Electronic Travel Authorization - ETA

The Department of Immigration and Emigration has made all arrangements to establish and implement  a system called "Electronic Travel Authorization - ETA"  in order to grant prior approval for visa  via online for the foreign nationals who visit Sri Lanka and those who travel via Sri Lanka for Short  term requirements. The inauguration ceremony to introduce this new system will be held at 10.00  am on the  30^th September 2011. at Galle Face Hotel  under the auspices of   defense Secretary with  the participation of several distinguished guests including foreign ambassadors and  the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration.

Accordingly, in a bid to make this system more efficient and effective set up for the benefit of 78 countries to grant visas for short time requirements,  the foreign nationals visiting tile country on purposes of   tourism affairs, medical treatments,  sports,  cultural shows, business conferences and discussions, training programs and seminars can pay the relevant fee and apply for  the  Electronic Travel Authorization via  www.eta.gov.lk established in the Department of Immigration and Emigration.  Access to basic information in this regard in nine international languages would be a great convenience to the foreigners.  However,  the  applications should  be forwarded only in English language and six (6) methodologies have been introduced to facilitate forwarding of the applications, i.e.;  applications can be  forwarded  by  the applicant him/herself.  by a third party on behalf of the applicant. through a registered agency, through a Sri Lankan embassies or through the head office of  the  Department  of immigration and Emigration, and  a foreigner who was unable to obtain prior approval by  the above methods, can visit Sri Lanka after obtaining prior approval by forwarding the application and making the relevant  fee to the counter  established in Sri Lankan access point which he/she has landed in.

Only an administration  fee has been suggested for this "Electronic Travel Authorization - ETA"  and according to the Memorandum of understanding with Sri  Lanka  the previous method of granting visas on arrival to  the airport free of charge to the nationals from Maldives and Singapore  is still in effective. According to this new visa granting system, since the air and ship crew are exempted from obtaining prior approval for the visa, the old  system will be in effective as before. The foreigners, who officially or diplomatically visit Sri Lanka should obtain prior approval  for visa through a government institute of Sri Lanka and such approvals will be granted free of charge.

The Department  of  Immigration and Emigration is of the view  that  the introduction  of  this new system set  up on agreement  and collaboration of the Ministry of  Foreign  Affairs and the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority has laid a strong foundation in realizing one of the main objectives of "Mahinda  Chinthanaya Concept" to make Sri Lanka the main centre of economic  activities globally.

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