Tourist visa fee payment made easy

Minister of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs John Amaratunga at a recent discussion with heads of institutions under the Ministry

The Department of Immigration and Emigration has introduced new options for the payment of visa fees for tourists at the Katunayake International Airport. 

Based on the newly-introduced system, tourists arriving in the country can pay the required visa fees in one of five popular currencies. Earlier the visa fee could be paid only in US Dollars.

“There were numerous requests from tourists to enable them to pay the visa fee in their currencies as paying in US dollars was a hassle since they had to exchange their currencies to carry out the payment. This gave somewhat of a negative first impression to tourists at the entry point to the country. We took note of these requests and brought it to the attention of the Controller of Immigration and Emigration, who has now provided a solution,” said Minister of Tourism Development John Amaratunga who was instrumental in securing the new payment options.

Under the new system, foreign visitors can opt to pay their visa fees in five of the most popular international currencies. The fees will be charged based on the prevailing local exchange rate at the time of the transaction.

“The majority of our tourists are from countries that do not use US dollars. This is a small but positive step in ironing out the little issues that tend to cause unnecessary hassle to tourists,” said Minister Amaratunga.

Meanwhile commenting on news reports that the Dambulla Raja Maha Viharaya had decided to do away with the practice of charging entrance fees from tourists, Tourism Minister John Amaratunga said this was a step in the right direction.

“I hope that the other leading temples will take a cue from this commendable act of the Dambulla Raja Maha Viharaya and follow suit. This benevolent act of the Dambulla Raja Maha Viharayawill no doubt help to promote and propagate Buddhism among Western tourists. We have been informed that some temples charge high entrance fees without offering any facilities. Such experiences often leave a negative impression,” said Minister Amaratunga. “The aim of the Tourism Ministry is to ensure that every tourist who visits Sri Lanka for the first time returns to the country. We are currently looking at issues at various levels and resolving them so as to increase the number of return tourists,” added Minister Amaratunga.