THE SRI LANKAN government has announced visa-free access to citizens from 35 countries, including India, the UK and the US to the island nation for six months, according to media reports.
The Cabinet made the decision which will be in effect from October 1, 2024, the Daily Mirror newspaper reported quoting Adviser to the Ministry of Tourism, Harin Fernando.
The policy is for six months, Fernando said.
Countries on the list include India, the UK, China, the US, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Australia, Denmark, Poland, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Nepal, Indonesia, Russia, and Thailand.
Other countries include Malaysia, Japan, France, Canada, the Czech Republic, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Israel, Belarus, Iran, Sweden, South Korea, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and New Zealand.
Earlier, controversy surrounded increased fees for on-arrival visas in Sri Lanka, which were being handled by a foreign company.
Visitors from India, China, Russia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia received tourist visas free of charge to Sri Lanka. (PTI)
President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian holds up a poster of a girl's school that was attacked while addressing the 81st session of the United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly at U.N. Headquarters on September 23, 2026 in New York City. World leaders have gathered in New York for the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly, with this year's global issues ranging from the threat of artificial intelligence to the continued wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Getty Images 
