To relax and not get sick - what vaccinations is it advisable for Russians to get before traveling to Sri Lanka?

If you are planning a trip to Sri Lanka, then most likely you still have time to decide which vaccinations you should get for your trip to this country. Although many tourists from Russia do not get any vaccinations at all before traveling to Sri Lanka, medical experts from Europe recommend several vaccinations for basic immunization. Since different doses of the vaccine are administered at specific intervals, it is recommended that you plan to travel to Sri Lanka in advance to ensure you have time to get vaccinated. Listed below are the minimum vaccination requirements recommended by some of Europe's top medical institutes, as well as additional vaccinations you may want to consider getting specifically for your trip to Sri Lanka. If you are wondering whether vaccinations are required to travel to Sri Lanka, then this article is for you. Let us immediately note that all vaccinations and vaccinations presented below are recommended and not mandatory. As we said above, many tourists from Russia do not get any vaccinations before traveling to Sri Lanka.

Vaccination against Japanese encephalitis

Japanese encephalitis is quite common in East Asia and Southeast Asia. The disease is caused by the so-called encephalitis virus. The main carriers of this virus are birds, pigs, reptiles and horses. Transmission to humans is mainly by mosquitoes. For this reason, you should avoid being bitten by mosquitoes, which carry not only this disease, but also malaria and dengue fever. Since there is no effective antiviral drug, vaccination helps provide good protection against this disease in Sri Lanka. The vaccination consists of two injections (the second injection is given 28 days after the first injection) and provides very good protection.

When entering Sri Lanka

Before flying to Sri Lanka, all tourists must:

• Have a pre-valid tourist visa. The visa cost is $37 per person. The visa is issued electronically through the website www.eta.gov.lk/slvisa/. Visas on arrival are suspended. The visa is issued for a period of 30 days. Read more.
• Take a PCR test 72 hours before departure to Sri Lanka (printed in English with a QR code, have it with you at the airport) - for everyone, including children aged 2 years and above. Children under 2 years of age are exempt from PCR tests.
• At the airport, fill out a Health Declaration Form for each adult and child.
• Pre-book a Level 1 hotel (there are no minimum days of stay, it can be 5, 7, 10 nights, etc.).

Entry and stay rules for vaccinated tourists (14 days must pass between receiving the second dose and travel):

• Upon arrival, you must present your original vaccination certificate in English with a QR code to the airport health officer.
• Book a Level 1 hotel for 24-48 hours.
• Mandatory COVID-19 insurance costing $12 with coverage of $50,000 for 1 month (for all tourists, including children under 2 years old)*.
• 1st PCR test on the day of arrival (all testing at the hotel). Adults and children from 2 to 18 years old must undergo PCR testing.
• Children under 2 years of age are exempt from PCR testing, however, if parents/guardians develop symptoms or the PCR test results are positive, children will be required to undergo PCR testing and there will be a cost per child for the test.*
• Receiving test results + permit certificate from the Sri Lanka Tourist Bureau (issued by the hotel) – exit to the island on the 2nd day.
• PCR test on the 10th day - only children from 2 to 18 years old should undergo testing. Tourists must inform their local tour operator or hotel about the test results.

Rules of entry and stay for unvaccinated tourists or those who have not completed the full course of vaccination:

• Reservation at a hotel from the Level 1 list from 1-14 days.
• Mandatory COVID-19 insurance costing $12 with coverage of $50,000 for 1 month (for all tourists, including children under 2 years old)*.
• 1st PCR test on the day of arrival (all testing at the hotel). Children under 12 years of age are exempt from PCR testing on Day 1, however, if parents/guardians develop symptoms or the PCR test results are positive, children will need to undergo PCR testing.*
• After receiving a negative PCR test result, tourists can freely use the hotel grounds and the hotel beach.
• After receiving a negative result from the 1st PCR test (on the day of arrival), tourists are allowed to visit approved excursion sites as part of the “bio secure bubble” vacation program.
• If guests stay in Sri Lanka for more than 14 days and guests plan to go to the island to visit the local population, they must undergo a repeat PCR test (EXIT PCR). Testing will be carried out on the 14th day. Applies to all guests 2 years and older.*
• After receiving two negative PCR results (day 1 and day 14), the hotel will issue a permit certificate to leave the Level 1 hotel and tourists can independently travel around the country.

*The cost of the PCR test is $40 and local COVID-19 insurance ($12). PCR test upon arrival and COVID-19 insurance are added automatically when booking a tour and are a mandatory service. The second PCR test is done by tourists on the spot and is paid for independently.

