Those travelling to Sri Lanka need a Sri Lanka visa to do so. This applies to almost all travellers. An ETA application can be done in fifteen minutes, and a single application form can be used to apply for a visa for multiple people at once.
If you are travelling to Sri Lanka, odds are you have a stopover in India. For this, you also need an Indian visa. In short: if you want to travel to Sri Lanka, you should get up to speed on the visa rules.
To Sri Lanka
If you want to go to Sri Lanka, you need to apply for an ETA Sri Lanka. ETA is an abbreviation and stands for Electronic Travel Authorisation. This is an online travel permit issued by the government of Sri Lanka to enter the country. This permit can be applied for up to 90 days before departure. An ETA can be both single or double entry, meaning you can either enter and leave the country once, or several times on a single ETA.
Generally, application for an ETA Sri lanka are processed within two days. Those already travelling to Sri Lanka tomorrow can submit an urgent application. However, this also doesn’t offer a guarantee that the ETA will actually arrive on time. The application takes about five minutes and costs £79.95 per person.
To apply for a Sri Lanka visa, applicants need to possess a valid passport. This also applies to children travelling alone. This means that children and babies need to possess their own passport as well as their own ETA Sri Lanka.
On transit through India
Most travellers going to Sri Lanka wont arrive via a direct flight. In most cases, a stopover is required somewhere along the way. Oftentimes, this is India. This means that airline X will transport the traveller to India, while airport Y will take the traveller from India to Sri Lanka.
In most cases, this means a transfer in India. Like Sri Lanka, India has strict visa rules. Even when simply transferring to another plane in India, you still need to possess an Indian visa. On arrival at the airport in India you will be checked for your passport and a valid visa. Always keep the passport and the visa at hand.
If you don’t have an Indian visa, this can lead to unwelcome surprises. When applying for a Sri Lanka visa, it is thus prudent to also apply for an Indian visa, including for any children travelling alone.
Indian visa application
Like the Sri Lanka visa, an Indian visa can be easily applied for online. This can be done through this website. Like the ETA, a number of requirements apply. Because an application for an Indian visa can be done entirely online, this means that you won’t need to take your passport to a desk.
There are different types of Indian visas, namely: the eTourist Indian visa, the eMedical Indian visa and the eBusiness Indian visa. If you are continuing on to Sri Lanka, it’s best to apply for an eTourist Indian visa.
To submit this application, a passport is required that is valid for at least six more months from the moment you arrive in India to transfer on to your flight to Sri Lanka. The Indian visa is mandatory for all transits, but also offers you the possibility to visit other parts of the country. This means that the traveller can leave the airport and stay at a hotel in India, for instance if the flight to Sri Lanka is the next day.
For the application, the applicant must scan a clear scan or photo of the passport and a recent passport photo. There are different entry locations where you can arrive. Take good note of the entry locations for India if you are continuing on to Sri Lanka. Generally, airlines will plan the trip in such a way that you arrive at an airport that falls under the entry locations requirement. For business visas you need a business card from the company in India. That’s why we recommend travellers going to Sri Lanka on a business trip to still apply for an eTourist Indian visa.
Apply for Indian visa
Urgent applications India and Sri Lanka
If you are travelling to Sri Lanka, you will likely also need an Indian visa. Plan your trip well in advance. First apply for the Indian visa and then the ETA Sri Lanka. If you find out a few days before departure that you are missing a visa, you can submit an urgent application. The urgent application is already approved the next day in 90% of the cases.
Please note: this news article about the visa for Sri Lanka is more than one year old. It might contain outdated information and advice, and no rights can therefore be derived from this article. Are you going on a trip soon and do you wish to do know what rules currently apply? Read all about the up-to-date information about the visa for Sri Lanka.