Sri Lanka Visa 2026: Free 30-Day ETA and How to Apply

Yes, a tourist needs a Sri Lanka visa: an **Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA)** is the online permit you must have approved before you arrive. It is free for nationals of 40 countries, US$50 online for most others, lasts 30 days with two entries, and the official site is eta.gov.lk. Those were the rules when we checked on 30 and 31 October 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice, so confirm on the official site before you fly.

Key takeaways

• The free ETA began on 25 May 2026. Free does not mean visa-free: you still apply and wait for approval.
• The UK, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Norway and Denmark are on the official list. Ireland is not.
• Extending costs money even after a free ETA: US$100 for days 31 to 90 on UK and Irish passports, among others.

Sri Lanka visa cost: who pays what

The prices below combine the ETA site with the Department of Immigration fee page, read on 30 and 31 October 2026.

A transit visa of two days is free for everyone. A business visa is outside the free scheme: US$55, or US$30 for South Asian countries. The department keeps a no refund policy.

The 40 countries on the official list

This is the list in the department’s Special Notice to the Short Term Visitors, effective 25 May 2026. It matches the ETA site’s own list, and we have tidied a few official spellings.

• A to D: Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark
• F to J: Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan
• K to O: Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman
• P to S: Pakistan, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
• T to U: Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America

The scheme covers ordinary, service, official and diplomatic passports. If your country is not listed, the general ETA rules apply, which means the fee in the table above.

Not all of the EU is covered: Ireland, Portugal and Greece are missing. The list can change, so read the current one on the ETA site before you rely on this table.

Sri Lanka visa for Irish citizens

Ireland was not on the official lists when we read them, although a travel trade report in May 2026 said it was. Irish passport holders fall under the general rules: US$50 online or US$60 at the airport. Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs page, updated 22 October 2026, says Irish citizens must have a visa and that passport cards cannot be used. It gives no fee, so check the ETA fees page on the day you apply.

Sri Lanka visa for UK citizens

The GOV.UK page was marked still current on 31 October 2026, with a last update of 21 September. It says you need an ETA, that ETAs are issued free and that they last 30 days. That advice covers full British citizen passports only, so ask the Sri Lankan High Commission if you hold another kind.

Nationalities that apply through a sponsor

Travellers from Cameroon, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Afghanistan, Syria, Taiwan-China and Kosovo apply through a Sri Lankan sponsor at the department’s head office. See the alerts on the ETA home page.

How to apply for a Sri Lanka ETA

You can apply online yourself, and the ETA site’s how-to page sets out the steps:

1. Go to eta.gov.lk and press Apply, then read the terms. 2. Fill in the form. If your nationality pays, the site takes Visa, Mastercard and American Express. 3. Check your passport number, nationality and date of birth, because a mismatch can mean paying again on arrival. 4. Save the acknowledgement and its reference number. 5. Wait for an approval notice or a referral notice.

Travel on the passport you applied with, because the terms say a different document also means paying again. After you confirm, you cannot correct a mistake: you submit a fresh application. You can check your status on the site or call the ETA centre on 0094 71 99 67 888.

What you need

You need a passport with six months or more left on the day you arrive, plus a payment card if your nationality pays. The official FAQ says you can get an ETA before you book a ticket.

The two official sites differ on documents. The ETA site says no passport copies, documents or photographs are required, while the department’s tourist visa page lists a jpg of your passport data page. Keep that image ready. We stopped at the terms screen, so we cannot list the form’s questions.

How long approval takes

We found no stated time for an online application on the ETA site or the department’s pages. The only figure there is for overseas missions, which issue within three business days. The nearest online figure is Irish: the foreign ministry page tells Irish citizens to apply a few days ahead and says approval should be granted within 24 hours. That is guidance, not a Sri Lankan promise, so apply earlier, because a referral means contacting the department or a mission.

An ETA also has a shelf life, and the site gives two answers. Its how-to page allows three months from issue to enter, and its FAQ says six. Plan around the shorter figure and the date on your approval notice, because the department says you must use the visa before that date.

Other ways to apply

You can also apply at a Sri Lankan embassy or high commission, at the department’s head office in Battaramulla, or through someone acting for you. The embassy in Abu Dhabi, on a page dated May 2026, strongly advises against travelling without the approval notice.

The official site and the lookalikes

The department names eta.gov.lk on its visa page. That page also says payments should go through the official ETA website. Type the address yourself or follow the link from immigration.gov.lk rather than a search advert.

On 26 April 2024 News 1st reported that the department had received reports of people paying fake websites. That warning concerned a different visa portal from the one it names now, and we found no newer official warning. Both official addresses here end in .gov.lk, so look for that just before the first slash.

The ETA site lets travel agents, airlines, friends or relatives apply for you. A listed traveller has no government fee to pass on, so anything paid is that seller’s own charge. If a site asks a listed traveller to pay for a 30-day tourist ETA, stop and go back to eta.gov.lk.

