Tourists planning to visit Sri Lanka will now need to apply for a visa on arrival due to the temporary suspension of the electronic visa system (e-Visa), except for Nigerians who must submit their applications at the Department of Immigration’s headquarters.
This process replaces the previous option of applying online, which has been halted as of August 2, 2024.
For Nigerians planning to visit Sri Lanka, the suspension of the e-visa system means that they cannot obtain a visa upon arrival at the airport.
Instead, they must submit their visa applications through a representative at the Department of Immigration’s headquarters.
The suspension follows an interim order from the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, which invalidated the agreement under which VFS Global the company managing the e-Visa system and its partners managed the e-Visa system. Consequently, the e-Visa portal, https://www.srilankaevisa.lk/ has been taken offline.
VFS Global stated that it had “been notified of certain interim orders issued by the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka today pertaining to the agreement under which this platform is operated. In view of these orders, the website is suspended effective 2 August at 17:00 hours Sri Lanka Standard Time”.
VFS Global has also announced that applicants who submitted their applications after the suspension will receive refunds.
“for applicants, whose visa applications is under process, in case you have applied on 2 August after 17:00 hours Sri Lanka Standard Time you will receive a refund. Please share your application reference number to travel.partner@srilankaevisa.lk” they stated
The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka also ordered the reinstatement of the previously used ETA portal, which was operated by Mobitel, a Sri Lankan telecommunications company.
Other countries that cannot obtain a visa upon arrival at Sri Lankan airports and must ensure they have a visa before their arrival are Afghanistan, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, North Korea, Ghana, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Syria,
Backstory
Earlier in April Sri Lanka replaced its electronic travel authorization (ETA) system with an e-Visa process managed by a consortium including the foreign companies VFS Global, GBS Technology, and IVS Global Services.
On Friday, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka suspended the e-visa system by issuing an interim injunction order invalidating the decision made by the Cabinet to delegate the management of the e-visa service to foreign companies.
The electronic visa system has undergone intense scrutiny due to allegations of procedural violations, corruption, and breaches of public trust during the contracting process. The Supreme Court’s suspension of the Cabinet’s decision aims to address these concerns and restore transparency.
The suspension of the e-Visa system will remain in place until the court rules on the petition.
In a circular, the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) announced that the ETA system is expected to be operational “within the course of next week” and is “pleased about the re-establishment of the simple and user-friendly ETA system and will keep its members posted on any further updates on the progress of the re-establishment of the ETA system”.
Viyani Gunathilaka, the Secretary of the Ministry of Public Security, confirmed today that discussions are ongoing with officials from the Department of Immigration and Emigration to swiftly resolve this situation.
