Sri Lanka ETA and visa: what you need before you fly

Every foreign visitor to Sri Lanka needs an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), applied for online at eta.gov.lk before you fly. It lets you stay 30 days. It is free for citizens of 40 countries, including the UK, the USA and most of Western Europe, and costs US$50 for most other nationalities (checked October 2026).

Sri Lanka's visa rules have changed several times since 2024, so every figure on this page carries the date it was checked. Check eta.gov.lk again a week before you travel.

Who needs an ETA for Sri Lanka?

Every foreign visitor to Sri Lanka needs an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), including visitors whose ETA is free. Get it online before you fly. A visa on arrival still exists at Colombo airport, but it costs more for most nationalities and the Department calls it a "limited facility", so do not plan on it (checked October 2026).

How do you apply for a Sri Lanka ETA?

Apply on the official website, www.eta.gov.lk, which is run by Sri Lanka's Department of Immigration and Emigration. Pay by Visa, Mastercard or American Express.

Many other websites look official but are private agents. They send the same application and charge you an extra fee. The Department advises visitors to pay only through the official ETA website. Keep a copy of your ETA approval to show on arrival (checked October 2026).

Check every detail before you pay. The ETA fee is not refundable, and if you make a mistake you must apply and pay again. You cannot apply for a new ETA while you are in Sri Lanka.

Processing time. The official ETA website does not publish a processing time for online applications. Apply at least a week before you fly, so there is time to deal with a problem. If an application is not approved, the website sends a "referral notice" and you must contact a Sri Lankan embassy or the Department of Immigration.

Checking your status. You can check your ETA status on eta.gov.lk with your reference number, or call the 24-hour ETA call centre on +94 71 99 67 888. The Department of Immigration's general hotline in Sri Lanka is 1962.

How much does a Sri Lanka ETA cost?

As checked in October 2026:

• Most nationalities: a 30-day double-entry tourist ETA costs US$50.
• South Asian (SAARC) nationals: US$20.
• Visa on arrival: US$60, or US$25 for SAARC nationals.
• Children under 12: free.
• Citizens of 40 countries: free (see below).

Fees change, so check eta.gov.lk before you apply.

Which 40 countries get a free ETA?

Since 25 May 2026, citizens of 40 countries get a free 30-day tourist ETA: Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, United Kingdom and United States.

Singapore and Seychelles citizens also get 30 days free, and Maldives citizens 90 days, under reciprocal agreements.

You still have to apply for the ETA before you travel. "Free" means no fee, not no application. No end date has been published. Check eta.gov.lk before you book (checked October 2026).

Children of any nationality under 12 get a free tourist ETA for up to 30 days. They still need their own ETA, and if they stay longer than 30 days the normal extension fee applies.

How long is a Sri Lanka ETA valid?

A tourist ETA lets you stay 30 days from the day you arrive. It allows two entries within those 30 days: if you leave and come back, you only get the days that are left.

Use it soon after it is issued. One official page says you must enter within three months of issue, and another says the ETA is valid for six months, so plan to arrive within three months.

At the border: passport, ticket and arrival card

Your passport must be valid for at least six months after the date you arrive.

At the border you may also be asked for a confirmed return or onward ticket and proof that you have enough money for your stay. You do not need a ticket to apply for the ETA.

Foreign visitors fill in a paper arrival card, called a Disembarkation Card, and hand it to the immigration officer at the airport. Have the address of your first night's stay ready for it. You can buy a SIM card at the airport after customs; see getting a SIM in Sri Lanka. An online version was announced in 2023, but its official link did not work when checked in October 2026. Do not pay a website for an arrival card: no official fee exists. Arriving by ferry from India? See the India–Sri Lanka ferry.

Yellow fever. You need a yellow fever vaccination certificate only if you are arriving from a country with yellow fever risk, mainly in tropical Africa and South America. Travellers from those countries who cannot show a certificate are not allowed to enter. Visitors coming from Europe, North America, Australia or most of Asia do not need one.

Can you get a visa on arrival in Sri Lanka?

A visa on arrival is still available at Bandaranaike International Airport, but the Department calls it a "limited facility". It costs US$60, or US$25 for South Asian nationals, payable in US dollars cash or by card. Children under 12 are free. It is not clear whether the 40 free-scheme countries also get it free on arrival, so apply online before you fly.

