Sri Lanka to waive visas for citizens of 40 countries

Although no exact date has been set for the introduction of the new regulations, it has been assured that they will come into force later this year – Sri Lanka is abolishing visa taxes for citizens of 40 countries. The plans were announced during the opening of a hotel trade fair in Colombo and confirmed by Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, according to the Press Trust of India. The abolition of the $50 tax on Sri Lankan visas will apply to citizens of 40 countries, including Poland, Great Britain, the USA, Canada, Pakistan, Iran, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, Austria, Finland, Denmark, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Nepal, France, the Czech Republic, Italy, Switzerland, Israel, Belarus, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, New Zealand, Kuwait and Turkey.

Tourists can only wait for the official date of the abolition of visas for tourists from 40 new countries. According to the PTI agency, Sri Lanka may lose up to $66 million a year as a result of the change in regulations, but the country's rulers believe that stimulating tourism by exempting many tourists from visa taxes will bring more benefits than losses.