• Tourism Minister distances himself visa price hike decision

The Ministry of Public Security stated that the Cabinet of Ministers only decided to include the 30 days single-entry visa, which had not been included in the new online and on-arrival visa issuance system, to the relevant system, and that all other changes recently made to the visa processes will remain the same.

Controversy erupted last week after several changes were made to the online and on-arrival visa processes, including the introduction of several new visa categories with relatively-high prices. However, it was later reported that the Cabinet had decided to maintain the visa fee at $ 50.

Since the Public Security Minister Tiran Alles, under whose purview the Department of Immigration and Emigration comes, said on Monday (6) that the fee for a certain category visa had been increased to $ 75, The Daily Morning queried as to whether there would be any change to that decision with the latest Cabinet decision. In response, he said that there would be no such change.

“The 30 days single entry visa issued at $ 50 had not been included in the system. The Cabinet decision was to add it to the system. It is the same thing that I said at the media briefing before the Cabinet meeting on Monday (6),” he said.

According to Alles, other changes made to the visa processes including the involvement of GBS Technology Services, IVS Global-FZCO and VF Worldwide Holdings Limited/VFS Global in managing the online and on-arrival visas, will remain unchanged.

It is also reported that Minister of Tourism Harin Fernando had raised concerns over the changes made to the visa processes at the Cabinet meeting on Monday. Attempts to contact Fernando proved futile. Taking to social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, Minister Fernando charged that when the said proposals were put forward, the charges of the VFS company were not mentioned. “Since it came to light, I have objected to the proposal,” Fernando tweeted on Monday (6). 

Controversy flared up last week after video clips circulated on social media platforms showing an incoming passenger at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake claiming that ‘Indian’ personnel were handling Sri Lanka's immigration and emigration processes. It was subsequently disclosed that the Public Security Ministry had outsourced the visa processing to GBS Technology Services and IVS Global-FZCO, with VFS Global serving as the technology partner. Subsequently, a discussion on the increases in fees for certain categories of visa also emerged, with many warning that the move would have a negative impact on the tourism industry.