How do you extend a tourist visa in Sri Lanka?

To stay longer than 30 days, apply for an extension before your visa runs out. You can apply online through the Department of Immigration's e-Visa Extension portal (eservices.immigration.gov.lk), or in person at the Department's head office in Battaramulla, near Colombo.

Extensions are paid, even if your ETA was free. As checked in October 2026, extending to 90 days costs US$100 for citizens of the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and most of Western Europe, and US$60 for most other nationalities. A tourist visit can be extended up to 270 days in total. Extending cancels your second entry, and an extension ends when you leave the country.

If you plan to extend your stay, your stay must end at least two months before your passport expires.

What happens if you overstay?

If you leave within 7 days after your visa expires, you pay the visa fee for the extra days at the airport. After 7 days there is a US$250 penalty on top of the visa fee, and after 14 days the penalty is US$500. Overstaying can also lead to detention, deportation and a ban on returning (checked October 2026).

Do you need an ETA for a stopover?

If you leave the airport during a stopover, you need a transit ETA. It is free for up to 2 days, and you must show your onward ticket. It cannot be extended. If you stay airside and your connecting flight leaves within 24 hours, the UK government says no visa is needed, but check with your airline.

Can you do business on a tourist ETA?

A tourist ETA is for holidays, visiting family and friends, medical or Ayurveda treatment and sports events. Business meetings, conferences, training and work are not allowed on it.

For a business visit, apply for a business ETA: it costs US$55 (US$30 for South Asian nationals) and is not part of the free scheme. You must show proof of your business purpose. Journalists, and people working with NGOs or political groups, need a different visa with government approval.

Citizens of a few countries cannot get an ETA online in the usual way. Visitors from Cameroon, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Afghanistan, Syria, Kosovo and Taiwan must apply through a Sri Lankan sponsor at the Department of Immigration in Battaramulla (checked October 2026).

Why do older guides give different visa rules?

In April 2024 Sri Lanka moved its online visa service to a private group of companies, IVS-GBS and VFS Global, and visitors faced higher charges and a harder process. After eight legal challenges, Sri Lanka's Supreme Court suspended the arrangement on 2 August 2024, and the new website was shut that evening. A new government restored the earlier official system, eta.gov.lk, from midnight on 26 September 2024.

If you read about a "Sri Lanka e-visa" from 2024, it may describe this period, not today's rules. Some official pages have not caught up either. Trust the current notice on the eta.gov.lk home page over older pages.

Before you fly to Sri Lanka

• ETA applied for on eta.gov.lk, at least a week before you fly, even if it is free.
• Every detail checked before you pay; the fee is not refundable.
• A plan to arrive within three months of the ETA being issued.
• A copy of the ETA approval, on paper or on your phone.
• Passport valid for at least six months after arrival.
• A return or onward ticket, and proof of funds.
• The address of your first night's stay, for the arrival card.
• An extension planned, and paid for, if you will stay longer than 30 days.
• eta.gov.lk checked again a week before travel (rules as checked October 2026).

Questions people ask

Do I need an ETA if my country is on the free list?

Yes. Citizens of the 40 free-scheme countries still have to apply for the ETA before they travel; "free" means no fee, not no application (checked October 2026).

How much is the Sri Lanka ETA?

As checked in October 2026, a 30-day double-entry tourist ETA costs US$50 for most nationalities and US$20 for South Asian (SAARC) nationals. Citizens of 40 countries pay nothing, and children under 12 get a free tourist ETA.

How long does a Sri Lanka ETA take?

The official ETA website does not publish a processing time for online applications. Apply at least a week before you fly.

Can I get a visa on arrival instead?

A visa on arrival still exists at Bandaranaike International Airport, but the Department calls it a "limited facility" and it costs more: US$60, or US$25 for South Asian nationals (checked October 2026). Apply online before you fly.

Can I extend my 30 days?

Yes, for a fee, even if your ETA was free. Apply online through the Department of Immigration's e-Visa Extension portal or at its head office in Battaramulla, before your visa runs out.

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Coming soon: Sri Lanka Before You Land, our pre-trip ebook, explains what to sort out before you board, from the ETA to the route. A free guide, Your First Week in Sri Lanka, will cover the first days on the ground.