The biggest change for Sri Lanka travel in 2027 is the free 30-day ETA. Americans, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, Britons and many Europeans have had it since 25 May 2026, though you still apply online before you fly. No government we checked advises against travel. Trains from Colombo towards Kandy were suspended again on 25 October 2026, and the 2027 calendar has 25 public holidays, 12 of them poya days.
This page lists what has changed for visitors, when it changed, the official source and what to do about it. We checked every line on 3 November 2026. Where something has not been announced yet, we say so rather than guess.
Key takeaways
- The tourist ETA is free for 40 nationalities, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and the Netherlands. Ireland, Portugal and Greece are not on the list.
- Australia’s Smartraveller says an ETA can no longer be obtained on arrival at Colombo’s airport, so apply before you travel.
- The US, Australia and Canada each use the second of their four advice levels. New Zealand says to exercise increased caution, and the UK gives no level.
- On 26 October 2026 hill-country Main Line trains ran only between Nanu Oya and Badulla, and we found no report of trains through from Kandy by 3 November.
- Jetstar has flown Melbourne to Colombo since 25 August 2026 and British Airways Gatwick to Colombo since 23 October 2026. There is still no nonstop flight from North America.
The changes at a glance
| Change | Since | Source | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free tourist ETA for 40 countries | 25 May 2026 | ETA website | Apply online before you fly |
| No ETA on arrival at the airport | On the page updated 14 August 2026 | Smartraveller | Do not plan on buying it at the airport |
| Fuel limits for vehicles | Reported 2 November 2026 | Canada, GOV.UK, Smartraveller | Check your driver or hire car has fuel access |
| Delays via Middle East hubs | Reported 21 September 2026 | GOV.UK | Check transit hubs before you book |
| Nanu Oya to Badulla trains back | 20 June 2026 | Ada Derana | The Ella end runs on its own |
| Colombo to Gampola trains back | 2 October 2026 | Ada Derana | Check before booking |
| Rambukkana to Peradeniya and Gampola suspended | 25 October 2026 | Newswire | Recheck before travel day |
| Gampola to Nanu Oya: no trains | Reported 26 October 2026 | Newswire | Plan a road transfer |
| Revised ticket concessions at heritage sites | 1 July 2026 | Central Cultural Fund | Carry proof of age or student card |
| Yala Blocks 1 and 2 closed by drought | 14 September 2026 | Newswire | Zones 1 and 1A due to reopen 16 October |
| Jetstar Melbourne to Colombo | 25 August 2026 | Ada Derana, airport timetable | New option from Australia |
| BA Gatwick to Colombo | 23 October 2026 | British Airways | Three a week through the winter season |
| 2027 holiday list published | Read 3 November 2026 | Central Bank | Check poya days against your dates |
Entry: the free ETA and who qualifies
An **ETA** (Electronic Travel Authorization) is the online permit Sri Lanka asks visitors to get before they arrive. The ETA website states that from 25 May 2026 nationals of 40 countries can get a tourist visa, the ETA, free of charge for 30 days. We checked it for ten countries. The United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and the Netherlands are all on it.
Belgium, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Poland and the Czech Republic are on it too. Ireland, Portugal and Greece are not, so those passport holders stay under the general ETA rules and should check the fee for their passport on the ETA site.
Free does not mean you can skip the step. The same notice says every foreign national must get an ETA before arrival, including the 40. The free visa allows two entries within 30 days of your first arrival. Staying longer means a paid extension, and fees paid before 25 May 2026 are not refunded.
We found no end date for the free scheme on the official site. One visa guide still says it runs only to 31 October 2026, which the ETA site does not show.
Smartraveller now says you can no longer obtain an ETA on arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport. GOV.UK asks for a passport that expires at least 6 months after the day you arrive. Our full Sri Lanka visa guide covers fees for other nationalities, extensions and transit.
