News report | | 01/06/2026 | ±2 minutes reading time

For several years now, it has been announced that Sri Lanka will offer a free ETA to travellers from certain countries. The new regulations came into force on 25 May, meaning that consular fees are no longer charged for the Sri Lankan ETA.

The abolition of consular fees by the ETA in Sri Lanka

On 19 May 2026, the Sri Lankan Immigration Service issued a statement announcing that, with effect from 25 May, Sri Lankan consular fees would be abolished. Embassies and consulates must now inform travellers of this change.

Which countries are eligible for a free ETA?

Travellers from the following countries can apply for a free ETA:

Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States

The free ETA

Travellers holding an ordinary passport from any of the countries listed may apply for a free ETA via the Sri Lankan Immigration Service website. European travellers still require a valid ETA or visa to travel to Sri Lanka. All other rules regarding the ETA remain unchanged. The maximum permitted stay The ETA for Sri Lanka is valid for 30 days, within a validity period of 180 days. During their stay, travellers may leave Sri Lanka and return to the island once.

A measure to support Sri Lanka’s economy

With this policy change, the Sri Lankan government aims to make the country more attractive to foreign tourists. The aim is to generate more revenue for the country’s commercial sector. Although this will result in a loss of revenue for the government from ETA travel authorisations, it is expected to be offset by an increase in tax revenue.

The war between the United States and Israel against Iran is having serious consequences for tourism in Sri Lanka. Due to rising airfares and flight cancellations, fewer tourists are visiting Sri Lanka.

Apply for your ETA via e-Visa.co.uk

Although it is possible to apply for the Sri Lanka ETA free of charge via the Sri Lanka Immigration Service website, many travellers choose to apply through a visa agency. In e-Visa.co.uk you can make use of a a simple application form. You will also find helpful instructions for each field to be completed, and you can contact customer service at any time if you have any questions.

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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 £41.24 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.