who visit Sri Lanka should obtain prior approval
for visa through a government institute of Sri Lanka and such approval will be
granted free of charge.
