TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Sri Lankan government is seeking to boost tourism and revive the economy by extending its visa-free entry policy to 40 countries. Previously, only seven countries were granted visa-free entry to Sri Lanka in 2023. The seven countries are China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan.
The Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath announced the plan aimed at boosting tourism as part of Sri Lanka's post-COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 financial crisis economic recovery on Friday, July 25, 2025. This move came after the cabinet's approval last week to expand the list of seven eligible visa-free countries to 40.
"We have stabilized the economy, and through policy changes in tourism, we aim to ensure steady growth in arrivals," the minister said, as quoted from India Times.
However, the government predicted an annual revenue loss of US$66 million, or around Rp1 trillion, due to the visa fee waiver. But the indirect economic benefits from increased tourist arrivals will outweigh the losses, he said.
Additional 40 Countries
The Sri Lankan government considers the visa-free entry to the previous seven countries a success. Therefore, it has decided to extend this policy to 40 other countries, which will hopefully also attract foreign tourists to visit Sri Lanka.
Citing Travel and Tour World, among the 40 countries are the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Australia, Poland, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Nepal, France, the United States, Canada, the Czech Republic, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Israel, Belarus, Iran, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Korea, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, New Zealand, Kuwait, Norway, and Turkey.
Travelers from these countries can enjoy a waiver of the regular visa fee of US$50 or around Rp815,000, for a 30-day visit. They also have the opportunity to explore Sri Lanka's diverse tourist attractions and the possibility of extending their stay for up to 270 days under certain conditions.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka ranked 91st in the global visa index in 2024 with access to 42 visa-free destinations, including several countries in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
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