All you need to know about Sri Lanka visa

Do I need a visa for Sri Lanka, and what visa type do I need? If you are travelling to Sri Lanka for a holiday, 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 applies to residents of Sri Lanka, Czech Republic, the Maldives, Singapore, and the Seychelles.

Tourists staying in Sri Lanka for up to 30 days can use a simple visa that you can apply for online. This e-visa used to be known as the Electronic Travel Authorization or the 'ETA'. It allows you to travel to Sri Lanka for a holiday, cruise or family visit.

Do you want to stay in Sri Lanka longer than 30 days? Since April 2024, it is no longer possible to extend the allowed duration of stay at an office of the immigration service in Colombo. If you want to stay in Sri Lanka for more than 30 days, you are advised to apply for a visa with a longer validity period before departure.

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 booking your trip. After receiving the visa, you can to travel to Sri Lanka 90 days before or after the arrival date that you filled in the application form (information about the validity period).
• You are allowed to stay in Sri Lanka for 30 days. The visa allows you to enter Sri Lanka once (single-entry). This means that you are not allowed to leave the country and re-enter it again on the same visa.
• 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.
• You must be able to present a booking confirmation of your return trip or transit to another country upon arrival. 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.
• If you are a diplomat, journalist, professional photographer or media producer, you cannot apply for your visa online. You must apply for a special visa at the Embassy of Sri Lanka, even if you are only travelling as a tourist.
• 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 these are journalistic or political conferences.

Getting started with your visa application

If you meet the visa requirements listed above, you can apply for your Sri Lanka visa using the online application form on this website. You only need to have your passport and a digital passport photo at hand.

It usually takes no longer than 15 minutes to fill in the application form. 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 traveller' at the bottom of the form. Read more tips on filling in 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. 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 urgent delivery

On average, the Sri Lanka visa is granted within 4 days. You will receive an email, allowing you to view and download your visa. If you will be travelling within 6 days, you will only be able to submit your application through e-Visa.co.uk if you select 'urgent applicaton'. A surcharge of £17.50 per person applies for this service. Urgent applications are approved within 30 minutes on average. Please note, this is an average delivery time and not a maximum delivery time.

Apply for your Sri Lanka visa directly

You can apply for your Sri Lanka visa right now. If you still have questions, please read the frequently asked questions and answers.