US $ 500 penalty for foreigners in SL with NO valid visa

Sri Lanka’s Department of Immigration and Emigration announced that the visa fees and fines have been revised as per the new Immigration and Emigration Regulations issued on 18th August 2021 by the Extraordinary Gazette No. 2241/37.

A foreigner staying in Sri Lanka without a valid visa will be charged US $ 500 penalty in addition to the visa fee.

Sri Lanka has announced new visa fees and fines revised as per the new Immigration and Emigration Regulations issued on August 18 via the Extraordinary Gazette No. 2241/37.

In a media release issued today (Aug. 28), the Department of Immigration and Emigration stated that a foreigner staying in Sri Lanka without a valid visa will be charged USD 500 penalty in addition to the visa fee.

Meanwhile, a fee of USD 200 will be charged from investors, employees, students, healthcare recipients, representatives of non-governmental institutions, religious workers as well as their spouses and dependent children for residence visa.

Any person whose Sri Lankan citizenship has been ceased under Sections 19, 20 or 21 of the Citizenship Act and the spouses and dependent children of such persons will be charged USD 100 for residence visa.

In addition, the residence visa fee for the following individuals will also be USD 100:

• Any person who has been registered as an Indian citizen under Section 13 of the Indo-Ceylon Agreement and his/her spouse and dependent children

• Non-Sri Lankan spouse of a demised Sri Lankan who has not remarried (with the approval for employment)

• Non-Sri Lankan spouse of a Sri Lankan citizen who is living in Sri Lanka continuously for not less than 10 years (with the approval for employment)

• Non-Sri Lanka spouse of a Sri Lankan citizen who has children below the age of 18 years (with the approval for employment)

In the meantime, the residence visa fee for the clergy and foreign national who is married to a Sri Lankan citizen and the dependent children of the non-Sri Lankan spouse will be free.