In April, the cost of obtaining a short-term visa to Sri Lanka rose from $50 to $100.
But the reasons for this are controversial.
The price increase comes after Sri Lanka transitioned from using in-house Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) to using Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). Electronic visa system Operated by visa processing company VFS Global.
Sri Lanka’s Tourism Minister Harin Fernando told CNBC on Thursday that VFS Global “missed” the opportunity to provide 30-day visas when it began processing the country’s visas on April 17, blaming “technical issues.”
In response, VFS Global said: “The visa categories are introduced based on the instructions of the Department of Immigration and Immigration (Sri Lanka) (DI&E).”
Both sides agreed to resume the 30-day travel visa priced at US$50 from May 7. 30 day visa Categories for all nationalities.
Another question: VFS Global fees
Fernando said Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Public Security abandoned the ETA system due to concerns that the website was often attacked by scammers.
“We wanted to choose a global company with a good reputation,” he said.
He said VFS Global stood out among the options. The company works with 67 governments and operates in more than 150 countries, according to its website.
But VFS Global’s charges outraged many in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry and led to corruption charges Sri Lankan opposition leader.
Fees – of which Total about $25 per visaAccording to local media reports, a spokesperson for VFS Global told CNBC that the information was disclosed through a contract signed with the Sri Lanka Immigration Service on December 21, 2023.
“Service fee charges are approved by national governments and are determined based on various factors such as the overall scope of participation, expected application volume, resource and infrastructure costs required to fulfill service level agreements, etc.,” VFS Global said. “For example, for Schengen countries , the service fee for a short stay visa can be up to 40 euros.”
But Fernando said the cost of a 30-day visa has been significantly reduced. Now, the Sri Lankan government keeps $40 and VFS Global collects $10, he said.
There is a fee for “free visa”
Citizens of seven countries are eligible for free visas to enter Sri Lanka.
“It must be noted that the 30-day free visas for seven countries: India, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Russia and Thailand have always been valid and will be valid until May 31, 2024.” said a VFS Global spokesperson.
However, Fernando said applicants from these countries will still need to pay VFS Global fees.
“The Sri Lankan government will not charge, but the platform… will charge,” he said. Therefore, “we are still debating whether we should abandon VFS completely.”
Sri Lanka’s “visa-free” policy should not be confused with Last year many Asian countries signed “visa-free” agreements. These agreements eliminate the need for visas for travelers.
According to Sri Lankan policy, a visa is required.
Fernando said Sri Lanka is considering adding another 60 countries to its “visa-free” list.
“Before the COVID-19 outbreak, we provided visa-free policies to more than 40 countries,” he said, adding that a government-appointed committee would make a decision within 30 days.
“We will definitely develop a visa policy soon,” he said.
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