Visa requirements for Sri Lankan citizens

Visa requirements for Sri Lankan citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Sri Lanka. In 2022, Sri Lankan citizens had visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 41 countries and territories, ranking the Sri Lankan passport 103rd in terms of travel freedom (tied with passports from Lebanon and Sudan) according to the Henley Passport Index. This has hampered the ability of Sri Lankan business people to travel and connect with peers and maintain a globally competitive outlook.

Although Sri Lanka is a middle-income country, successive Sri Lankan governments have made little or no efforts to improve the standing of the passport. The Sri Lankan passport continues to rank in the bottom 10% of Henley's Annual Passport Rankings. Considering the extent of the Sri Lankan diaspora, a passport with wider access to the world could contribute to a more competitive and future-ready society. Citizens in neighbouring Maldives can travel visa-free to 88 countries, double that of Sri Lanka. Indians can travel visa-free to 59 countries. In South Asia, only Bangladesh (40 countries), Nepal (37 countries), Pakistan (31 countries) and Afghanistan (26 countries) have a lower ranking on the visa index than Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka has limited personal or business contacts with the ASEAN, a region with which it shares significant historical and cultural relations. Within the SAARC region, the Sri Lankan government has made little effort to encourage religious tourism from countries such as Nepal and Bhutan.

Despite demands from citizens and civil society groups, Sri Lanka has largely been unsuccessful in expanding visa-free travel for its citizens. The Sri Lankan government has been able to negotiate visa-free travel to numerous countries for Diplomatic and Official Passport holders, effectively developing a two-tiered system that benefits state officials over ordinary citizens. Most recently, Sri Lanka signed a visa waiver for Diplomatic and Official passport holders with Cambodia. The Sri Lankan state has made statements from time to time that it wishes to enhance links within the Indian Ocean littoral but has largely struggled to convert these statements into reality. Most recently, the Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickramasinghe has noted that Sri Lanka has applied for membership in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and is actively seeking to establish trade relations with countries in ASEAN.

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Visa requirements map

Visa requirements

Dependent, Disputed, or Restricted territories

;Unrecognized or partially recognized countries

;Dependent and autonomous territories

Passport validity

Many countries require passport validity of no less than six months and one or two blank pages.

General limitations on passport use

Visitors holding an Israeli passport or any passports showing evidence of travelling to Israel are not allowed to enter some countries due to the Arab League boycott of Israel. Some Arab League countries refuse entry to travelers whose passport shows evidence of entry into Israel or hold an unused Israeli visa.

Criminal record

Some countries (e.g., Canada and the United States) routinely deny entry to non-citizens who have a criminal record.

Blank passport pages

Many countries require the passport presented to have a minimum number (generally one or two) blank pages. Endorsement pages, which often appear after the visa pages, are not counted toward the minimum number.

''Persona Non Grata''

The government of a country can declare a diplomat '' persona non grata'', banning their entry into that country. In non-diplomatic use, the authorities of a country may also declare a foreigner ''persona non grata'' permanently or temporarily, usually because of unlawful activity. Attempts to enter the Gaza Strip by sea may attract a 10-year ban on entering Israel.

Fingerprinting

Several countries including Afghanistan, Argentina, Cambodia, China (applies for ages 14 to 70), Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States demand all passengers to be fingerprinted on arrival.

Additionally, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar conduct iris scanning on arrival and on visitors that need to apply for a UAE visa.

See also

*Visa policy of Sri Lanka
* Sri Lankan passport
*Foreign relations of Sri Lanka

References and Notes

;References

;Notes

{{Foreign relations of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka
Foreign relations of Sri Lanka