Key Takeaways
- Sri Lanka opens visa-free entry for 35 countries from October 1, 2024.
- Sri Lanka aims to attract 5 million tourists annually in the coming years.
- The visa-free entry policy includes countries such as India, China, and Russia.
Colombo: Sri Lanka will open visa-free entry for tourists from 35 countries, including India, China and Russia, from October 1, 2024, Sri Lankan newspaper Daily Mirror reported, citing Tourism Minister Harin Fernando.
The list also includes Kazakhstan, Belarus, Nepal, most EU countries, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Iran, several Middle Eastern countries, including the UAE and Israel, a number of Southeast Asian countries, Japan, South Korea and other states.
In October 2023, Fernando said that Sri Lanka intended to eliminate visa fees for tourists from China, Russia, India, Thailand, and Indonesia. The aim of the decision, he said, is to attract more tourists from these countries and achieve the target of 5 million tourists in Sri Lanka annually in the coming years.
