All you need to know about Sri Lanka visa

Do I need a visa or ETA and if so, which type should I apply for? If you are travelling to Sri Lanka for holiday or business, you will always need a visa. Children are also required to have their own visa to enter the country. The only exception to the visa requirement is for residents of Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Singapore, and the Seychelles.

Tourists and business travellers staying in Sri Lanka for up to 30 days can use a simple visa that can be applied for online. This visa type is also known as the Electronic Travel Authorization or the 'ETA'. It allows you to travel to Sri Lanka for a holiday, cruise, family visit, business trip, conference, or transfer.

Do you want to stay in Sri Lanka longer than 30 days? You can schedule an appointment at the Embassy of Sri Lanka to apply for a physical Sri Lanka visa with a longer authorized stay. Another option is to apply online for a visa that allows you to stay in Sri Lanka for 30 days. During your stay, you can extend the authorized length of stay from 30 to a maximum of 270 days. You can do that at the Immigration Services Centre (330 Galle Road, Colombo 00300, Sri Lanka, +94-727-591-591).

Sri Lanka visa requirements

Please read the following visa rules and regulations carefully before applying for your visa (ETA) online:

• You can apply for your visa even before your trip is booked. After being granted, you can to travel to Sri Lanka 90 days before or after the date filled in the application form (information about the validity period).
• You are allowed to stay in Sri Lanka for 30 days. In between, you may leave the country once and re-enter with the same visa. The second exit date must then be within 30 days of the first entry date.
• Your passport must still be valid for at least 6 months on the day of arrival in Sri Lanka. Please note that this must be the same passport you used for your visa application.
• Upon arrival, you must be able to show a booking confirmation of your return trip or transit to another country. This will prove your intention to leave Sri Lanka again within 30 days.
• Immigration officials may randomly ask you to prove that you have sufficient financial resources to pay for your trip. Make sure you can show your bank balance digitally.
• Are you a diplomat, journalist, professional photographer or media producer? Then you cannot apply for your visa online. You must apply for a special visa at the Embassy of Sri Lanka in that case. Even if you are only travelling for tourism.
• When you travel using the online ETA, you are not allowed to engage in journalistic or political activities. Taking professional photos or videos is also not allowed. Attending conferences is allowed, but not if they are journalistic or political conferences.

Getting started with your visa application

Do you meet the visa requirements listed above? Then you can apply for your Sri Lanka visa using the online application form on this website. You only need to have your passport at hand.

On the application form, you must indicate whether you are travelling for business or tourism. You will automatically receive the visa that works for your specific travel. It usually takes no longer than 15 minutes to fill out. You can also submit a group application. This way you can apply for all visas for your entire travel group at the same time. You do this simply by clicking on "Add a traveller" at the bottom of the form. Read more tips on filling out the application form.

Cost of the Sri Lanka visa

After completing the application form, you can pay for the Sri Lanka visa. The tourist visa costs € 79,95 per person, consisting of consular fees, service fees and taxes. Business visas are subject to a surcharge of € 10,00. Once your payment is received, your application will be checked for common entry errors. Once everything is in order, your application will be submitted to the Immigration Department in Sri Lanka for review.

Delivery time and express delivery

On average, the Sri Lanka visa is granted after around 4 days. You will then receive an email, allowing you to view and download your visa. Will you be travelling within a week? Then please indicate on the application form that you would like an express delivery. There is a surcharge of € 17,50 per person. Urgent requests are on average approved after approximately 30 minutes. Please note, this is also an average and emphatically not a maximum delivery time.

Apply for your Sri Lanka visa directly

You can apply for your Sri Lanka visa right now. Do you still have questions? Please read the frequently asked questions and answers.