This travel advice for a safe trip to Sri Lanka is meant for business travellers and tourists. To ensure your safety during your stay in Sri Lanka, it is wise to take a good look at this travel advice before travelling to Sri Lanka.

On this page you will find travel advice regarding the general safety and rules in Sri Lanka. For most recent updates on the coronavirus, please go to the page about coronavirus measures in Sri Lanka.

This travel advice for Sri Lanka has been carefully compiled for you, based on information found on the UK government website. Travelling to Sri Lanka is possible, but travellers should prepare themselves well. However, following all travel advice is no guarantee for a risk-free trip. Therefore no liability can be accepted in case of injury or damage resulting from the use of the information in this travel advice for Sri Lanka on this page.

Current travel advice: Most visits are trouble free, but be cautious (22-05-2023)
The economic and political state of Sri Lanka is currently unstable. There are shortages of fuel, gas, nutrition and medicine due to a shortage of currency to import these necessary goods. As a result, people demonstrate and strike every so often. Always avoid demonstrations immediately, or avoid getting caught up in a demonstration by avoiding crowded places and large crowds. Keep an eye on the local news to avoid risky situations as much as possible.

Sri Lanka is hoping for a lot of tourists to boost its economy. The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority has therefore ensured that tourist organisations can use the petrol and diesel distribution systems. In addition, most hotels and resorts have enough food and groceries in stock to provide travellers in Sri Lanka with a trouble-free stay.

Preparations

Sri Lanka is hoping to welcome as many tourists as possible to get the country’s economy going again. It is important for tourists to prepare well for their trip to Sri Lanka in terms of security and travel documents. The following information has been carefully compiled to give you the best possible idea of the necessary preparations, such as applying for a Sri Lanka visa on time.

Travel documents and insurance

Sri Lanka visa

Tourists and business travellers need a visa for Sri Lanka. Travellers with a European, UK, or Irish passport can easily apply for an ETA Sri Lanka online. With this electronic travel permit, they are allowed to travel to Sri Lanka once for a maximum stay of 30 days. After arriving in Sri Lanka, the visa can be extended to up to 90 days, one time. To apply for the visa, you do not yet need to have booked a flight. However, once you arrive in Sri Lanka, you need to be able to show a ticket for your return flight or transit flight, and be able to prove that you have sufficient financial resources to pay for your stay in Sri Lanka.

If you have a different travel purpose other than tourism, you should check the Sri Lanka visa requirements.

Passport and driving licence

To be able to apply for the visa or ETA Sri Lanka, you need a passport that is valid for at least 6 months after your arrival date in Sri Lanka. Adults and (minor) children each need their own passport, to which the visa can be linked. If your passport does not meet the requirements, you need to apply for a new passport. If you intend to drive a car in Sri Lanka, you need to have an International Driving Permit (IDP). This must be obtained before travel. Once in Sri Lanka, this is no longer possible.

Travel insurance

Good travel insurance is essential for a trip to Sri Lanka. Make sure that all your planned activities are covered by the insurance and that the travel insurance covers your entire stay. Please note that some continuous travel insurance plans only cover a certain number of days of stay abroad, which might have already been used during previous trips in the respective calendar year. The insurance plans for which this applies are not explained in this travel advisory, so please contact your insurance company.

Health advice

This travel advisory is not written by a doctor. Always consult your general practitioner or a specialized doctor for personal advice on vaccinations and potential health risks in Sri Lanka.

Vaccinations

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises you to get a number of specific vaccinations before travelling to Sri Lanka. This may not apply for those who have already been vaccinated sufficiently in the past and all the required vaccines are still working. These are vaccinations for yellow fever, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, DTP, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, rabies, Japanese encephalitis and measles. Sometimes it is not necessary to take all these vaccinations. The necessity depends, among other things, on the duration of your stay, the areas you will be visiting on the island, the type of activities you will be undertaking and your medical history.

Protection against mosquitos

Sri Lanka is home to mosquitoes that can transmit diseases, including Zika, chikungunya and dengue fever. Therefore, you should ensure that you have adequate protection against mosquito bites. This can be done by wearing long trousers and sleeves, or by regularly applying insect-repellents. ntry.

Medication

Due to the current medicine shortages in Sri Lanka, travellers must bring their own medications with them. This also goes for medicine that is easily purchased in the UK or Ireland. You could have to stay in Sri Lanka longer than foreseen (for example due to delays or strikes), so be sure to bring sufficient medication. If you use prescription medicine that is prohibited in other countries (like sleeping pills and some strong painkillers), or you are unsure about the legality, please check whether you can take them with you or whether you need a special declaration.

Download the My Travel Health (USA) or the KnowAsYouGo (UK) app. These applications contain advice on travelling abroad regarding health and safety. You can consult these apps in cases of unexpected diarrhoea, bite wounds, heatstrokes, or other diseases.

