An electronic visa to Sri Lanka is free for Russians from February 26 until April 30

On February 14, the Sri Lankan cabinet decided to extend the visa-free entry regime, which ended on February 1, 2020, for citizens of 48 countries, including Russia, for another three months - until April 30, 2020. However, the decision did not enter into force for a long time.

On February 18, the Sri Lankan diplomatic mission in Moscow confirmed that they were informed on the extension of the free entry format, which was introduced in August 2019.

The procedure for free registration of Sri Lankan visas for Russians has been launched since February 26, on the ETA website (the portal through which an electronic visa to Sri Lanka is officially issued), as informed ICS Travel Group.

Earlier, in February Russian tourists could receive a free visa upon arrival, but this practice was not standardized. Now, official Sri Lankan visa - both electronic and upon arrival - is free.

As market participants explained earlier, their tourists usually travel to Sri Lanka with a pre-issued visa “to avoid force majeure at the border”: not all Russians can explain the Lankan border guards in a foreign language how many days and where they go.