Tanzania has lifted visa restrictions for Sri Lanka, marking the end of more than 20-year restrictions.

During the announcement, the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka, Kana Kananathan, emphasized that Sri Lanka is no longer on Tanzania’s visa referral list,VisaGuide.World reports.

Sri Lankan Businessmen & Travelers Can Now Apply for Standard Visas Online to Tanzania

As Kananathan revealed, around 450 Sri Lankan businessmen, along with other travelers, including gem and stone traders, can now apply for standard visas online.

Extensive high-level negotiations with the Tanzanian government led to Sri Lanka’s removal from the referral visa list, facilitating smoother travel for both business and personal purposes.

The High Commission appreciated the Government of Tanzania for this positive change, which underlines the strong bilateral relations between the two countries. He also encouraged Sri Lankans to take advantage of this new opportunity while maintaining high standards of conduct abroad.

As of September 2024, the Tanzanian passport ranks 140th globally according to the VisaGuide Passport Index. Tanzanian passport holders can now travel visa-free to 49 countries and territories. To take advantage of visa-free travel, travelers must ensure their passport is valid for at least six months beyond their departure date and obtain travel health insurance as required by their destination.

Sri Lanka Has Also Facilitated Entry Rules for Some Travelers

Sri Lanka has announced an immediate visa-free policy for travelers from 38 countries, effective September 3, 2024. This decision comes after a month-long period during which Sri Lanka issued visas on arrival due to issues with its e-Visa system, previously managed by a foreign consortium.

With the suspension of the e-Visa system, the country is streamlining its new visa-free process and eliminating the previously available e-visa options, including double-entry visas for up to 30 days (extendable to 60 days) and transit visas for up to two days.

Originally scheduled for October 1, the removal of visa requirements has been expedited to start immediately, simplifying entry for travelers from the designated countries. On the other hand, countries such as Afghanistan, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, North Korea, Ghana, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Syria are not eligible for visa-on-arrival in Sri Lanka.

Source: VisaGuide