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Arrival restrictions to be lifted excluding India

27 May 2021

  • Max 75 per flight, 14-day quarantine despite vaccination

By Dinitha Rathnayake   The Government of Sri Lanka has decided to lift the temporary travel restrictions imposed on inbound travellers to Sri Lanka on 1 June 2021. However, the temporary travel restrictions imposed on passengers who have been to India within an immediately preceding period of 14 days is set to continue until further notice. According to a statement released by the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) yesterday (26), the total number of passengers, including tourists, allowed per flight should not exceed 75. Furthermore, all inbound travellers should be mandatorily quarantined at a quarantine hotel or quarantine centre or a “Safe and Secure” certified Level One hotel for 14 days as per the guidelines of the Director General of Health Services dated 11 May 2021, irrespective of the type and number of doses of anti-Covid-19 vaccines received. “In accordance with the instructions received from the health authorities of Sri Lanka, due to the Covid-19 pandemic situation, passengers travelling from India are not permitted to disembark in Sri Lanka,” the statement added. Accordingly, Sri Lankan passport holders and dual citizens do not require approval to land in Sri Lanka. Foreign nationals, seafarers, and those coming for business and investment purposes require approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to enter Sri Lanka along with an entry visa. The CAASL has requested tourists visiting Sri Lanka to refer to the Tourist Board’s directions via the web link http://www.srilanka.travel/helloagain/. A negative PCR test report must be submitted by all categories of travellers prior to their departure, at the point of origin, as per the requirement of the airline and country, CAASL Chairman Upul Dharmadasa said in the statement. Sri Lanka also halted all passenger arrivals for 10 days, starting from 21 May 2021. The CAASL said at the time: “This is to inform all online and offline carriers that all international airports in Sri Lanka will not permit disembarking passengers into Sri Lanka with effect from 11.59 p.m. on 21 May 2021 until 11.59 p.m. on 31 May 2021 with a view to controlling the Covid-19 situation in the country.”


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