Sri Lanka: Eliminates Visa Charges And Re-establishes Online Application Process

Sri Lanka: President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s government announced on Thursday

Sri Lanka has reinstated an internet-based visa application system to promote tourism following a suspension by the country’s highest court of a contentious deal that delegated visa processing to an overseas group. The recently elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s government announced on Thursday that the decision was made to boost the important tourism industry of the country as it recovers from the financial crisis of 2022.

Visa online for free

Visitors can now get a visa online for free from VFS Global, the company awarded an outsourcing contract by the previous government in April, without having to pay the $25 fee. Activists claimed in court that the contract was not given out openly, and stated that the group could make as much as $2.75 billion in a 16-year span. In August, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka instructed immigration authorities to go back to using the online platform that was in place before VFS received the award.

Dissanayake’s office stated on Thursday that the visa service offered by VFS Global has created substantial problems for numerous individuals, with foreigners encountering obstacles in obtaining visas. On Wednesday, Harsha Ilukpitiya, the immigration chief, was taken into custody for not obeying the Supreme Court’s ruling.

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Legal action will be taken

Ilukpitiya had granted the multi-million dollar contract to India’s GBS Technology Services and IVS Global FZCO, along with VFS Global as a collaborator, to handle visa applications starting in April. The president’s office announced on Thursday that they have started a prompt forensic audit to look into the anomalies linked to the VFS Global. Legal action will be taken against any discrepancies identified.

AFP reached out to VFS in Sri Lanka for a statement. According to the outsourcing agreement, all non-nationals entering Sri Lanka had to pay a $25 fee for visa processing, including citizens of countries with visa-free travel agreements. Central bank data shows that about 1.19 million tourists visited the island in the first seven months of this year, marking a 56 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023.

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