Sri Lanka Visa

Sri Lanka — Visa Overview

About Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is one of the world's most extraordinary and enchanting island destinations — a teardrop-shaped jewel in the Indian Ocean, just south of the Indian subcontinent, that has captivated travellers, traders, and explorers for over two millennia. Known throughout history as Serendib, Taprobane, and Ceylon — and today as the Wonder of Asia — Sri Lanka packs a staggering range of natural beauty, ancient civilisation, cultural richness, and wildlife into an island barely larger than the Republic of Ireland, making it one of the most rewarding and densely diverse travel destinations on the planet.

The ancient rock fortress of Sigiriya — rising dramatically from the jungle plains of the Cultural Triangle — is one of the most awe-inspiring archaeological wonders in all of Asia, its fifth-century royal palace perched atop a 200-metre granite monolith adorned with extraordinary frescoes and surrounded by landscaped water gardens that rank among the world's earliest surviving examples of urban planning. The sacred city of Anuradhapura — the ancient capital of Sri Lanka — spreads across hectares of jungle and contains some of the oldest surviving Buddhist monuments in the world — including the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, the oldest documented tree on earth. The cave temples of Dambulla — Polonnaruwa's ancient ruins — and the sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic in the hill city of Kandy complete the extraordinary Cultural Triangle that forms the historical heart of the island.

Sri Lanka's coastline stretches over 1,340 kilometres — from the golden surf beaches of the south and southwest — Unawatuna, Mirissa, Weligama, Arugam Bay — to the serene lagoon landscapes of the north and east. Mirissa is one of the world's finest locations for blue whale watching — the largest creatures ever to have existed on earth pass regularly through Sri Lanka's southern waters between December and April. The Yala National Park — one of the world's highest-density leopard habitats — and the elephant sanctuaries of Udawalawe and Pinnawala offer wildlife encounters of extraordinary quality. The cool hill country of Nuwara Eliya — carpeted with emerald tea estates producing the world's finest Ceylon tea — and the iconic blue train journey through the hills from Kandy to Ella — consistently voted one of the most scenic train rides on earth — represent a Sri Lanka that is utterly unlike its beach and cultural counterparts. Sri Lanka is a destination of extraordinary warmth, beauty, and depth — an island that rewards every traveller with experiences that linger long after departure.

What is a Sri Lanka ETA?

The Sri Lanka Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) is the official online entry permit issued by the Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka — applied for entirely online through the official Sri Lanka ETA portal — www.eta.gov.lk — and delivered electronically to the applicant's registered email address upon approval. The ETA is mandatory for almost all foreign nationals visiting Sri Lanka before arrival — no physical sticker is placed in the passport. The approved ETA must be printed and presented to Sri Lanka immigration officers at the airport upon arrival.

The ETA is Sri Lanka's primary entry system for short-term tourism and business visits. There is no separate eVisa category — the ETA serves as the electronic visa for all eligible nationalities.

Important — ETA Compulsory Before Travel:
The Embassy of Sri Lanka Abu Dhabi strongly advises all applicants to refrain from travelling to Sri Lanka without receiving the ETA approval notice from the Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka. ETA applications must be submitted before travel — not on arrival.

Three Entry Routes — Sri Lanka

Route 1 — Free ETA (No Fee — Online Application Required)

Effective 25 May 2026 — as per a Cabinet decision dated 30 March 2026 and Parliament approval — nationals of the following 40 countries are eligible to obtain the Sri Lanka tourist ETA free of charge for a period of 30 days:

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 · Türkiye · UAE · United Kingdom · United States of America

Additionally — nationals of Maldives · Seychelles · Singapore also receive the ETA free of charge.

UAE Nationals — Free ETA:
UAE nationals are on the 40-country free ETA list — effective 25 May 2026. The ETA is issued free of charge — valid for 30 days — double entry — applied online through www.eta.gov.lk.

KSA Nationals — Free ETA:
Saudi Arabian nationals are on the 40-country free ETA list — effective 25 May 2026. The ETA is issued free of charge — valid for 30 days — double entry.

