News
Sri Lanka’s passport third strongest in South Asia
Sri Lanka has secured the position of having the third strongest passport in South Asia, according to the latest Henley Passport Index for 2025. Ranked 96th globally, the Sri Lankan passport now allows visa-free travel to 44 countries, marking an improvement from its rankings of 100th in 2023 and 102nd in 2022.
The Maldives continues to dominate the South Asian region, retaining its top spot for the fifth consecutive year. The Maldivian passport ranks 53rd globally, granting its holders visa-free access to 94 countries. India follows as the second strongest in the region, positioned 85th worldwide, with its passport enabling visa-free travel to 57 destinations.
The Henley Passport Index, which ranks 199 passports worldwide, based on the number of destinations they can access without a visa, draws data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and trusted government sources. The rankings reflect global travel freedoms and highlight shifts in international relations and border policies.
Globally, Singapore claims the title of the world’s most powerful passport, offering visa-free access to 195 destinations out of 227. This marks a return to the top spot for Singapore, surpassing Japan, which had led the rankings for several years. Japan now occupies second place with visa-free access to 193 destinations, reclaiming access to neighbouring China after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.
In South Asia, Sri Lanka’s position is notably ahead of Bangladesh (100th), Nepal (101st), and Pakistan (103rd). Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the global index, ranked 106th, with its citizens gaining visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to only 26 destinations.
The Henley Passport Index continues to be a key indicator of global mobility, providing insights into the evolving landscape of international travel. For Sri Lanka, the 2025 ranking offers both encouragement and a challenge to further enhance its standing in the coming years.
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development to award the contract for printing and supplying vehicle number plates for the Department of Motor Traffic for a period of five (5) years to M/s South Asian Technologies based on the recommendations of the High-Level Standing Procurement Committee and the Procurement Appeal Board.
The National Lotteries board has been established subject to the Finance Act No. 11 of 1963. Having identified the requirement of amending that act which was imposed around 62 years to cater the current requirements of the lottery market, the Cabinet of Mnisters at their meeting held on 14.02.2017 granted approval to draft a new bill for the purpose.
Accordingly, the National Lotteries Board has recognized further amendments to be performed to the fundamental draft bill prepared by the Legal Draftsmen.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval for the
resolution furnished by the President in his office as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to direct the Legal Draftsmen to finalize the formulation of the draft bill for the National Lotteries Board as soon as possible including the proposed new amendments as well.
The Werahara office of the Department of Motor Traffic performs issuance of temporary driving licenses in this country based on the driving licenses issued overseas, and measures have been initiated to render the service from a service window of the Department of Motor Traffic established at the Bandaranayake International Airport from 03.08.2025.
The fees charged for issuing temporary driving licenses have been published in Motor Vehicles (Driving License Levy) Regulations No. 3 of 2022 prepared under the provisions of the Motor Traffic (Authority 203) Act.
But, as the fee of Rupees 2,000/- charged for the service is not sufficient, the requirement of amending the regulations has been recognized.
The regulations for introducing the revised fees have been published in the government extraordinary gazette
notification No. 2463/04 dated 17.11.2025. Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development to
submit the regulations to the Parliament for its concurrence.
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