The Sri Lanka government has extended the suspension of all visas issued to foreign nationals, as part of its measures taken to halt the spread of the COVID-19.
The Department of Immigration and Emigration announced that all visas and entry permits that have been issued until now will be invalidated for entry to Sri Lanka until April 7, 2020, at 23:59 local time, reports VisaGuide.World.
Previously, the suspension was supposed to last until March 31.
Nationals of countries who are normally exempt from a Sri Lankan visa (such as Maldives, Singapore, and Seychelles) are also banned from entering the island country. The visa exemption for these countries has been temporarily suspended.
“All types of Electronic Travel Authorizations (ETA)/ Entry Visas, Landing Endorsements, Multiple Entry Visas and Residence Visas already granted to all foreign nationals and not arrived to Sri Lanka yet have been temporarily suspended and they will not be allowed to enter Sri Lanka,” the announcement on the Department of Immigration and Emigration website reads.
Additionally, for foreigners who are residing in Sri Lanka on a visa, the Department has announced that all visas that were due to expire during this period will be extended for an additional 30 days starting from 14th March 2020 to 12th April 2020.
Over 100 countries worldwide have imposed severe travel restrictions, along with Sri Lanka in order to try and control the drastic spread of the coronavirus. The EU, which is considered the new epicentre of the disease, has closed the external borders of the Schengen Zone. Many Member States have reintroduced borders among themselves as well, the first time they have done so since the border-free zone was introduced in 1985.
The COVID-19 pandemic has overwhelmed health systems around as the numbers of infections soar and it has wreaked havoc on the world’s economy with millions of people left unemployed. As of March 31, there have been 800,000 reported cases of the COVID-19 and more than 38,000 deaths across the globe.