Sri Lanka has announced that tourists will no longer be required to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before arriving in the country.
The Department of Immigration and Emigration said in a statement that the ETA requirement, which had been introduced on October 15, has now been withdrawn. All visa and ETA services will continue to function under the procedures that were in place prior to that date.
“Sri Lanka’s visa issuance process will proceed as before October 15,” the department confirmed, encouraging travellers to follow the previous application procedures.
India remains Sri Lanka’s leading source market for tourism, accounting for the highest number of arrivals between July and September.
In a separate development, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath announced that four new high courts will be established to address the growing backlog of cases. These courts will be housed in former presidential residences, following the government’s recent decision to revoke certain privileges granted to ex-presidents.