Indian Nationals — Free ETA:
India is on the 40-country free ETA list — effective 25 May 2026. Indian nationals obtain the ETA free of charge — valid for 30 days — double entry — applied online through www.eta.gov.lk.

Route 2 — Paid ETA (Online Application)

For all other nationalities not on the 40-country free ETA list — a paid ETA must be obtained online through www.eta.gov.lk before travel:

• Standard fee: USD 35 per applicant
• SAARC countries (not on the free list): USD 20 per applicant
• Valid for 30 days — double entry
• Processing: typically within minutes to 24 hours

Route 3 — Embassy Visa (In-Person — Sri Lanka Embassy)

Applicants who are unable to apply through the ETA system may apply for a tourist visa in person through the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi or the nearest Sri Lanka diplomatic mission:

• Fee: AED 130 per applicant for other nationalities
• Fee: AED 75 for SAARC country nationals
• Children under 12 years of age: exempt from visa fee — but must still obtain a visa
• Submit at least 1 month before the intended travel date

Restricted Nationalities — Pre-Arranged Visa Required:
Visitors from Afghanistan · Cameroon · Ghana · Ivory Coast · Nigeria · Syria must obtain a pre-arranged visa before arrival or apply through a Sri Lanka sponsor through the Head Office of the Department of Immigration and Emigration — they cannot apply through the standard ETA system.

Do You Need a Sri Lanka ETA? — UAE, India & KSA

UAE Nationals — Free ETA:
UAE nationals obtain the Sri Lanka ETA free of charge — effective 25 May 2026 — applied online through www.eta.gov.lk before travel. No embassy visit required.

UAE Residents of Other Nationalities:
Determined by passport held. Nationals of countries on the 40-country free ETA list receive the ETA free. All other nationalities pay the standard ETA fee of USD 35. All must apply online through www.eta.gov.lk before travel.

KSA Nationals — Free ETA:
Saudi Arabian nationals obtain the Sri Lanka ETA free of charge — applied online through www.eta.gov.lk before travel.

KSA Residents of Other Nationalities:
Determined by passport held — Rayna Tours will advise the applicable ETA fee based on the specific passport nationality.

Indian Nationals — Free ETA:
Indian nationals obtain the Sri Lanka ETA free of charge — effective 25 May 2026 — applied online through www.eta.gov.lk before travel. No embassy visit required.

Entry Summary — Rayna's Three Markets

ETA Key Conditions

• The ETA is valid for 30 days from the date of first arrival in Sri Lanka — with double entry permitted.
• On the second entry, only the balance period of the original 30 days is granted — not a fresh 30 days.
• The ETA can be extended for up to 2 additional months (60 days) at the Department of Immigration and Emigration in Colombo — upon payment of the applicable extension fee.
• Further extensions beyond 2 months are considered only for valid and documented reasons.

Permitted Activities

• Tourism, sightseeing, beach holidays, wildlife safaris, and leisure travel
• Visiting family or friends
• Ayurvedic and wellness treatments
• Medical tourism
• Participation in cultural, music, dance, and sports events
• Business meetings and conferences — short term

Not Permitted:

• Paid employment — a work visa required
• Long-term study — a student visa required
• Any activity inconsistent with the declared purpose of visit

Important Entry Requirements

• Passport must be valid for a minimum of 6 months from the date of arrival in Sri Lanka — with at least 1 blank page for the entry stamp.
• The approved ETA must be printed and presented to Sri Lanka immigration officers at the airport upon arrival — showing it only on a mobile device is recommended as a backup only.
• Confirmed return or onward travel ticket — may be requested at immigration.
• Proof of sufficient funds for the duration of stay.
• Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate: Mandatory for travellers arriving from countries where yellow fever is endemic. Sri Lanka immigration may deny entry to travellers from endemic areas without a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate.

Processing Time

• ETA (online): Typically within minutes to 24 hours from date of submission through www.eta.gov.lk.
• Embassy Visa: Subject to Embassy workload — apply at least 1 month before travel.

General Disclaimer
All visa and entry decisions rest solely with the Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka. Rayna Tours acts as a professional visa assistance provider only. Possession of an approved ETA does not guarantee entry — final entry is at the sole discretion of Sri Lanka immigration officials at the port of entry.