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.[1][2] This has hampered the ability of Sri Lankan business people to travel and connect with peers and maintain a globally competitive outlook.

A non-biometric Sri Lankan passport

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.[3] The Sri Lankan passport continues to rank in the bottom 10% of Henley's Annual Passport Rankings.[4] 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.[5] 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.[1]

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.[6] As of 2023, it is negotiating a Free Trade Agreement with Thailand. However, it remains unclear if this will result in visa free travel for Sri Lankan business people.[7] Sri Lankans are unable to travel to Indonesia, one of the world most important markets, without a complex visa application process.

Despite demands from citizens and civil society groups, Sri Lanka has largely been unsuccessful in expanding visa-free travel for its citizens.[8] 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.[9] [10][11]

Most recently, Sri Lanka signed a visa waiver for Diplomatic and Official passport holders with Cambodia. [12] 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. [13] In 2023, the Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickramasinghe noted that Sri Lanka had applied for membership in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and is actively seeking to establish trade relations with countries in ASEAN.[14]