Minister of Public Security, Vijitha Herath addressed the recent visa issues, stating that the government has taken swift action to resolve the challenges faced in obtaining visas over the past 24 hours. Starting from 12.00 midnight today (26), all foreigners will be able to apply for visas under the previous system.
Minister Vijitha Herath further elaborated:
"The visa facility provided by the VFS Global has caused significant difficulties for many. Specially, foreigners arriving in Sri Lanka experienced considerable challenges in obtaining their visas.
In response, and following a court decision, the Ministry of Public Security has intervened to resume visa issuance under the previous system within the past 24 hours. From 12.00 midnight today, foreigners can easily apply for visas online, which will be processed within 24 hours. This marks a significant improvement.
The visa issue has caused great distress, but we have now addressed this problem. We consulted with the Attorney General and acted promptly based on the court ruling.
Furthermore, we have initiated an immediate forensic audit to investigate the irregularities associated with the VFS Global. Any discrepancies found will be subject to legal action in the future. As a result, those in business and investment sectors will now have access to the same visa facilities."