Sri Lanka to resume visa fees for russians and Ukrainians and end free long-term stay

Sri Lanka to resume visa fees for russians and Ukrainians and end free long-term stay

Kyiv  •  UNN

February 29 2024, 04:06 PM • 26201 views

Sri Lanka stops issuing free long-term visas to citizens of russia and Ukraine who have lived in the country for more than two years and will now charge a $50 fee for a 30-day visa.

Sri Lanka is suspending the issuance of free long-term visas to citizens of russia and Ukraine who have lived there for the past two years. According to Reuters, this was announced on Thursday by the Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles, UNN reports.

Details

Since the start of russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Sri Lanka has allowed russians and Ukrainians to stay in the country without paying for visas. But now the fee is coming back, and the rate will be around $50 for a 30-day visa.

Those who want to stay can apply for a visa. They can extend their visas immediately and stay here

- Tiran Alles said.

Recall

Last week, immigration authorities announced that they were ending the free long-term visa program for russian and Ukrainian nationals, setting March 7 as the deadline for those without new visas to leave.

Add

According to official data, over the past two years, more than 280,000 russians and almost 20,000 Ukrainians have visited Sri Lanka. According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Authority, about 300-400 russians and Ukrainians have been in Sri Lanka since February 2022.

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