Criticism arises as Sri Lanka’s tourism industry grapples with new visa system

From April 17, 2024, Sri Lanka’s Department of Immigration and Emigration implementing a transition to a new online visa application portal managed by VFS Global. This change replace the previously utilized Electronic Travel Authorization system, which renowned for its efficiency and user-friendliness.

With the introduction of the new system, Sri Lanka nearly doubled its visa fees, and VFS Global implemented an $18.5 service fee along with a $5 convenience fee. Despite user complaints about the absence of a single-entry, 30-day tourist visa option, a recent video of a Sri Lankan visitor complaining about “Indians” handling visa issuance at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport sparked controversy.

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Tech companies involved in Sri Lanka’s visa processing

GBS Technology Services, headquartered in Singapore, collaborates with IVS Global Services, a company established in Maharashtra in 2010. IVS, now a global outsourcing and technology services provider, also handles Indian visa applications for Sri Lankans. Meanwhile, VFS Global, initially founded in India in 2001, currently operates from Zurich and Dubai, having been acquired by American private equity firm Blackstone in 2021.

Key players in Sri Lanka’s vital tourism sector express concerns over the significant increase in visa fees, contradicting the government’s objective of boosting tourist arrivals. Nishad Wijetunga, President of the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators, emphasized the industry’s preference for a technologically advanced system but questioned the replacement of the previous, simple, and cost-effective system with higher visitor costs. Wijetunga and other industry representatives recently petitioned President Ranil Wickremesinghe to intervene and restore a competitive and user-friendly visa process through a government-operated website, aiming to maintain the positive momentum in the country’s tourism sector.

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Opposition leader challenges Sri Lankan government’s visa decision

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Public Security Minister Tiran Alles defended the decision, asserting that the new visa fees remained lower than those of some other countries. He clarified that VFS Global could only verify documentation and not issue or reject visas, emphasizing that the company was not Indian. Alles dismissed allegations of corruption in finalizing the deal with the consortium.

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