Sri Lanka Visa Guide 2026
The short answer
If you hold a UK, US, EU, Australian, Canadian, Indian, Chinese or Japanese passport, the Sri Lanka tourist visa is now free. Since 25 May 2026, nationals of 40 countries pay nothing for a 30-day tourist Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). You still have to apply online at eta.gov.lk before you fly — free does not mean automatic, and visa on arrival was abolished in October 2025. Approval usually lands within 24–48 hours. Everyone else pays US$50, or US$20 for most SAARC nationalities.
What changed, and why most guides are still wrong
If you researched a Sri Lanka trip more than a few months ago, whatever you read is probably out of date. Two things changed in quick succession, and a lot of travel sites haven’t caught up.
October 2025: Sri Lanka scrapped visa on arrival. You can no longer land at Colombo without prior authorisation and sort it out at a desk. Turn up without an approved ETA now and you have a problem that starts at the check-in counter in your home country, because airlines will refuse to board you.
25 May 2026: the tourist ETA became free for 40 nationalities. Parliament approved it on 7 May, the Department of Immigration issued the circular on 19 May, and it took effect six days later.
We mention this because we still get travellers arriving having paid $50 to a third-party website three weeks ago — for something their passport now entitles them to at no cost. Fees paid before 25 May 2026 are not refundable.
Do you pay? Check your passport
| Free — 30-day tourist ETA | United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, India, China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Poland, Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Iran, Israel, and Gulf states including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia — 40 countries in total |
|---|---|
| Free, but newly required | Maldives, Seychelles and Singapore. These three were previously exempt from the ETA entirely and now must apply, at no charge. Maldivian nationals receive 90 days rather than 30 |
| US$20 | SAARC nationalities not on the free list — Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan |
| US$50 | All other nationalities |
| Children under 12 | Exempt from the processing fee regardless of nationality — but they still need their own ETA |
| Transit ETA | Free for everyone |
How to apply — the whole process
1 · Go to the official portal, and only the official portal
The address is eta.gov.lk. Type it in rather than clicking a search result. The top results for “Sri Lanka visa” are frequently third-party agencies charging US$50–$80 to complete a form that takes you ten minutes and — for most of our clients — now costs nothing at all. They are not scams in the legal sense. They just charge you for typing.
2 · Choose the right visa type
Select Tourist ETA from the menu at the top left. This covers sightseeing, visiting friends and relatives, Ayurveda and yoga retreats, and cultural or sporting events as a spectator.
It does not cover work of any kind, paid or unpaid, or business meetings. Germany’s Foreign Office warns that travellers who enter on a tourist visa and undertake something officials interpret as business have been arrested. If there’s any commercial element to your trip, apply for the Business ETA instead.
3 · Have these ready
Passport valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date · return or onward ticket · your first night’s accommodation address · contact details · a working email address you’ll actually check.
If you’re travelling with us, we send your first hotel’s full address and phone number before you apply, so you’re not guessing at this field.
4 · Submit, then wait 24–48 hours
Approval usually arrives within a day or two. Occasionally it stretches to 72 hours, particularly around Sri Lankan public holidays and in the December–March peak. Apply at least two weeks before you fly — not because it takes that long, but because it gives you room if something needs correcting.
Check your spam folder. Approval emails get filtered more often than you’d expect.
5 · Save it in two places
Keep the approval email on your phone and carry one printed copy. Officers at Bandaranaike don’t always ask, but when they do, hunting for it on airport wi-fi with a queue behind you is a poor start to a holiday.
Note your ETA reference number separately. You’ll be asked for it at hotel check-in and if you open a bank account or buy a local SIM.
What your ETA actually gives you
| Stay permitted | 30 days from date of first arrival (90 days for Maldivian nationals) |
|---|---|
| Entries | Double entry — you may leave and return once, within the original 30-day window |
| Passport validity needed | Six months beyond your arrival date |
| Processing time | Typically 24–48 hours; allow up to 72 |
| Where to apply | eta.gov.lk — the only official portal |
| Visa on arrival | Abolished October 2025. Not available under any circumstances |
The double-entry allowance is more useful than it sounds. If you’re combining Sri Lanka with the Maldives — a pairing we arrange often — you can fly out and come back without a second application, provided both visits fall inside the same 30 days.
Staying longer than 30 days
Extensions are handled by the Department of Immigration and Emigration in Battaramulla, Colombo, and through their online extension service. Extensions are granted in stages and total stay can reach several months, but the exact tiers and fees are revised periodically, so we won’t quote figures that may be wrong by the time you read this — check the Department of Immigration directly.
Two things that don’t change: apply before your current permission expires, not after, and overstaying means a fine on departure plus a note against your record for future visits. Neither is worth the inconvenience of a morning in Battaramulla.
Mistakes we see travellers make
Paying a third-party site. The single most common. If a website is asking a UK passport holder for money in 2026, close the tab.
Applying the night before. Processing is fast but not instant, and there’s no expedite button on the official portal worth relying on.
Choosing Business ETA by accident. The menu defaults matter. Business costs more and asks for documentation you probably don’t have.
Passport under six months. Check the expiry date now, not in week three of planning. UK passport renewal is quick; Sri Lanka’s requirement is not negotiable.
Assuming children don’t need one. Every traveller needs an individual ETA, including infants. Under-12s are free — but they are not exempt.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sri Lanka visa-free for UK citizens?
Not quite — and the distinction matters. UK passport holders pay no fee, but the ETA itself is still compulsory. You must apply online at eta.gov.lk and receive approval before you board. “Free” refers to the cost, not the requirement.
How much is a Sri Lanka visa in 2026?
Nothing for nationals of the 40 listed countries, which include the UK, US, Australia, Canada, India and most of the EU. US$20 for most other SAARC nationalities. US$50 for everyone else. Under-12s pay nothing regardless of passport.
Can I still get a visa on arrival in Sri Lanka?
No. Visa on arrival ended in October 2025. Every foreign national now needs an approved ETA before travelling, and airlines check at the departure gate.
How long does the Sri Lanka ETA take?
Usually 24–48 hours, sometimes up to 72 during peak season or around public holidays. Apply two weeks ahead.
Do I need a visa for a stopover in Sri Lanka?
A transit ETA is required, and it’s free for all nationalities. If you plan to leave the airport and see something — which we’d encourage on a long layover — apply for the tourist ETA instead.
What happens if my ETA is rejected?
Rejections are uncommon for tourist applications and usually stem from a passport mismatch or an incomplete form. The processing fee, where one was paid, is non-refundable. Contact the ETA support desk through the official portal with your reference number.
Does the ETA cover work or volunteering?
No. Tourist ETA holders must not undertake employment, paid or unpaid, and that includes volunteering. Remote work for a foreign employer sits in an unresolved grey area — Sri Lanka has no digital nomad visa as of 2026 — but any work involving Sri Lankan clients or income requires the correct visa obtained before arrival.
Once the visa is sorted
The visa is the easy part. The decisions that shape your trip are which coast to visit in the month you can travel, how many days you actually need, and whether to drive yourself or not.
We’re a private tour operator based in Kandy, registered with the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority. We’ve answered the 75 questions travellers ask us most — visas, costs, seasons, wildlife, food — with the same directness as this page.
Official sources
Visa rules change. Confirm against the primary source before you travel — this page is a guide, not an authority.