The Sri Lankan electronic visa (e-Visa) system has been temporarily suspended.
This change follows an interim order from the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, which invalidated the agreement that allowed VFS Global and its partners to manage the e-Visa system.
As a result, the e-Visa portal (https://www.srilankaevisa.lk/) is currently offline.
Visitors and tourists will now need to apply for a visa on arrival which can be obtained at Sri Lankan airports.
This is with exception to Nigerian visitors, who must apply for their visas at the Department of Immigration’s headquarters in Sri Lanka. VFS Global has promised refunds for those who submitted their applications after the suspension. Additionally, the Supreme Court has ordered the return of the previous ETA portal, which was managed by Mobitel, a Sri Lankan telecommunications company.
Travelers from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, North Korea, Ghana, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Syria cannot obtain a visa on arrival and must secure a visa before traveling to Sri Lanka.
Related News: NIS To Introduce A More User-friendly E-Visa System
This suspension stems from allegations of procedural violations, corruption, and breaches of public trust in the contracting process with VFS Global and its partners.
The suspension will stay in place until the court issues a final ruling on the matter.
