Colombo, Feb 27 –
Important notice for passengers travelling to and from Sri Lanka
Exemption of Pre-Departure COVID-19 testing (PCR/ Rapid Antigen Test) of Fully Vaccinated Travellers arriving in Sri Lanka
This is an amendment to the Letter No. DGHS/COVID-19/347/2021, dated 27.01.2022 on Quarantine measures for travellers arriving from overseas during the pandemic of COVID- 19
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1. Fully Vaccinated travellers do not need to take COVID-19 tests (PCR or Rapid Antigen test) before travelling to Sri Lanka.
As different countries have different phases of vaccination, for the inbound travellers, if the “recommended doses” of the COVID-19 vaccination are completed and depart from abroad two weeks after completion of vaccination, they will be considered as “Fully Vaccinated”.
Recommended doses to consider as a fully vaccinated traveller:
If the traveller is vaccinated with a 2-dose vaccine or a recommended combination of them, traveller must have had both doses to be considered as fully vaccinated for travel to Sri Lanka
READ: Sri Lanka scraps pre-departure PCR tests for fully-vaccinated travellers
If the traveller had an approved one dose vaccine (e.g. Janssen vaccine), the traveller is considered fully vaccinated.
2. Children of eighteen years and below, who have obtained at least a single dose of a recognized vaccine, will be considered as “Fully Vaccinated” if departed from abroad two weeks after completion of vaccination.
3. Travellers with a past history of COVID-19 infection where the infection was detected between 7 days to 6 months before the date of departure with at least a single dose of a two-dose vaccine will be exempted from the Pre-departure COVID-19 test. They should carry a diagnosis card or verifiable evidence or a previously positive COVID-19 test report (PCR report or Rapid Antigen Test report) as proof of past history of illness (in English). They should depart two weeks after vaccination and also seven days after the infection.
4. Travellers with a history of COVID-19 infection more than 6 months before the date of departure with a single dose of a two dose vaccine should carry a negative pre-departure COVID-19 test report as mentioned in Section 05. They should depart two weeks after vaccination.
5. All other travellers of twelve years and above arriving in Sri Lanka who are NOT Fully Vaccinated should mandatorily carry a negative COVID-19 PCR test report in the English language done within 72 hours prior to embarkation OR Rapid Antigen Test report (self-swabs are disallowed) in the English language done within 48 hours prior to embarkation.
All travellers who have obtained COVID-19 vaccines should carry proof of vaccination in English throughout their travel.
All the travellers who have a past history of COVID-19 infection should depart after 7 days of onset of infection.
This guideline is effective for travellers arriving in Sri Lanka via airports or seaports from 00:00 on 01st of March 2022.
This guideline will be revised depending on the COVID-19 situation in the country and the global situation.
Director-General of Health Services as the Proper Authority for the whole of Sri Lanka under the Quarantine and Prevention of Disease Ordinance No. 03 of 1897, can make directions deviating from this guideline without prior notice considering individual situations.
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