Stay in contact

It is important that the people at home know about your travel plans. Make sure they know how to reach you, even if you buy a temporary SIM card in Sri Lanka, for example. Make sure that both the people back home and yourself have copies of your insurance and credit card details, vaccination certificates and travel documents. Put the emergency contact in the UK or Ireland under ICE (In Case of Emergency) in your contacts, so that emergency services always know how to reach it. It is also useful if they have the IMEI number of your mobile phone. You can find out this number by dialling *#06# on your phone, after which the details will appear on the screen.

You can no longer register your trip to Sri Lanka with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. Instead, you are advised to carefully read the FCDO foreign travel check list and the crisis overseas page prior to your trip. Should you have any questions that cannot be answered on those pages, you can fill out an inquiry on the UK government website. However, keep in mind that the advice given is only general in nature and cannot be tailored to your specific trip. It is recommended to write down the contact information of the British High Commission, the British Consulate General, or the Irish Embassy in case of any emergencies.

General advice for Sri Lanka

In order to eliminate as many risks as possible during your trip, it is important to carefully follow the safety advisories. Never ignore instructions from local authorities or from your place of residence. Ignoring this advice can lead to serious consequences.

Safety and protection

• Carry your wallet on your body in your pockets, not in a loose bag. Never lose sight of your belongings, not even for a second. Especially in trains, stations or other crowded places, theft is common with tourists. Do not struggle if you are robbed. Do not wear flashy jewellery or other unnecessary accessories. Report any theft to the local police immediately.
• Do not attend demonstrations or other gatherings that are politically sensitive. Follow the local news to be aware of any demonstrations or possible attacks.
• Always keep a close eye on your important (travel) documents and keep a copy of all important (travel) documents outside your hand luggage and digitally on your phone. Store anything you do not immediately need in a safe place.
• Pay with cash as much as possible, and only withdraw money from ATMs at banks or large hotels to prevent credit card fraud.
• Stay away from drugs. Dealing or possessing drugs is punished much more severely than in Europe. It can even be punishable by death.
• On some beaches, there is a risk of dangerous currents running into the sea. You should therefore follow local advisories about swimming in the sea to avoid drowning.
• Take all landmine warnings seriously. Especially near military bases and in the north and east of the country. Always stay on the marked paths and roads.

Additional advice for women

• Never travel alone in public transport, taxi, or by rickshaw. Especially not after sunset. If you must travel alone, use trusted drivers, such as those at hotels. In general, avoid remote and poorly lit places.
• Keep your travel information to yourself and do not share it with strangers. Always lock the door properly, both when going in and out.
• Only go to massage parlours with a good reputation. Find out more from trusted information points such as your hotel.

Laws and cultural points of interest

• Obey local rules and laws and respect their norms and values. For example, you could be fined for smoking in a place where it is prohibited.
• It is not allowed to cover your face with clothing or anything similar since the terrorist attack in June 2019 that killed 250 people. If you are suspected of having a terrorist motive, you will be detained in Sri Lanka.
• By law, everyone must be able to identify themselves at all times. For foreigners, only a passport is valid proof of identity. Without valid identification, you may be detained.
• In general, there are no strict rules for informal clothing. However, it is wise for women to dress appropriately. When entering a Buddhist temple, legs and shoulders should be covered, shoes taken off, and headgear removed. Sunbathing naked or topless is prohibited.
• All Buddhist statues and artefacts should be treated with respect. In the past, tourists have been convicted of mistreating them. Buddha tattoos are also not allowed and must be covered. Tourists were once banned from entering Sri Lanka because of such a tattoo. Posing for a picture with a Buddha statue is also not allowed.
• Do not photograph soldiers or government buildings.
• Homosexuality is punishable in Sri Lanka, please take this into account.

Natural hazard

In the south and southwest of Sri Lanka, the monsoons last from June to August. In the northeast, the wet season is from October to February. During these periods, flooding may occur. It is therefore recommended to be extra alert during these periods in these areas to local reports on possible safety risks. Also ask your accommodation providers about the risks. Always follow the instructions of the authorities

In case of emergency

Should you find yourself in a crisis, take the following actions. First contact the local authorities. The general emergency number is not always answered, so make sure you have the following phone numbers at the ready.

Important phone numbers

If the local authorities cannot solve the problem, immediately let a family member, friend or acquaintance at home know where you are and what your situation is. You can also call for help via the emergency line of your travel insurance. In case of an emergency, you can also contact the UK embassy in Sri Lanka 24 hours a day. The office of the British High Commission is at Colombo 7 in Colombo.

Disclaimer: This travel advisory for Sri Lanka is composed with care, nevertheless, e-Visa.co.uk accepts no liability for any problems, damage or injury resulting from the use of this information. Travellers should always be alert during their trip in Sri Lanka. Travellers are responsible for their own safety during their trip and stay in Sri Lanka, as well as for the choice of whether or not to make a certain trip. Before travelling to Sri Lanka, it is advisable to consult the latest safety updates of the British government (www.gov.uk) or consult the British Embassy in Sri Lanka and / or information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.