For most travellers, entering Sri Lanka is quick, but it does take one step before you leave home. The country runs an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme, an online approval tied to your passport that you must arrange in advance. The rules have shifted more than once recently, including a welcome move to make the tourist ETA free for many nationalities, so it pays to check the current position on the official site before you book.
How the ETA works
The ETA is not a full visa but an official pre-approval to travel. You complete a short form online, passport details, travel dates, an address in Sri Lanka, and, once approved, an authorisation is linked electronically to your passport. There is no sticker or stamp to collect in advance; on arrival at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport, immigration officers see your approval on their system and stamp you in.
The tourist ETA covers holidays, sightseeing, visiting family and friends, and other leisure travel. It permits a stay of 30 days with double entry, meaning you can leave the country and return once within that window, useful if you are pairing Sri Lanka with the Maldives or southern India. A separate short business ETA exists for meetings and conferences, but neither type allows you to take up paid work.
The free ETA scheme and who pays
The headline change for 2026 is cost. From 25 May 2026, the Sri Lankan government made the 30-day tourist ETA free of charge for citizens of roughly 40 countries, a list that includes the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, most of the European Union, India, China, Japan, South Korea and the Gulf states. Travellers from these countries still have to apply for and receive an ETA, free does not mean automatic, but pay nothing for it.
Everyone else pays a processing fee, which has historically been around US$50 for the tourist ETA. Because both the fee and the free-nationality list have been revised repeatedly, treat these figures as a guide and confirm the exact amount for your passport on the official portal when you apply.
| Traveller | Tourist ETA fee | Stay |
|---|---|---|
| Listed free nationalities (from 25 May 2026) | None | 30 days, double entry |
| Other nationalities | ≈ US$50 (check current) | 30 days, double entry |
| Fully visa-exempt passports | None, no ETA | Varies |
No more visa on arrival
Sri Lanka previously let visitors buy an ETA at the airport on arrival, at a higher price. That option was withdrawn on 15 October 2025. You now have to apply online and be approved before you fly, and airlines can deny boarding to passengers who arrive at the gate without one. Approvals are often issued within a day, and sometimes within hours, but this is not guaranteed, so apply at least a few days ahead rather than the night before, and carry a printed or saved copy of your approval with your passport.
Passport rules and what to have ready
Your passport must be valid for at least six months from your date of arrival and have a blank page for the entry stamp. Beyond the passport and ETA itself, Sri Lankan immigration can ask arriving visitors for a few standard things, so it is worth having them to hand:
- Proof of onward or return travel, a ticket out of the country within your permitted stay
- An address in Sri Lanka, your first hotel or guesthouse booking is fine
- Sufficient funds for the length of your visit
These checks are routine rather than onerous, and most visitors clear immigration without being asked for more than their passport. Having the details ready simply keeps arrival smooth after a long flight.
Staying longer than 30 days
If 30 days is not enough, the tourist ETA can be extended in the country through the Department of Immigration and Emigration, whose head office is in Battaramulla, on the edge of Colombo, with an online eServices option. Extensions are granted in stages and can, in total, add up to a stay of several months for genuine tourists. The key rule is to apply before your current permission expires rather than overstaying, which can lead to fines and complications on departure.
The tourist and business ETAs do not cover living, working or studying in Sri Lanka. Those require the appropriate residence or employment visa, arranged with the Department of Immigration and Emigration in advance. For anything beyond a holiday, contact them directly and start early.
Before you go
Because the visa rules here have changed several times in a short span, the free scheme, the end of visa on arrival, revised fees, the single most useful habit is to check eta.gov.lk close to your trip and rely on your own government’s travel advice for your nationality. With that one online step sorted, you can turn to the enjoyable planning. See our getting to Sri Lanka guide for airports and routes, getting around for trains and transfers, and best time to visit to settle your dates.