Sri Lanka Welcomes Tourists from August 1st

Sri Lanka has declared itself open for business as of August 1st of 2020. 

Rules for Travel to Sri Lanka – From August 1st, 2020

Sri Lanka has released an FAQ about their reopening plan. They are taking a balanced approach, in my opinion.

They aren’t swinging the gates open first, nor are they closing through the year like South Africa just announced.

They’ll also be requiring testing to enter the country which, while not foolproof, certainly is a measure I think all countries should have right now.

Here’s the FAQ on Visiting Sri Lanka in 2020

Who can visit?

• All nationalities are welcome and all types of travelers whether groups, families, individuals.

Which airports will operate?

• Bandaranaike International Airport [BIA], Colombo Ratmalana Airport [RMA] and Mattala Rajapaksa Hambantota Airport [MRIA] will be operating for tourist arrivals from Aug 1st 2020

What are the visa procedures?

• All travelers will require a valid visa; this will be issued for 30 days and extendable for up to 6 months after arrival. Online visa at http://www.eta.gov.lk/slvisa/
• Further relaxation for long stay guests is currently under consideration, enabling tourist to be granted five-year multiple entry visas with maximum 6 months stay.
• Visa fee US$100

Information required for visa application

• Booking details at Certified Accommodation
• Itinerary in Sri Lanka
• Return ticket
• Proof of medical insurance

Where can I stay and is there a minimum duration?

• A minimum 5-night stay in Sri Lanka is required.

Independent professional audits will be done to certify accommodation providers who will be listed on the Sri Lanka tourism website.

Documents needed prior to arrival

• Details of bookings made with Certified Accommodation providers are required for the visa application
• Pre departure Covid-19 PCR testing
• A negative PCR test is required prior to boarding your flight and on arrival in Sri Lanka. The test should be no older than 72 hours prior to boarding.

On arrival in Sri Lanka

• The airport will have high intensity sanitation measures in place for all areas and staff.
• There is no quarantine on arrival unless symptoms are detected.
• A PCR test would be done on arrival at the airport. No charge.
• Currently it takes 24 hours to receive the test results. We are making changes to have results within 4-6 hours by August. In the event it is required to wait 24 hours for test results; you will be able to select a hotel for a one-night stay from Certified 4 or 5-star hotels in Colombo or Negombo until the test results are received.
• A further test will be done 4-5 days after arrival by a mobile unit in coordination with your Certified Accommodation provider.
• Travelers staying for more than 10 days will be required to take a third test during their stay. While this may be inconvenient it is essential to safeguard everybody and provide peace of mind.
• In case of a positive PCR result, quarantine in a designated hotel or hospitalization will take place depending on the details of the case. Quarantine would usually be 14 to 21 days if symptoms are detected.

Moving around Sri Lanka

• To ensure your safety, please arrange transportation prior to your arrival, with your Certified Accommodation provider or travel agent. Public transport should not be used.
• All tourist sites will be open from the 1st August onwards with safety protocols and measures in place to ensure the wellbeing of our travelers.
• There will be no travel restrictions between districts for tourists.

What is Sri Lanka’s status with COVID-19?

• Being an island, and thanks to the proactive measures taken, Sri Lanka has been able to manage the spread of the virus. No active community clusters have been detected in the last 30 days within the country.

Thoughts on Sri Lanka’s Reopening Plan

As I mentioned, I think they are doing an excellent job here, balancing the need to reopen with health risk concerns.

I do have some questions on the testing. For example, we are due to visit Sri Lanka directly from the Maldives at the end of the year. Doubting that the Maldives resort can provide COVID testing (although, who knows, maybe?) I don’t know how we’d manage the testing before arrival. I’ll contact the resort and see what they are thinking and report back if it is indeed something they can do.

The Visa fee had been just $35, so they are increasing it by $65, presumably to cover the on arrival testing and increased vigilance around coronavirus.

What do you make of Sri Lanka’s Reopening Plan?

Let me know here, on Twitter, or in the private MilesTalk Facebook group.

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