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News report | | 08/10/2025 | ±2 minutes reading time

Since October 15, 2025, it is mandatory to apply for a Sri Lanka visa (ETA) before departure. Applying on arrival at Colombo airport is no longer possible. You can easily apply for the ETA Sri Lanka online in just a few minutes.

Visa on Arrival for Sri Lanka

Until 15 October 2025, travellers could apply for their visa Sri Lanka upon arrival in the country. This visa was also known as the Visa on Arrival. This option was only available to travellers arriving at Colombo International Airport. Cruise passengers arriving in the country via a Sri Lankan port did not have this option. Travellers could submit their application at the special visa counter at Colombo Airport. To do so, they had to give their passport details and some information about their trip. The visa fee had to be paid in USD.

Although the visa on arrival was -until recently- still available in Sri Lanka, this option was discouraged. The reason was a limited capacity for issuing visas at Colombo airport, which often resulted in long queues at the visa counter. Applying for an ETA online before departure was recommended to avoid problems and delays on arrival. This way, travellers could be sure that their visa would be granted before their trip and that they would not have to face any unpleasant surprises during their journey.

ETA required before departure

Applying for a visa upon arrival in Sri Lanka was thus possible until recently. However, this is not the case any more. Since 15 October, all international travellers to Sri Lanka must apply for an ETA before departure. The Visa on Arrival is no longer available. Travellers from China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Russia and Thailand who are eligible for a free visa must also apply for an ETA before travelling.

With this new measure, the Sri Lankan authorities want to streamline procedures at the airport. If only electronic visas are used, border controls on arrival should become smoother and more efficient. This should contribute to an overall better experience for travellers visiting Sri Lanka. At the same time, it will enable the immigration service to screen travellers more effectively. This should improve security in the country.

Apply for your Sri Lanka ETA online

Applying for an ETA is quick and easy. Thus, it is now easier for tourists to travel to Sri Lanka. You can apply for an ETA online in just a few steps. No need to visit the Sri Lankan embassy. You simply have to fill in the online application form and pay the fee. This can be done using various secure payment methods, PayPal, credit card, Google Pay, or Apple Pay.

Your application will then processed by the Sri Lankan immigration services. You don't need to submit any documents or photographs. The ETA is generally issued within 4 days on average. You will receive a confirmation by e-mail that you can download and print. From that moment on, you will be able to travel to Sri Lanka.

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e-Visa.co.uk is a commercial and professional visa agency, and supports travellers in obtaining, among others, the Sri Lanka visa. e-Visa.co.uk 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.co.uk, 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 £41.13 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.