Stay, extensions and overstaying

Thirty days runs from your first arrival, longer than any route in our trip length guide. Double entry means you may leave and return within those 30 days, but the second entry only gives you the balance.

Extending your stay

You extend after you arrive, through the department’s online portal or in person at its Battaramulla head office. These are the published fees, counted in days from arrival:

The first row runs to 27 countries on the fee page, so check yours there. We found nothing on whether the bands add up across extensions.

The official limits differ. The ETA site says 270 days, in steps of 60 days and then 90 days twice, but also says six months. The Abu Dhabi embassy says two months, with more only for valid reasons. Count on day 90 at most, and ask the department before planning beyond it.

The department’s extension page sets these conditions:

• You need a return air ticket, your address and phone number in Sri Lanka, the application with a photograph, and your passport.
• Your stay must end at least two months before your passport expires.
• Children under 12 pay the extension fee too if they stay past 30 days.
• Extending during the first 30 days cancels the double entry. Leaving during an extended period ends that visa.
• Apply well before your visa expires, through the official link only.
• You cannot get a fresh ETA while you are in Sri Lanka, the FAQ says.

Overstaying

Under Gazette 2337/10 of 21 June 2023, as the fee page sets out:

GOV.UK adds that overstaying risks detention, a fine, deportation at your own expense, a travel ban or refused entry in future.

Rules at the border

The how-to page and terms ask every ETA holder to have these at the port of entry:

• a passport with six months or more left from the date of arrival
• a confirmed return ticket, if you travel by air (the department’s general rules also mention a visa for your next destination)
• enough funds for your stay, though we found no official amount
• a copy of the approval notice, which is advised rather than compulsory

An ETA does not guarantee entry, and tourists may not work, paid or unpaid. The department says passengers from its listed countries, in Africa and South America, will not be allowed in without a yellow fever certificate.

The ETA FAQ, which carries no date, says an ETA is not a pre-condition for boarding. The May 2026 notice says everyone must obtain one before arrival, and GOV.UK says to apply before travelling. Follow the notice: have your approval before you go to the airport, and ask your airline if you are unsure.

After immigration, our guide to Colombo airport taxi costs covers the ride, and our Sri Lanka SIM card guide covers getting online.

Children, transit, business and other visas

**Children.** Under 12s of any nationality get a free tourist ETA for up to 30 days. The Abu Dhabi embassy adds that they are exempt from the fee but should obtain a visa. From 12, the rule for their nationality applies. We stopped at the form’s terms screen, so ask the ETA centre how to enter a child before you apply.

**Transit.** The official pages conflict. GOV.UK says British citizens need no visa if the connecting flight is within 24 hours of arrival. The department requires a transit visa for a wait over 24 hours. The ETA how-to page says anyone transiting needs an ETA before arrival, and the site lists a free two-day transit ETA with proof of your onward ticket. The safer course, since it is free, is to get that ETA unless your airline confirms in writing that you need none.

**Business.** Meetings, conferences and short training need a business visa with an invitation letter, from overseas missions or the department’s head office only, the ETA site says.

**Media and NGOs.** The online ETA is not available for media events, meetings with political groups or NGO activities.

**Exemptions.** The department exempts Sri Lankan dual citizens and certain children of Sri Lankan parents under 21.

**Digital nomads.** The department’s fee page lists a Digital Nomad residence visa at US$500 for a year or part of one.

Questions about the Sri Lanka visa

Is the Sri Lanka visa free?

For tourists from the 40 listed countries, plus Singapore and Seychelles, yes, for 30 days. You still need the ETA. Most other nationalities pay US$50 online.

Do I need an ETA for a child?

Yes. The notice covers all foreign nationals, and under 12s pay nothing for up to 30 days.

Can I get a visa on arrival in Sri Lanka?

There is a limited facility at Bandaranaike airport. The fee is US$60, or US$25 for South Asian countries. We found no official word on what a listed national pays there. Restricted nationals cannot use it, and a referral means refused entry. Apply in advance.

How long does approval take?

The ETA site does not say for online applications. Ireland’s foreign ministry tells Irish citizens that approval should be granted within 24 hours, which is guidance, not a Sri Lankan promise.

I paid before 25 May 2026. Can I get a refund?

No. The notice says fees paid before that date are non-refundable.

Planning the rest of your trip

Oura Travel does not arrange visas. Our first-visit guide, budget guide and Sri Lanka in December cover the rest, and our safety guide sets out the official advice. If you would like help planning a route, contact us.

We read these official pages on 30 and 31 October 2026. Rules and fees can change. This is general information, so confirm on eta.gov.lk before you fly.

Top photo: a Sri Lanka transit visa stamp. Photo: Sgroey, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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Gayan Weerasinghe

Gayan Weerasinghe writes and updates the Sri Lanka travel guides on Oura Travel. His updated guides are checked against primary sources, from the Department of Meteorology and Sri Lanka Railways to the Department of Wildlife Conservation, every drive is timed on a route planner, and each fact carries the date it was last checked.