Bangladeshis to pay for tourist visas as Sri Lanka waives fees for visitors from 40 countries

India, Nepal and Pakistan are among the South Asian countries included in the scheme

Sri Lanka has waived tourist visa fees for nationals of 40 countries, but Bangladesh has been left off the list.

The decision, which took effect on May 25, allows travellers from the selected countries to obtain a 30-day tourist Electronic Travel Authorisation, or ETA, free of charge.

Among South Asian countries, India, Nepal and Pakistan are included in the scheme. Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Bhutan are not on the list.

That means Bangladeshi tourists travelling to Sri Lanka will still have to pay the visa fee.

According to Sri Lanka’s immigration rules, tourists from SAARC countries who are not covered by the waiver pay $20 for a multiple-entry visa allowing stays of up to 30 days. Travellers from other countries pay $50.

Maldivian nationals already receive visa fee exemption under a bilateral reciprocal arrangement with Sri Lanka and are granted a 90-day tourist ETA.

Sri Lanka’s immigration notice says travellers from the Maldives, the Seychelles and Singapore will also have their ETAs processed free of charge.

The 40 countries covered by the new waiver include Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The waiver applies to holders of diplomatic, official, service and ordinary passports from those countries.

Travellers will still need to apply for an ETA before arriving in Sri Lanka, despite the fee being waived.

Fees paid before May 25 will not be refunded, and those wishing to stay beyond 30 days must apply for an extension and pay the applicable charge.

The UK’s Independent website reported that Sri Lanka first introduced the fee-waiver policy on a trial basis in September 2024, initially covering countries including China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan.

The move is aimed at drawing more tourists as Sri Lanka seeks to strengthen its economy through higher visitor numbers.