When travelling to Sri Lanka most nationals don’t need a visa for Sri Lanka. Instead of a visa you need to apply for an ETA online. An ETA is only valid for tourism purposes and for stays less than 30 days.
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Apply for ETA
If you travel to Sri Lanka for the purpose of tourism and planning a short stay (30 days), you need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). Apply for an ETA via the Sri Lanka Immigration and Emigration website. After you received the acknowledgement you can enter Sri Lanka within three months from the date of issue of the ETA. Bring a copy of the ETA approval when you enter Sri Lanka. There are three requirements when entering Sri Lanka:
- A valid passport for at least 6 months from the date of arrival
- Return ticket
- Sufficient funds for the expenses during the entire stay
The ETA is valid up to 30 days but it’s possible to extend up to six months.
Exempt from ETA
Citizens from the Maldives, Seychelles and the Republic of Singapore are exempt from the requirement of applying for an ETA. Only valid for stays shorter than 30 days. They get a free visa on arrival at the port of entry.
Temporary ETA exempt (not valid anymore)
The Sri Lankan Government launched a temporary ETA fee exemption for certain countries. Citizens of these countries were allowed to enter Sri Lanka without ETA for periods up to six months from May 1st 2019. The initial plan was to extend the service to other countries. Unfortunately, this program was suspended after the bombings in Colombo during Easter in 2019. Let’s hope the government will reinstate this program again in the future. Keep an eye out for the ETA exempt.
Transit visa Sri Lanka
Even for a transit at the airport you need to apply for an ETA. This is required for all nationalities. A Transit ETA is free of charge and valid for 2 days.
Get your visa hassle-free via iVisa
Do you have issues with your credit card not being accepted, a government website that isn’t working or do you have problems submitting your application online? iVisa is a third party helping out with your visa application. The price of the fee is usually around 35 US dollars but can vary depending on destination, type of visa and requirements.
How does it work?
1. Use this link to visit the iVisa website.This is an affiliate link to iVisa which means we make a small commission if you click this link. You don’t pay anything extra. We recommend using iVisa if you don’t want the extra hassle when applying for a visa.
2. Tell them your nationality and where you are going to.
3. Fill out the application which is usually the same information you need to provide at the official government websites.
4. You have several options in processing time; standard processing is 5 business days, rush processing is 3 business and super rush processing is 2 business day.
5. Once you have finished your application check if your details are correct. Or double check if you are a control freak like I am. When everything is correct you can proceed and pay. They ask you to create an account if you like.
6. The last thing you need to do is upload a copy of your passport and passport photo with a white background. If you have uploaded the images you are finished and need to ‘Save and Complete request’.
If you completed the process you will receive a confirmation email from iVisa. As soon as they received your visa they send it you via email. You can save the email or print the visa and bring it to the airport. Contact the customer service of iVisa if you have any issues. They are available 24/7.
Get your passport photo online via iVisa
Do you need an approved passport photo? At iVisa they have a photo service. You only pay 1 dollar per photo. Their team will check your photo to make sure it meets the government requirements. Use this link to get your passport photo online. This is an affiliate link to iVisa which means we make a small commission if you click this link. You don’t pay anything extra.
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