Sri Lanka introduced a new e-visa in April 2024 to replace the older ETA visa. On 2 August 2024, the new visa was unexpectedly abolished without a prior announcement, following an order by the Sri Lankan Supreme Court. Since the decision was made, travellers can no longer use the electronic visa for Sri Lanka verwenden.
Sri Lanka abolishes e-visa on 2 August 2024
Only a few months after Sri Lanka introduced a new system for processing visa applications, the country introduced a new visa. The introduction of the new e-visa in April 2024 was unexpected, but it is an even bigger surprise that it is discontinued already. The new visa application website was taken offline unexpectedly on 2 August. There has been barely any information about the reasons for abolishing the visa and about what alternatives travellers have to acquire a visa for Sri Lanka.
E-visa discontinued after a Supreme Court order
The e-visa for Sri Lanka was discontinued after a decision by the Supreme Court. The authority issued an order to shut down the new system for the issuance of e-visas immediately. This is a preliminary order, meaning that the e-visa might become available again in the future. But at this time, it is not possible to apply for an e-visa for Sri Lanka. People who applied for their visas on the website of the Sri Lankan immigration service may request a refund of the costs.
Decision follows claims of corruption
The e-visa for Sri Lanka faced strong criticism from the start. This was partly due to the higher cost compared to the previous tourist visa for Sri Lanka. Some opposition members in the Sri Lankan parliament also criticised that e-visa applications were processed by a commercial organisation, including VFS Global and two other companies. VFS Global is an originally Indian company which is specialised in processing visa applications. The company is owned by the US investment firm Blackstone, and is situated in Dubai.
The opposition and various organisations within the tourism industry have complained about malpractices within the new visa system, and submitted a petition to the Supreme Court. They claim that the commercial firms were earning enormous profits from processing visa applications. Also, a number of members of the opposition made claims about corruption. However, the real reason behind the Supreme Court order has not yet been made public.
Alternatives to the e-visa
As the e-visa was discontinued without prior notice, travellers need to find an alternative way to acquire a visa for Sri Lanka. Multiple Sri Lankan embassies and consulates announced that they still issue visas for the country. Most travellers can also apply for a visa on arrival in Sri Lanka. In that case, travellers should expect queues at the arrival airport, which may worsen due to the e-visa being abolished.
Plans to reintroduce the Sri Lanka ETA
Next to ordering the abolishment of the e-visa, the Supreme Court also advised to reintroduce the Sri Lanka ETA. The ETA was the predecessor of the e-visa. It was popular among travellers, as the application could be completed online within minutes. However, there were also complaints about an unclear application form and technical issues which applicants had to face from time to time. Various sources claim that Sri Lanka is trying to reintroduce the old ETA on a short term, possibly within a week already.