The India–Sri Lanka ferry: Nagapattinam to Kankesanthurai

The India–Sri Lanka ferry sails between Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu and Kankesanthurai (KKS), near Jaffna, and was running as checked on 5 October 2026. It sails six days a week, and the crossing takes about four to five hours. It stops every year for the north-east monsoon, so expect a break from late October or November 2026.

This guide covers the ship and the operator, the days and times, fares and baggage, the border rules on both sides, and how to travel on from Kankesanthurai.

Is the India–Sri Lanka ferry running?

As checked on 5 October 2026, the passenger ferry between Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu and Kankesanthurai (KKS), on Sri Lanka's Jaffna peninsula, is running. It restarted on 3 June 2026 after repairs, India renewed its subsidy for the service on 18 September 2026, and we found no report of a suspension since. But it stops every year for the north-east monsoon. In 2025 it last sailed on 28 October and did not restart until 6 March 2026. Expect the same kind of break from late October or November 2026, and check with the operator before you build a trip around it.

When does the ferry stop for the monsoon?

The ferry has never sailed through the north-east monsoon:

• 2023: the first ferry stopped within days of its launch on 14 October.
• 2024: the last sailing was on 5 November, and the service came back on 22 February 2025.
• 2025: it stopped on 28 October and came back on 6 March 2026.

So, as checked October 2026, the realistic season is roughly March to October, and the dates move each year with the weather and the shipping authorities' orders.

Unplanned stops happen too. In May 2026 the Sivagangai broke down at sea off Nagapattinam and had to be brought back to port; the service stopped for several weeks and resumed on 3 June 2026 after repairs. Build a spare day into your plans.

Who runs the ferry?

The ship is the Sivagangai, run by a private Indian company, Subham, from Trichy in Tamil Nadu. When the service restarted in August 2024 the operating company was called IndSri Ferry Services, part of the same Subham group; since 2025 it has traded as Subham Ferry, and the booking site is SailSubham (as checked October 2026). The first ferry on the route, in October 2023, was a different vessel, the Cheriyapani, run by the state-owned Shipping Corporation of India.

The service is supported by the Indian government, which in September 2026 renewed its subsidy for a third year: over 300 million Sri Lankan rupees a year. India says about 52,000 passengers had used the ferry between August 2024 and September 2026.

How often does it sail, and how long does it take?

When it runs, the ferry sails six days a week, every day except Tuesday, in each direction (as reported in March and June 2026). The schedule has changed before, so check the days on the booking site.

The sea crossing is about 110 km, and officially takes about three and a half to four hours. In practice, allow four to five hours from departure to arrival:

• March 2026, first sailing: left Nagapattinam at 9.30 am, reached Kankesanthurai at 2 pm; the return left Kankesanthurai at 3 pm.
• June 2026: left Nagapattinam at 7.55 am, arrived at 12.55 pm; the return left Kankesanthurai at 2.30 pm.

Departure times change, so take them from your ticket (as checked October 2026). India and Sri Lanka keep the same clock time, so there is no time difference to allow for.

How much is the Nagapattinam to Kankesanthurai ferry?

The operator does not publish a fare table: the price appears when you search for a date on SailSubham, in Indian rupees, Sri Lankan rupees or US dollars. The most recent figure we found was reported in March 2026: 28,500 Sri Lankan rupees for a return ticket, with the operator saying fares had not changed from before the monsoon break. Fares in older articles, such as 5,000 or 6,500 Indian rupees, date from 2023 and 2024. Check the live price when you book (as checked October 2026).

How much baggage can you take?

As checked October 2026:

• Cabin bag: one bag of up to 10 kg (56 x 36 x 23 cm) plus a personal item.
• Free checked baggage: 10 kg from Nagapattinam to Kankesanthurai, and 15 kg from Kankesanthurai to Nagapattinam.
• Extra checked baggage: must be booked online in advance and cannot be added at check-in; for example, an extra 10 kg costs 1,500 Indian rupees (5,250 Sri Lankan rupees, or 21 US dollars).
• Limits: no passenger may check in more than three bags, and no bag may weigh more than 20 kg.

The "50 kg" or "60 kg free" figures in older articles no longer apply.

How do you book the ferry?

Book on the operator's own site, sailsubham.com, or its app; its email address is info@sailsubham.com. The older IndSri site, sailindsri.com, would not open when we checked in October 2026, and some travel blogs link to other "IndSri" addresses that are not the operator's. If a site is not sailsubham.com, treat it as an agent.

As checked October 2026, the operator charges 1,000 Indian rupees (3,500 Sri Lankan rupees, or 10 US dollars) to cancel or change a ticket more than 24 hours before departure. Within 24 hours there is no refund and no change. If the company cancels a sailing, you can choose a full refund or a new date at no charge. Spelling mistakes in a passenger's name or passport details cost 1,000 Indian rupees to correct at check-in, so type them carefully.

The operator asks passengers to arrive at the port three hours before departure. Check-in closes 45 minutes before the ferry leaves. Both ends are international border crossings, with passport control and customs.

What do you need at the border?

