Article was copied from the Sunday Times 1st May 2011.
Cabinet approval has been sought to activate the on-line visa facility for foreign visitors that will be tagged along with an administration fee, a senior official said yesterday.
Immigration and Emigration Chief Chulananda Perera told the Sunday Times any person intending to visit Sri Lanka could download a landing visa from his or her home computer and the guidelines regarding this would be sent to the travel trade and diplomatic missions.
He said he could not say when the online facility would come into force, but added that the authorities were keen to put it into operation soon.
“The administration fee which will be decided by the Cabinet will cover only one month. Those intending to stay longer will be charged a visa fee on a reciprocal basis.“For example, if a British citizen seeks a visa for more than a month, then the fee will be the same that is charged from a Sri Lankan intending to visit that country. The same procedure will be applied to those visiting the country from the United States, Europe or elsewhere,” he said.
Citizens of Singapore and the Maldives would be exempted from the fee because Sri Lankans did not require visas to enter those two countries. Should any other country provide this same facility to Sri Lankans then we will reciprocate accordingly, Mr. Perera said.
Cabinet approval has been sought to activate the on-line visa facility for foreign visitors that will be tagged along with an administration fee, a senior official said yesterday.
Immigration and Emigration Chief Chulananda Perera told the Sunday Times any person intending to visit Sri Lanka could download a landing visa from his or her home computer and the guidelines regarding this would be sent to the travel trade and diplomatic missions.
He said he could not say when the online facility would come into force, but added that the authorities were keen to put it into operation soon.
“The administration fee which will be decided by the Cabinet will cover only one month. Those intending to stay longer will be charged a visa fee on a reciprocal basis.“For example, if a British citizen seeks a visa for more than a month, then the fee will be the same that is charged from a Sri Lankan intending to visit that country. The same procedure will be applied to those visiting the country from the United States, Europe or elsewhere,” he said.
Citizens of Singapore and the Maldives would be exempted from the fee because Sri Lankans did not require visas to enter those two countries. Should any other country provide this same facility to Sri Lankans then we will reciprocate accordingly, Mr. Perera said.
