Entering Sri Lanka is only permitted with a valid visa. For tourist travel, you can apply for the Sri Lanka visa online. To be eligible for this online visa, you have to meet all the requirements mentioned on this page.
Apply for the Sri Lanka visa nowRequirements of the e-visa or ETA Sri Lanka
The information on this page relates to the electronic visa (e-visa) for Sri Lanka, which can be applied for online. This travel authorisation used to be known as the ETA. Because of the simple application procedure and relatively low costs, it is the most popular visa type for Sri Lanka. Those who do not meet all the requirements mentioned on this page can often still travel to the country. In that case, another visa has to be applied for at the embassy.
Prepare your trip to Sri Lanka well
Nationality and passport
The first requirement of the Sri Lanka visa concerns the nationality of the traveller. Do you have the nationality of a country in the European Union, such as Ireland? In that case, you meet these requirements and are thus eligible for the Sri Lanka visa. This is also the case if you have the nationality of the United Kingdom, Switzerland or a country in North or South America. Do you have a different nationality? Check this page to see if you are still eligible with your nationality. If this is not the case, you can see here how you can obtain a travel authorisation in your situation.
To be able to travel to Sri Lanka, you must also have a passport that is valid for six more months upon arrival in the country. The passport you travel with must be the same one you used for the visa application. Is your passport not valid for long enough? In that case, first apply for a new passport before submitting your visa application. Children and babies also require their own passports and visas. For the visa application, a standard passport, an emergency passport or a German childrenʼs passport can be used.
Profession
In the application, the profession of each traveller must be filled in. Are you a diplomat, journalist, professional photographer or media producer? In that case, you cannot apply for your visa online, even if you are only travelling to Sri Lanka for a holiday. It does not matter what you are going to do in Sri Lanka. If you have one of these professions, you need to make an appointment at a consulate or embassy to apply for a special visa type.
Travel purpose
The e-visa for Sri Lanka may only be used for tourism. Tourism includes the following activities:
- Recreational activities, such as visiting sights, museums or beaches
- Participating in sports, music or other types of events
- Visiting family/friends
- Participating in yoga classes
- Medical procedures
You do not need a visa for a short transit of up to 48 hours in Sri Lanka.
It is not allowed to enter into employment with an organisation in Sri Lanka with an e-visa; this includes volunteer work. It is also not allowed to engage in journalistic or political activities with the e-visa or to make professional recordings (photo or video). Attending conferences or meetings around these subjects is also not allowed. Special visas must be obtained for all these activities.
I meet all the requirements and want to apply for the visa
Documents you need to show upon arrival in Sri Lanka
The immigration service checks all travellers who enter Sri Lanka. Upon arrival, you need to be able to hand over a valid passport and a visa or ETA. Furthermore, you are required to have booked a ticket for the return or onward journey from Sri Lanka. The immigration service can ask for a booking confirmation. Finally, you must be able to show you have sufficient financial resources to be able to finance your entire stay in Sri Lanka. You can do so, for example, by showing a recent bank statement or with your bank app. Make sure you keep all these documents in your carry-on luggage so you can always show them immediately, and you can start your holiday or business trip without any problems.
Do you not meet all the requirements?
Only travellers who meet all the mentioned requirements are eligible to apply for the online electronic visa for Sri Lanka. Those who do not meet the requirements have to apply for a different type of visa. Do you have doubts whether you meet all the requirements, or do you have other questions? In that case, check the frequently asked questions page.
e-Visa.ie is a commercial and professional visa agency, and supports travellers in obtaining, among others, the Sri Lanka visa. e-Visa.ie is an official partner of the International Air Transport Association, IATA, with membership number 57231226, acts as an intermediary, is no law firm, nor does it employ lawyers, does not provide legal advice, and is in no way part of any government. You can also apply for a visa directly with the immigration service (52,08 USD per visa, via eta.gov.lk). However, not with our level of support. If you submit your application via e-Visa.ie, our support centre is available to you 24/7. We also check your application before submitting it to the immigration authorities on your behalf. If we suspect any errors or omissions while doing so, we will personally contact you to ensure that your application can still be processed quickly and correctly. To use our services, you pay us 52,08 USD in consular fees, which we pay to the immigration service on your behalf, as well as € 30,56 in service fees as compensation for our services, including VAT. Our services have saved many travellers from major problems during their trip. Should an application be rejected despite our support and verification, we will refund the full purchase price (unless an application for a previous Sri Lanka visa was rejected for the same traveller). Read more about our services here.