Arriving in Sri Lanka. Kankesanthurai is an official Sri Lankan port of entry with immigration and customs. Every foreign visitor needs a Sri Lankan Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), and that includes Indian citizens: since 25 May 2026 a 30-day tourist ETA is free for Indians and the citizens of 39 other countries, but you still have to apply for it. Apply only on the official site, eta.gov.lk, before you sail. Sri Lanka describes buying an ETA on arrival only at Colombo airport, so do not count on it at Kankesanthurai. Your passport must be valid for six months, and you should carry a return or onward ticket (as checked October 2026). Our ETA guide explains how to apply.

Sailing to India. If you are not Indian and you are sailing to India, you need an Indian visa before you travel; Sri Lankans need a visa from an Indian mission, says the operator. Whether an Indian e-Visa can be used to arrive at Nagapattinam is not clear: as checked October 2026, the official e-Visa website lists Nagapattinam among its immigration check posts, but its own answers name only 19 seaports for arrival, and Nagapattinam is not one of them. Ask the Indian mission, or get a regular visa, before you book. Leaving India from Nagapattinam on an e-Visa is allowed.

What about money on arrival?

We found no official information about a bank or money-exchange counter at the Kankesanthurai ferry terminal, so do not rely on one. You may bring no more than 20,000 Sri Lankan rupees into the country. Carry US dollars, euros or pounds, or a bank card, and change money at a bank or ATM in Jaffna, about 20 km away. On 2 October 2026 one US dollar was worth about 331 Sri Lankan rupees. Indian residents may bring back up to 25,000 Indian rupees in notes when they return to India. See money in Sri Lanka.

How do you get from Kankesanthurai to Jaffna or Colombo?

Kankesanthurai is on the north coast of the Jaffna peninsula, about 20 km by road from Jaffna town: roughly half an hour by car or tuk-tuk (a routing estimate, checked October 2026). Our Jaffna guide covers what to see there.

Is there a train from Colombo to Kankesanthurai?

Trains run from Colombo to Jaffna and on to Kankesanthurai, the end of the Northern line (as checked October 2026). After Cyclone Ditwah damaged the line in November 2025, full services returned on 9 and 10 April 2026. Not every train runs every day: the early-morning Intercity runs only from Friday to Monday, the Yal Devi runs on alternate days, and a Night Mail leaves Colombo Fort at 8 pm. The Intercity express is the fastest: it leaves Colombo Fort at 5.45 am and takes about six and a half hours to Kankesanthurai. The Yal Devi takes about eight hours.

Trains run the other way too, from Kankesanthurai through Jaffna to Colombo Fort, on the same pattern of days. In the May 2026 timetable the Yal Devi left Kankesanthurai at 10.30 am. Times and days have changed several times in 2026, so search your date on the official booking site, seatreservation.railway.gov.lk, which lists the trains that have seats on sale. Our guide to Sri Lankan train tickets explains how to book.

How much is the train from Colombo to Kankesanthurai?

Sri Lanka Railways' published fares from Colombo Fort to Kankesanthurai, still from tables dated August 2022 when checked in October 2026:

• Intercity, reserved: 3,200 rupees in first class, 2,500 in second, 1,800 in third.
• Other day trains, reserved: 2,800, 1,900 and 1,600 rupees.
• Night Mail: an air-conditioned first-class seat is 3,200 rupees and a first-class sleeping berth 4,950 rupees.
• Unreserved: 1,200 rupees in second class and 600 rupees in third on ordinary trains; on the Intercity, 1,600 and 1,300 rupees.

Booking online adds 5%. Foreign visitors pay the same fares as Sri Lankans.

Is there another ferry between India and Sri Lanka?

There is no second ferry route yet. A short crossing from Rameswaram to Talaimannar, on Mannar island, was announced for July 2025, but as checked October 2026 we found no report that it has started. Nagapattinam to Kankesanthurai is the only passenger ferry between India and Sri Lanka.

A passenger ferry between India and Sri Lanka returned on 14 October 2023, when India's Prime Minister opened the Nagapattinam to Kankesanthurai service by video. It was the first such service in about four decades, but that first ferry stopped within days. The current service began on 16 August 2024.

Questions people ask

Is there a ferry from India to Sri Lanka?

Yes. A passenger ferry sails between Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu and Kankesanthurai, near Jaffna, and was running as checked on 5 October 2026. It stops every year for the north-east monsoon, roughly from late October or November to March.

How long is the Nagapattinam to Kankesanthurai ferry?

The crossing is about 110 km and officially takes about three and a half to four hours. Reported sailings in 2026 took four and a half to five hours, so allow four to five hours.

How much is the India–Sri Lanka ferry ticket?

The operator shows the price only when you search a date on sailsubham.com. The most recent figure we found, reported in March 2026, was 28,500 Sri Lankan rupees for a return ticket.

Do Indians need a visa for the ferry to Sri Lanka?

Indian citizens need a Sri Lankan ETA, applied for on eta.gov.lk before they sail. Since 25 May 2026 the 30-day tourist ETA is free for Indians, but you still have to apply.

Is there a train from Colombo to Kankesanthurai?

Yes. Trains run from Colombo Fort through Jaffna to Kankesanthurai, the end of the Northern line. The Intercity leaves Colombo Fort at 5.45 am, runs Friday to Monday, and takes about six and a half hours (as checked October 2026).