Is Visa For Sri Lanka Free
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With the advent of globalization and increasing number of foreign nationals wanting to visit Sri Lanka and vice versa, Sri Lanka has signed many bilateral agreements with other countries that support foreign nationals in obtaining Visas on arrival or only a valid passport without visa ,depending on the agreement or visa requirements.
Sri Lanka is an amazing country with a rich culture and heritage. It’s a place where you can enjoy the beauty of nature and experience an exotic life. But before sitting back and enjoying the island paradise, make sure there are no obstacles in your way, like visa formalities.
Sri Lanka is an island country, located about 2,600 kilometers (1,600 mi) south east segment of India. Sri Lanka’s size – small and jagged to India. Especially the diversity of its people and the variety of the country’s cultural resources are striking. Sri Lanka has a tropical monsoon climate. The sea tropical in nature, but winds off the Indian Ocean northeastern coast cause seasonal variations in humidity and temperatures in the southwestern coastal belt.
If you’re a Sri Lankan living and planning to visit Sri Lanka for leisure or for business purposes, then there are lots of concerns that may cross your mind.
Is Visa For Sri Lanka Free
Visa requirements for Sri Lankan citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Sri Lanka. In 2022, Sri Lankan citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 41 countries and territories, ranking the Sri Lankan passport 103rd in terms of travel freedom (tied with passports from Lebanon and Sudan) according to the Henley Passport Index.[1][2]
Although Sri Lanka is a middle income country, successive Sri Lankan governments have made little or no efforts to improve the standing of the passport.[3] The Sri Lankan passport continues to rank in the bottom 10% of Henley’s Annual Passport Rankings.[4] Considering the extent of the Sri Lankan diaspora, a passport with wider access to the world could contribute to a more competitive and future ready society.[5] Citizens in neighbouring Maldives can travel visa-free to 88 countries, double that of Sri Lanka. Indians can travel visa free to 59 countries. In South Asia, only Bangladesh (40 countries), Nepal (37 countries), Pakistan (31 countries) and Afghanistan (26 countries) have a lower ranking on the visa index than Sri Lanka.[1]
Sri Lanka shares limited connectivity in terms of people to people and business contacts with the ASEAN, a region that it has shared significant historical and cultural relations with. Within the SAARC region, the Sri Lankan state has made little efforts to encourage religious and spiritual tourism with countries such as Nepal and Bhutan.[6]
The policy of the Sri Lankan state with regards to negotiating visa free travel for Sri Lankan citizens continues to remain poorly organised despite numerous pleas made by individuals and civil society groups.[7] What successive Sri Lankan administrations have done is to negotiate visa free travel for Diplomatic and Official Passport holders to numerous countries.[8] [9]Effectively developing a two tiered system that benefits the political classes over ordinary citizens.[10]