For tourists with a history of COVID-19

Can travel to Sri Lanka no earlier than 28 days and up to 90 days from the date of a positive test for COVID-19 (NAAT/nucleic acid amplification tests). It is mandatory to have a medical card in English indicating the patient’s name + date of illness. Such travelers must receive at least one dose of the Astra Zeneka/Pfiser BioNTech/Moderna/Johnson & Johnson vaccine or other single doses recommended for full vaccination. Including vaccines approved in Russia. This vaccination must be carried out 14 days after the date of the positive NAAT* test and 14 days before arrival in Sri Lanka. If the above is granted, such tourists and their children will follow the fully vaccinated route.

If the above condition is not met, guests are required to stay at the Level 1 Hotel for up to 14 nights (non-vaccination conditions apply).

Important information

• Sri Lankan Airlines does not require an EXIT PCR test.
• If any airline or country of departure requires an EXIT PCR test, tourists will carry out the testing themselves.
• Tourists are not allowed to leave the territory of the Level 1 hotel without a permit and PCR tests.
• You can use the hotel grounds and hotel infrastructure after receiving the first negative PCR test result; before that, guests will be asked to self-isolate in their room.
• Airport transfers can only be arranged by the hotel or host. Tourists are prohibited from using public transport on their own for the first 14 days and are not recommended thereafter.
• Travelers with travel history (including transit) in the last 14 days to India, South America, South Africa (South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe) will not be allowed to disembark in Sri Lanka until further notice.

In case of a positive PCR test:

• If tourists test positive for COVID-19 upon arrival:

– Asymptomatic tourists will be isolated in the same hotel in rooms specially designated for isolation. – Tourists with symptoms will be transferred to a quarantine center or special treatment facility until subsequent PCR tests show a negative result.

• If only one tourist out of 2 or more tests positive, then the tourists will be isolated in different rooms.
• Hospital expenses (up to $50,000) are covered by COVID-19 insurance.

Additional Information:

• Information on COVID-19 insurance (view).
• Permitted tourist sites and attractions (

  
  ).

Level 1

• Only for NOT vaccinated tourists (or who have not completed the full course of vaccination).
• Accommodation in approved hotels from the Level 1 list from 1-14 days.
• You are allowed to use the territory and infrastructure of the hotel, but you cannot leave the hotel premises during the entire stay.
• Leaving the hotel is possible if the stay is more than 14 days and a negative result of the second PCR test is received.
• Relevant for the Moscow Colombo level1 tour (regular direct flight).

Included:

• Accommodation at a reserved Level 1 hotel.
• PCR test upon arrival for each tourist and local insurance against COVID-19.

When booking an application, you must upload a scan of tourists’ passports to obtain a visa.

More details at the link.

The Cinnamon Bey and Heritance Ahungalla hotels are operating as Level 1 hotels until 31/10/2021.

*List may change.

Level 2

• Only for vaccinated tourists (14 days must pass between receiving the second dose and travel).
• Accommodation in approved hotels from the Level 2 list.
• Arrival dates: 08/03/2021 – 10/31/2021.
• Booking dates: 08/09/2021 – 10/31/2021.
• Relevant for the Moscow Colombo level2 tour (regular direct flight).

Day 1

• Transfer from Bandaranaike International Airport to Level 1 Hotel.
• PCR testing at the Level 1 hotel.
• Dinner and overnight at the Level 1 hotel.

Day 2

• Receive PCR test results within 12-24 hours after collecting samples.
• After receiving a negative PCR test result, transfer to the booked Level 2 hotel.

Included:

• Free transfer from the airport to the Level 1 hotel.
• PCR test upon arrival for each tourist and local insurance against COVID-19.
• 1 night at the Level 1 hotel on a dinner + breakfast basis.
• Transfer from Level 1 hotel to selected Level 2 hotel (for Level 2 hotels from Wadduwa to Koggala region).
• If Level 2 hotel is chosen after Koggala region, the transfer fee will be 10$ per person.

When booking an application, you must upload a scan of tourists’ passports to obtain a visa.
More details at the link.

If vaccinated, a copy of the vaccination certificate in English.

*List may change.

Diphtheria vaccinations

This vaccination must also be repeated every 10 years.
It is given to infants, and is usually carried out together with a tetanus vaccination. In diphtheria, a specific type of bacteria affects the airways. These substances, which are specific, can lead to late sequestration and complications that are also life-threatening. For this reason, recurrent vaccination is recommended. In addition to the vaccinations listed above, some tourists (especially those who decide to go on holiday with children) also get polio vaccination, mumps vaccination and measles vaccination before traveling to Sri Lanka.

What vaccinations did we get before Sri Lanka?

