Sri Lanka’s Immigration and Emigration Department has surpassed its revenue projections for 2023, achieving a record Rs.42.76 billion in total revenue. This performance was bolstered by increased tourist arrivals and a higher number of passport issuances.
The department had initially forecasted a revenue of Rs.28.1 billion for the year, but actual earnings soared to Rs.42.76 billion, up from Rs.23.83 billion in 2022.
The largest revenue contributor was the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) program, which generated Rs.17.74 billion, accounting for 41% of the total revenue. This was followed by Rs.12.51 billion from passport issuance and amendments, and Rs.7.09 billion from visas and extensions. Additionally, passport processing through embassies contributed Rs.3.82 billion to the department’s revenue.
In 2023, the department issued 910,582 passports, a slight decrease from 911,689 in 2022 but a significant increase from 382,560 in 2021. Notably, regional offices issued a record 191,557 passports, with the Vavuniya office alone accounting for 56,261 issuances, following the resumption of operations from June 15, 2023, to meet high demand.
Since 2019, the department has issued a total of 2.94 million passports by the end of 2023.