Travel advisories for 2027 trips
Each government uses its own scale, so we give each level in its own words with the date on its own page.
| Government | Level | Page date | Main points |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution | 13 Oct 2025, per its data feed | Civil unrest, terrorism, landmines |
| Australia | Exercise a high degree of caution | Updated 14 Aug 2026 | Demonstrations, security risks |
| Canada | Exercise a high degree of caution | Updated 2 Nov 2026 | Demonstrations, terrorism, crime |
| New Zealand | Exercise increased caution | Updated 3 Jul 2026 | Dengue, fuel, shortages, crime |
| United Kingdom | No level used | Updated 21 Sep 2026 | Floods, landslides, Middle East hub flights, fuel |
None of the five pages tells people to avoid Sri Lanka. The US, Australian and Canadian levels are each one step above normal precautions. The US page would not load for our check. The State Department’s advisory data feed, read on 3 November 2026, dated the advisory 13 October 2025.
In its September update, GOV.UK added a warning about flooding and landslides after heavy inter-monsoon rain. It also says flights from Colombo through Middle Eastern hubs may be delayed or re-routed. New Zealand’s page, last updated on 3 July 2026, says Sri Lanka is seeing record numbers of dengue cases. Canada removed its dengue travel health notice on 2 November 2026, but its health section still lists dengue as a risk to travellers. Its page also says El Niño conditions are present and expected to strengthen into 2027.
For the advice behind these levels, including landmines in the north and east, see our Sri Lanka safety guide.
Cyclone Ditwah and the hill-country trains
Cyclone Ditwah struck in November 2025. Smartraveller says most affected areas have been cleared and tourist places are working as usual. It adds that work on damaged railways, bridges and slopes hit by landslides will go on for some time. Before a road or rail trip to Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ella or elsewhere in the central mountain districts, it asks travellers to check conditions with local authorities or their travel provider.
The railway has reopened in stages since then, and stopped again in October:
- 20 June 2026: passenger trains between Nanu Oya and Badulla ran again after a seven-month break, Ada Derana reported.
- 2 October 2026: trains from Colombo Fort to Peradeniya and Gampola resumed after about 10 months, according to Ada Derana.
- 25 October 2026: the Department of Railways suspended all trains between Rambukkana and Peradeniya and Gampola until further notice, Newswire reported.
- 26 October 2026: Sri Lanka Railways had suspended Main Line trains between Gampola and Nanu Oya and was running only Nanu Oya to Badulla, per Newswire.
We found no report that the Gampola to Nanu Oya section has carried passengers since the cyclone. By 3 November 2026 we had also found no report of trains running from Kandy into the tea country. The last report, from 26 October, had trains still running between Nanu Oya and Badulla, the section that includes Ella. If your plan depends on the train, book a road transfer for the Kandy to Nanu Oya leg and recheck the week before. Our Kandy to Ella train guide covers seats and booking for when the line reopens.
Flights: what is new from the US, Australia and Europe
From the United States and Canada there is still no nonstop flight. The airport’s arrivals timetable for a full week, read on 3 November 2026, showed no North American departure point. The most frequent starting points on it were Dubai, Chennai, Kuala Lumpur, Delhi and Doha, with Abu Dhabi, Istanbul and Singapore also listed.
From Australia there is a new choice. Jetstar’s first Melbourne to Colombo flight landed on 25 August 2026, Ada Derana reported. The airport timetable shows its flight JQ5 three days a week, and Colombo appears under “Where we fly” on Jetstar’s own site. That week the timetable also listed SriLankan Airlines from Melbourne every day and from Sydney on four days; check the airline’s own schedule before you book.
New Zealand has no direct flight. 1News reported on 25 August 2026 that Jetstar timed the Melbourne service so Christchurch passengers can connect the same day.
From Europe, British Airways began Gatwick to Colombo on 23 October 2026, three times a week through the winter season. The airport timetable also shows Edelweiss from Zurich. Our page on direct flights to Sri Lanka lists the European routes and their seasons.
Site tickets and national parks
The Central Cultural Fund published revised rules on 6 October 2026 for free and half-price tickets at the sites it runs, with effect from 1 July 2026. Half-price tickets go to holders of an international student card (ISIC) and to visitors aged 6 to 12 with proof of age. Citizens of South Asian (SAARC) countries also qualify with their passport. Children under six enter free with proof of age. For the full adult price at the rock, see our Sigiriya entrance fee page.
