Visa requirements for Sri Lankan citizens

[1] This has hampered the ability of Sri Lankan business people to travel and connect with peers and maintain a globally competitive outlook.

[6] Considering the extent of the Sri Lankan diaspora, a passport with wider access to the world could contribute to a more competitive and future-ready society.

[7] Sri Lanka has limited personal or business contacts with the ASEAN, a region with which it shares significant historical and cultural relations.

Within the SAARC region, the Sri Lankan government has made little effort to encourage religious tourism from countries such as Nepal and Bhutan.

[13][14][15][16] Likewise, the Sri Lankan state spends millions on maintaining an extensive diplomatic service, which is said to bring little or no benefits to its citizens.

[320] Several countries including Afghanistan, Argentina, Cambodia, China (applies for ages 14 to 70), Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States demand all passengers to be fingerprinted on arrival.

[321][322][323][324][325][326][327] Additionally, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar conduct iris scanning on arrival and on visitors that need to apply for a UAE visa.

2 Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Russia and the partially recognised republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia each span the conventional boundary between Europe and Asia.