Sri Lanka has canceled the long-term visas of Russian and Ukrainian tourists who were staying in the country, instructing them to depart within a two-week period starting from February 23. The Immigration Controller issued a notice to the Tourism Ministry, stating that the visas of these tourists had expired.
However, the President’s office, headed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, has initiated an investigation into the decision to enforce the departure of Russian and Ukrainian tourists, questioning the lack of a formal cabinet decision to revoke the previous visa extensions granted to them.
The President’s Media Division clarified that the Sri Lankan government has not officially made a decision to annul the visa extensions that were earlier provided to these tourists. Notably, the extended stays were granted due to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Since the outbreak of the war in 2022, around 300,000 Russians and 20,000 Ukrainians have visited Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka visas, Russian tourists, Ukrainian travelers, Visa policy change, Travel updates