Yes, most tourists need a visa to be allowed to travel to Sri Lanka.
You have two options:
🛬 Visa on arrival -VOA- 30 days tourist visa.
👩💻 Apply online before you travel -ETA-
The cost for tourist visa is USD 50 per adult, children (below 12) is free.
UPDATE 27.0924: ETA is back!
There is only 1 official web page: https://eta.gov.lk
Our video tutorial – How to apply for ETA-visa to Sri Lanka:
❤️ 21.000 people already watched and got help in the process from this video.
What countries get free visa?
A free Visa regime is implemented for nationals of China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan.
Citizens of The Republic of Singapore, The Republic of Maldives and The Republic of Seychelles are exempt from the requirement of obtaining ETA to visit Sri Lanka.
There was a proposal to grant free visa to 38 countries by October 1st, 2024. That proposal was not approved by the government in Sri Lanka.
How to apply for e-visa to Sri Lanka:
💻 On the website, you can check if your visa is approved. This typically takes just a few hours.
📧 Within 24 hours you will receive a comfirmation that your ETA is granted. – and you can print it out to show at immigration control.
(From experience, it does not necessarily need to be printed out; it is electronically linked to your passport)”
Documents to be carried upon arrival to Sri Lanka:
- Your passport with at least six months validity from the date of entry into Sri Lanka.
- A return ticket or proof of onward travel from Sri Lanka.
- Evidence of sufficient funds to cover your expenses during your stay in Sri Lanka. (Holder of a credit / visa-card is sufficient👍)
- Some arrivals from African and South-America countries need to submit yellow fever vaccination certificate.
Visa on Arrival to Sri Lanka:
You can also skip the e-visa and opt for VOA: Visa on Arrival.
The price is USD 50. Children under 12 is free of charge.
You can pay with cash, USD/ EUR.
Credit card is also an option, however – me personally would not trust that since there have been some issues with card payments, better to bring cash for peace of mind 😊
In the slow season, May-June and September-November VOA can be the easiest option.
However in the busiest time of the year, the extra line and process can be a time consuming hassle. You can avoid this by applying eVisa in advance.
Transit Visa
For short transit in the Airport, there is no need to get a visa. For up to 2 days, you can obtain the transit visa at the airport for free.
Extending your Visa to Sri Lanka:
If you wish to extend your visa after arriving Sri Lanka you can apply for an extensions. The short term visit visa may be extended maximum 3 times: first 60 days and following that 90 days 2 times.
If you want to extend your visa, you have 3 options:
- Online application: https://eservices.immigration.gov.lk/vs/home.php.
- Visit to the department of immigration in Colombo. There are several steps you have to take and waiting in between each step. Make sure you plan ahead and bring water, snacks and something to make the time pass by.
- There are third party agents that can help you with the process. These agents charge extra of course, and you have to make sure they are officially authorised.
For more information on what to do, you can contact us: travel@ateasehotel.com
Arrival Card
In addition to visa, you need to fill out the an arrival card.
It is possible to fill out the Arrival Card for Sri Lanka online, from 72 hours before you travel.
👉 Link to online Arrival card.
The next best option is to fill out the Arrival Card on your flight to Colombo. (It saves you the time and trouble in front of the Immigration Desk).
An example on how to fill out the Arrival Card for a foreigner visiting Sri Lanka for a holiday at ease:
☝️ This is an example of what it looks like.
PS: make sure you ask the flight attendant for the arrival card, if they do not give it to you. It is so much easier to fill it out while seated in your flight. Depending on the airport, the line to the immigration check point at arrival can be long and especially during the high season in December and January.
Many people do not realize that they need to fill this card out and head straight to the immigration line. When they finally make it to the immigration officer they have to go to the back of the line to fill out the card. Therefore it is very important to fill out this card before you head to the immigration line.
Technical issue when applying for E-visa:
Before you crush your computer with a hammer, read by tips for smooth application process
(updated version coming soon)
I hope these travel tips are helpful💖
Next read: Updated ENTRY RULES TO SRI LANKA.
