Sri Lanka Mandates COVID-19 Insurance For All Passengers

Insight

Sri Lanka Mandates COVID-19 Insurance For All Passengers Entering The Borders

In its latest update, the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka announced that travellers arriving into the country will need to purchase COVID-19 insurance to be able to enter the borders. Here’s what we know about it. By Anushka Goel

In a recent update, the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) mandated COVID-19 insurance for all those arriving in the country. This rule applies to all those who do not hold a Sri Lankan passport, the update said.

Sri Lanka mandates COVID-19 insurance

Announcement_02.02.2022 pic.twitter.com/K9cLc9p41z

— CAASL – Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (@caaslofficial) February 3, 2022

The notification elaborates that all those entering the country on a tourist visa will need to possess an insurance cover worth a minimum of USD 50,000. This COVID-19 insurance can be purchased online on the official website, or upon arrival. This cover will include hospital treatment in case one gets detected with the virus during their stay in Sri Lanka.

The statement, signed by CAASL Chairman Upul Dharmadasa, also states that the tourists need not have travel insurance when they board an aircraft, but it is mandatory when they want to exit the Sri Lankan airports they are landing at.

In another update, the authority stated that passengers from 31 countries, who were unsuccessful in making credit card payments for the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), will be able to get these issued upon arrival in the country. These countries include nations such as Canada, Germany, the USA, Ukraine, Russia, Denmark and more.

The third wave of the pandemic brought travel to a standstill yet again late last year, with several countries shutting off their international borders and putting stringent checks on local travel. Sri Lanka, with the introduction of the mandatory COVID-19 insurance, seems to be moving towards making travel a pleasurable, enjoyable and risk-free experience for all those who visit the island nation.