In recent weeks, the Sri Lankan government has been dealing with a technical malfunction that has been preventing ETAs from being issued. Travellers were therefore advised to bring proof of their application with them when travelling. The immigration service's system now appears to be operational again and visas are being issued once more.
Application procedure for the Sri Lanka visa
Most international travellers are eligible for the visa that can be applied for online. This visa is also known as the ETA Sri Lanka. You can apply for an ETA for Sri Lanka by filling in an online application form. The application procedure consists of filling in some details and paying the visa fees. No documents need to be submitted. The application is then processed by the Sri Lankan authorities. The Sri Lankan immigration service (Department of Immigration & Emigration) is the government agency in Sri Lanka responsible for approving visa applications.
Normally, the ETA is granted within 4 days of submitting the application. Often, applications are processed by the immigration service on the same day. However, due to a technical malfunction at the Sri Lankan immigration service, processing times have been considerably longer in recent weeks.
Technical malfunction at the immigration service
Due to a malfunction in the Sri Lankan government's ETA system in early February, emails were temporarily no longer being sent to travellers once their applications had been approved. This caused many problems worldwide for travellers who wanted to travel to Sri Lanka at short notice. The immigration service has decided to temporarily allow travellers to enter the country without an officially granted visa. However, they must be able to prove that they have actually applied and paid for a visa for Sri Lanka.
Temporary emergency solution for travellers
The Sri Lankan authorities have decided to accommodate travellers who wish to leave at short notice and have not yet received their visa due to the technical malfunction. They can check the status of their visa application on the immigration service's website. If the visa application has been fully submitted and paid for, the status will be listed as Pending i.e. under review. Travellers who have not yet received their visa may temporarily travel with this confirmation.
The Sri Lankan authorities have confirmed that airlines have been informed of this temporary exemption from the visa rules. Aviation staff will allow on board travellers who have applied for a visa but have not yet received it. The visa will then be issued at the counter at Colombo airport. Travellers are advised to bring a printed or digital version of the application confirmation with them on their journey, so that they can show the airline and customs staff that they have submitted an application.
Visa system operational again
The technical problems at the immigration service now seem to have been largely resolved. The authorities have been issuing visas again for several days now. However, it appears that the processing of applications is still taking considerably longer than usual. Travellers should therefore expect longer waiting times.
Are you planning a trip to Sri Lanka? Then you can easily submit your application online via this website. At e-Visa.ie you can use an application form with clear explanations, and a customer service that is available 24/7 by telephone. Once your visa has been granted, you will receive a confirmation by email that you can download and print.