In a significant move, Sri Lanka has recently restored its online visa application platform to revitalise tourism. This decision comes after suspending a contentious multimillion-dollar deal that had previously involved outsourcing visa processing to a foreign consortium, a move that the country's top court halted. The government, led by newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, announced late Thursday, highlighting the strategic intention to bolster the island nation's pivotal tourism sector as it emerges from the 2022 financial crisis.
Tourists can now submit their visa applications to Sri Lanka online without paying the previously charged $25 fee by India-based VFS Global. The outsourcing contract awarded to VFS Global in April by the previous government has sparked controversy, with rights activists alleging a lack of transparency in the awarding process. The activists claimed the consortium could earn up to $2.75 billion over 16 years. Following a ruling by Sri Lanka's Supreme Court in August, immigration authorities have been instructed to return to the previous online platform for visa applications, which was used before the contract was awarded to VFS.
The visa service provided by VFS Global has led to significant difficulties for many, declared Dissanayake's office on Thursday. They emphasised that foreigners had encountered substantial challenges in obtaining visas. Additionally, on Wednesday, immigration chief Harsha Ilukpitiya was arrested for disregarding the Supreme Court's decision.
Ilukpitiya had awarded a multimillion-dollar contract to India's GBS Technology Services and IVS Global FZCO, with VFS Global as a partner, to process visa applications starting in April. On Thursday, the president's office announced that they had initiated an immediate forensic audit to investigate irregularities associated with VFS Global. Any discrepancies found will be subject to legal action. AFP has contacted VFS in Sri Lanka for comment. Under the outsourcing deal, any foreigner entering Sri Lanka was required to pay a $25 visa processing fee, even citizens of countries with visa-free travel arrangements with Sri Lanka. According to central bank data, about 1.19 million tourists visited the island in the first seven months of this year, up 56 per cent from the same period in 2023.
In August 2024, the Sri Lankan government announced that citizens from 35 countries, including India, the UK, and the US, will have visa-free access to the island nation for six months. The new policy will be effective from October 1, 2024, according to the Daily Mirror newspaper, quoting Adviser to the Ministry of Tourism Harin Fernando. Read more about it here.