Sri Lanka has suspended its e-visa scheme. What tourists should know

When visiting Sri Lanka, travellers can normally apply for a visa online, allowing them to avoid long queues at the airport upon arrival.

That option is currently no longer available, however, after the country's e-visa website was suspended on August 2 following an order from Sri Lanka's Supreme Court.

Here's why the e-visa website was shut down and what that means for travellers.

Why has Sri Lanka suspended e-visas?

Sri Lanka, a South Asian island nation just off the coast of India, only introduced its e-visa scheme last April. The procedure has been marred by allegations of procedural violations, a lack of transparency and corruption, according to German industry outlet fvw.de.

A panel of experts was appointed to review the scheme. It has been suspended for the time being by the court order and is only set to be reinstated once transparency can be ensured.

That means it's currently not possible to apply for an e-visa if you are travelling to Sri Lanka. Instead you can apply for a visa upon arrival.

What happens if I have applied for an e-visa on August 2?

Travellers who applied for an e-visa on August 2 after 5 pm Sri Lanka Standard time will receive a refund, according to a notice on the website.

Applicants have been asked to send their application reference number to travel.partner@srilankaevisa.lk.

What happens next?

From October 1, free tourist visas are set to be made available for travellers from 35 countries, valid for 30 days.

The regulation will initially apply for six months, though it remains unclear whether it can be implemented on time, according to fvw.de.