• against Hepatitis A
• from typhoid fever

In both cases we were given vaccines. That is, weakened pathogens in order to stimulate the body to produce antibodies to these diseases. Injections are given in the shoulder. It doesn’t hurt, you don’t feel anything at all either at the time of the injection or at the time of administration of the drug.

For one reason or another, as well as due to lack of time, some vaccinations had to be excluded. The doctor dissuaded us from doing something, but we didn’t have time to do something, since we had to do 2 injections with an interval of a month.

Rules for traveling from Sri Lanka to Russia

If you have planned a return flight with a transfer, be careful when choosing a country for transit! Since May 12, the UAE has prohibited entry and transit for passengers coming from Sri Lanka and several other countries (Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal).

Before departure from Sri Lanka

to Russia, you must fill out a form for those arriving in the Russian Federation on the State Services website, which indicates personal data and symptoms (cough, temperature, etc.). It must be filled out before boarding the plane and presented upon arrival at the control point.

Upon returning to Russia

after Sri Lanka, you must do a PCR test for the presence of coronavirus infection COVID-19 within 3 days and upload the result to the State Services. An express test can be done at Moscow airports upon arrival or in any laboratory recommended by Rospotrebnadzor.

According to the new rules, which came into force on July 7, 2021, upon arrival in Russia from any country in the world: • for vaccinated

during the year and citizens who have been ill for six months - PCR testing is cancelled;
• for unvaccinated
citizens - the PCR test must be taken within 3 days upon arrival. Until the results of the study are received, self-isolation is required. You can upload a PCR test to State Services within 4 calendar days (by Decree of the Chief Doctor of the Russian Federation No. 17, 1 additional day was provided for uploading test results).

Where is the best place to get treatment in Sri Lanka?

If we are not talking about an emergency situation, when the nearest option is chosen, then for quality treatment and diagnosis it is best to go to large medical institutions in Colombo. Medicine in Colombo has proven to be of the highest quality; in the regions the level of services is somewhat lower and not all types of treatment are possible. Medical centers in Galle and Panadura, for example, despite slightly different prices, have shown from personal experience less effective treatment and diagnosis, problems with diagnosis, and generally left an unsatisfactory impression.

In Colombo, we can recommend Nawaloka Hospital and Asiri Hospital - private institutions with a high level of service, high-quality equipment (including for dental procedures), its own laboratory, a modern appointment system for various specialized specialists and professional doctors with education received in Europe, USA and China.

The cost of an initial appointment depends on the referral of the specialist and varies from 1200-2800 rupees for an appointment with a therapist, rheumatologist, neurologist, up to 3000 rupees for an appointment with a highly qualified cardiologist. In clinics in Galle and Panadura, the cost of seeing a specialist averages about 1500-2200 rupees.

In any medical center there is a service for conducting a comprehensive examination of the body, or check-up, which compares favorably with prices and the list of included services from Russian centers. The check-up service is often used by European tourists, for example, those arriving for the winter.

Rain season

The resort of Sri Lanka attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world. It is a tropical island characterized by warm weather and rain. If you are looking for a place where the temperature is always favorable for relaxation, Sri Lanka is suitable for you - here the air warms up to 30 degrees all year round. But it is important to consider one point. The island's climate differs in the amount of precipitation. The dry season is suitable for all tourists who love sunbathing. The rainy season in Sri Lanka is not an easy holiday and you need to know some of its features. Some features of a holiday during the rainy season on the island: - May is the time when the rainy season begins in the southwestern part of Sri Lanka. It ends in November. In the northeastern part of the island, the rainy season occurs at a different time - from October to January. From this point of view, the north and east of Sri Lanka are more suitable for a comfortable stay for those who love dry weather. — The rainy season is a special time characterized by heavy rainfall (approximately 95 percent of the annual norm falls throughout the entire period). But it cannot be said that the island experiences a shortage of tourists during the rainy season. — The rainy season in Sri Lanka is characterized by heavy showers and intermittent rain. Most of the precipitation falls at night. Therefore, rains do not spoil the day's rest for tourists. Some travelers, on the contrary, love the fresh night air, which is cleansed by showers. — The big disadvantage of holidays during the rainy season is the choppy sea. Large waves cause water pollution. — Tourists love holidays in Sri Lanka during the rainy season because of the possibility of excursions and sightseeing. At this time there are fewer vacationers on the island than during the dry season. — Travelers are attracted by prices on the island during the rainy season. Firstly, at this time you can find good hotels that offer discounts. Secondly, airlines are reducing the cost of air tickets to the island. These are favorable moments for budget travelers. You need to know that a holiday on an island during the dry season can be unpleasant. At this time, there are zinital rains, which characterize the equatorial countries. You also need to remember that the rainy season on the island begins at different times on different coasts of the island.