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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Van Helsing" data-source="post: 11031337" data-attributes="member: 373907">*  Sri Lanka introduces prior visa approval online, scraps on arrival system   Wed, Sep 28, 2011, 08:31 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka. <img src="http://www.lankapage.com/pix_small/SLImmigration.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />  Sept 28, Colombo: From next month, visitors  to Sri Lanka including transit passengers will have to apply for travel  authorization online prior to their travel to the country, the  government announced Wednesday.   Sri Lanka's Immigration and Emigration Department announced today  that a system called "Electronic Travel Authorization - ETA" will be  introduced on September 30 to grant prior approval for visa via online  for foreign nationals from 78 countries instead of the presently  implemented 'on arrival visa' at the ports of entry.   "Accordingly, foreign nationals visiting the country on purposes of  tourism affairs, medical treatments, sports, cultural shows, business  conferences and discussions, training programmes and seminars can apply  for the Electronic Travel Authorization via <a href="http://www.eta.gov.lk" target="_blank">www.eta.gov.lk</a> established  in the Department of Immigration and Emigration," the authorities said.   The on-arrival visa system will continue as a reciprocal gesture for  people travelling from The Maldives and Singapore, the two countries  reciprocating the facility for Sri Lankans.   Also exempted from the new system are the air and ship crew since  they are exempted from obtaining prior approval for the visa.   Primary information on the on line procedure will be available in  nine international languages. However, applications should be forwarded  only in English.   Applications for approval can be forwarded by the applicant or by a  third party on behalf of the applicant. A registered agency can also  forward application on behalf of clients and the applicants can also  apply through the Sri Lankan embassies in their countries.   A foreign national who was unable to obtain prior approval, can  visit Sri Lanka after obtaining prior approval by forwarding the  application and making the relevant fee to the immigration counter at  the entry point.    The authorization is not a visa. The visa will be stamped in the  passport on arrival. "It is not a visa in itself, but an approval for  travel," an immigration official has explained.   According to the immigration authorities a fee of US$ 50 will be  charged for a tourist visa with double entry for 30 days, US$ 60 for a  business visa with multiple entry for 30 days, US$ 25 for transit visa  with single entry for seven days. The fees are to be paid online and  approval will be granted instantly. However, some applications may take  longer, but less than 24 hours, according to an immigration official.   The new system will be introduced on September 30, under the  auspices of Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa with the participation  of several distinguished guests including foreign ambassadors and the  Controller General of Immigration and Emigration, the government  announced.</blockquote>

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