Yala had its own closure in 2026, caused by drought. The Department of Wildlife closed Blocks 1 and 2 to visitors on 14 September because of dry weather, Newswire reported. On 12 October the Daily Mirror reported that park authorities would reopen Zones 1 and 1A from 6am on 16 October 2026, with bungalows and campsites from 1 November. We did not find a Sri Lankan report after that date confirming the gates opened, so ask your safari driver when you book. Our Yala safari cost page has the official park fees.
Money, SIM cards and fuel
Canada’s page, updated 2 November 2026, says fuel for private vehicles is limited and that special arrangements are in place for tourism service providers. GOV.UK, updated 21 September 2026, says all vehicles will be allocated a weekly fuel quota because of the situation in the Middle East. Smartraveller says vehicles need a registered QR code to buy fuel. If you travel with a tour operator, it says, you are unlikely to be affected. If you hire a car, check that it has a valid code.
For rupees, cards and ATMs, read our Sri Lanka money guide. For eSIMs and the airport counters, see our Sri Lanka SIM card guide.
The 2027 calendar: holidays and festivals
The Central Bank’s list has 25 holidays for 2027. A **poya day** is a full moon day, and twelve of the 2027 holidays are poya days. The table picks out the dates that can change a travel plan.
| Date 2027 | Holiday | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Tue 13 and Wed 14 April | Sinhala and Tamil New Year | Two holidays in a row |
| Wed 19 May | Vesak poya | Followed by a holiday on Thu 20 May |
| Sun 18 July | Esala poya | Perahera dates not yet announced |
| Mon 16 August | Nikini poya | Perahera dates not yet announced |
| Mon 13 December | Unduwap poya | Christmas follows on Sat 25 |
The Temple of the Tooth, which announces the Kandy Esala Perahera, showed no 2027 dates on 3 November 2026. The procession is expected in July or August 2027, so wait for the Temple’s notice before you book Kandy.
Travelling sooner? Four dates are left on the 2026 list: Deepawali on Sunday 8 November, Ill poya on Tuesday 24 November, Unduwap poya on Wednesday 23 December and Christmas on Friday 25 December.
Our Sri Lanka public holidays post explains what closes on a poya day. The Sri Lanka festivals calendar shows where to see each event.
What we will update
We last checked every item on this page on 3 November 2026. These are the open items we will update when an official notice or a dated report appears:
- Trains between Rambukkana and Gampola, Gampola and Nanu Oya, and Peradeniya and Matale.
- The Kandy Esala Perahera dates for 2027.
- The two Eid holidays, which follow the moon.
- Any change to the advisory pages or the ETA notice.
- Yala’s blocks and the park bungalows.
If you want help fitting these changes into a route, you can send us your dates.
Questions about Sri Lanka travel in 2027
Do Americans need a visa for Sri Lanka in 2027?
Yes, an ETA, but it is free. The United States is on the ETA website’s list of 40 countries whose citizens get a free 30-day tourist ETA, and you must get it before arrival.
Is the Sri Lanka ETA still free?
Yes. It was free for the 40 listed countries when we checked on 3 November 2026, and the ETA website gave no end date for the scheme. Check the site again before you apply.
Can I take the Kandy to Ella train now?
Not the whole way. On 26 October 2026 Sri Lanka Railways had suspended trains between Gampola and Nanu Oya, and we found no restart report by 3 November. Nanu Oya to Badulla, which includes Ella, was still running.
Are there direct flights from the US to Sri Lanka?
No. A week of the airport’s arrivals timetable showed no flight from North America, so Americans and Canadians change planes. The timetable lists flights from hubs such as Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Istanbul and Singapore.
Is now a good time to visit Sri Lanka?
No government we checked advises against travel, and the US, Australia and Canada use their second level. The weather depends on the region and the month. The hill-country trains were the biggest disruption we found in late 2026.
Top photo: the arrivals hall at Colombo airport in December 2018. Photo: Syced, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
