Sri Lanka grants one-year visas to Maldivians, expands free visa access to 47 countries

Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath has announced that the government of Sri Lanka has decided to issue one-year visas to Maldivians.

The decision comes as part of the Sri Lankan government's move to reinstate long-term visa services, according to the minister.

Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said that until now, the neighboring country’s government has only been issuing short-term visas to Maldivians, under certain conditions. However, the government of Sri Lanka has since decided to begin issuing one-year visas to Maldivians, starting 1 August 2025.

Maldivians have frequently visited Sri Lanka, especially for medical purposes. However, they faced challenges due to stricter visa regulations. The Sri Lankan government has now revised that decision and will grant one-year visas to Maldivians.

The move is seen as a gesture to bolster people-to-people ties between the two neighboring nations. The Maldives, for its part, already grants visa-free entry to Sri Lankan nationals.

The announcement comes ahead of Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s official visit to the Maldives next week, signaling a further deepening of diplomatic and economic cooperation between the two countries.

In a major push to revitalize its tourism sector, Sri Lanka will extend free tourist visa access to an additional 40 countries, bringing the total number of countries eligible for visa-free entry to 47.

Speaking at the 2025 Hotel Show in Colombo, Minister Herath said the decision was approved during the most recent Cabinet meeting as part of broader efforts to attract more international visitors.

Herath said that Sri Lanka currently offers free visas to seven countries and that in the last Cabinet meeting, they decided to expand to 40 more.

The minister acknowledged that the policy shift is expected to result in a revenue loss of approximately USD 66 million, which is approximately 19.8 billion Sri Lankan Rupees, in visa fees. However, the government views the move as a strategic investment in long-term tourism growth and economic recovery.

The expanded visa waiver is expected to take effect in the coming months.