The Sri Lankan government has 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.

The visa-free access will be for six months and will apply to countries such as India, the UK, China, the US, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Australia, Denmark, Poland, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Nepal, Indonesia, Russia, and Thailand. Other countries on the list include Malaysia, Japan, France, Canada, the Czech Republic, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Israel, Belarus, Iran, Sweden, South Korea, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and New Zealand.

Previously, there was controversy over increased fees for on-arrival visas in Sri Lanka, which were being handled by a foreign company. Visitors from India, China, Russia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia received tourist visas to Sri Lanka free of charge.