From April 1, tourist visa to Sri Lanka again became chargeable for Russian citizens. This was reported by the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), citing information from the Sri Lankan Embassy in Moscow.
According to the ATOR report, Sri Lanka has ended a program providing free visas to citizens of seven countries, including Russia. This program was launched at the end of November 2023.
According to the new rules, Russian tourists from April 1 will need to either obtain an electronic entry permit, which requires a foreign bank card. The cost of this service is 50 dollars (about 4.6 thousand rubles). The second option is to get a visa on arrival for 60 dollars (about 5.5 thousand rubles). It is important to note that visas for children under 12 years of age remain free.
Information that Sri Lanka stops issuing free visas for tourists from seven countries, including Russia, was made public in early March 2024. The list of these countries also includes China, Japan, India, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Earlier, Roman Gareev, associate professor at Plekhanov Russian Economic University, shared that the cost of tours to the UAE and Sri Lanka will decrease in the summer of 2024 due to an increase in the number of flight programs.