Sri Lanka ETA and Free Visa 2026

Apply only at eta.gov.lk, the Department of Immigration and Emigration's official site. The tourist ETA is free for nationals of 40 countries from 25 May 2026; otherwise it costs US$20 for SAARC nationals or US$50 for other countries online (US$25 and US$60 on arrival), per the Fees page on that site, checked 15 October 2026 (the same rates appear on the Department's immigration.gov.lk fee table).

How do I apply for a Sri Lanka ETA?

Use the "How To Submit an ETA Application" page on eta.gov.lk. Checked 15 October 2026:

1. Open eta.gov.lk only. Lookalike sites are listed below; they are not official.
2. Choose to apply yourself on the site (the page also lists third party, overseas mission, head office, or on-arrival options). An intended traveller must obtain an ETA before arrival.
3. Click Apply, fill in the form, and submit it. If a fee applies, pay with Visa, Master or American Express Cards. If you cannot pay by card, the same page says to use one of the alternative options.
4. If the application is submitted, you receive an acknowledgement promptly, then an approval notice or a referral notice. If you get a referral, contact the Department of Immigration and Emigration.
5. Keep a copy of the ETA approval to show at the port of entry.

The Department states a no-refund policy on that page. No official page we read states a processing time, so apply well before you fly. Free-list nationalities still complete this application; only the fee is waived.

Is the Sri Lanka visa free in 2026? (Checked 15 October 2026)

Yes, for 40 nationalities. From 25 May 2026, nationals of 40 countries can get a Sri Lanka tourist visa (ETA) free of charge, valid for 30 days with double entry. You still have to apply for the ETA before you fly, and only on the official site, eta.gov.lk. Everyone else pays the standard fee.

• Who: the 40 countries listed below, on the official eta.gov.lk notice (re-read 15 October 2026) and the Department of Immigration and Emigration's special notice (PDF).
• From when: 25 May 2026. Until when: the official notice gives no end date.
• What you get: 30 days, double entry within that period (Maldivian nationals get 90 days).
• Still required: an approved ETA before arrival, for every foreign national.

Which countries get a free Sri Lanka ETA?

The official list, exactly as published (spellings normalised). Use this table as the visa-free quick check; do not look for a second country list on this page.

The scheme covers diplomatic, official, service and ordinary passports of these countries. ETAs for nationals of Maldives, Seychelles and Singapore are also processed free under bilateral reciprocal agreements. ETA fees paid before 25 May 2026 are not refunded.

Not on the list? You fall under the general ETA rules and pay the fee below. Nationals of Cameroon, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Afghanistan apply through a Sri Lankan sponsor at the Department's head office in Battaramulla, according to the same eta.gov.lk page. See the sponsor section further down for the papers each group needs.

Re-checked 18 October 2026: the eta.gov.lk notice still lists the same 40 countries as the table above, with no additions or removals.

Do I still need to apply for an ETA?

Yes. The official notice states that all foreign nationals, including the 40 free-visa nationalities and those from Maldives, Seychelles and Singapore, must obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization before arriving. The fee is waived; the application is not.

When did the free visa start, and when does it end?

It took effect on 25 May 2026. Newswire reported on 25 May 2026 that the Department's circular followed Cabinet approval on 30 March 2026 and parliamentary approval of the amended regulations (Newswire). The official notice we re-read on 15 October 2026 does not state an end date. Earlier free-visa schemes in Sri Lanka were time-limited, so if you are travelling months from now, re-check eta.gov.lk before you apply.

What does the free 30-day ETA allow?

A tourist stay of 30 days, with a double-entry facility counted from your first arrival and only within those 30 days. To stay longer you apply for a paid visa extension (see below).

How much is the ETA if my country is not on the free list?

From the Fees page on eta.gov.lk and the Department's official fee table, both checked on 15 October 2026:

The same page says an ETA or on-arrival visa is valid for up to 30 days. The eta.gov.lk notice still requires an ETA before arrival, so do not plan around arriving without one.

Who needs a Sri Lankan sponsor for an ETA? (Checked 24 October 2026)

Some nationalities have a different route from the normal online form. Alerts 02, 03 and 04 on eta.gov.lk, read on 24 October 2026, say these visitors may apply through a Sri Lankan sponsor. The sponsor sends the papers to the Department of Immigration and Emigration head office in Battaramulla. The notices give no fee and no processing time for this route.

This is not a new rule. A Sri Lanka embassy notice dated 18 February 2026 already told visitors from Cameroon, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Afghanistan, Ghana and Syria to apply through a Sri Lankan sponsor (Embassy of Sri Lanka, Ankara). It was in the news again on 22 October 2026, when Yen.com.gh reported that Ghanaians, Nigerians and citizens of the other three Alert 02 countries cannot use the standard self-service ETA portal and must find a sponsor (Yen.com.gh). The official page says these visitors "may apply" this way. Confirm the current papers with the Department of Immigration and Emigration before you book flights. If your passport is from any other country, use the normal steps at the top of this page.

How do I extend my stay beyond 30 days?

Yes, including if your first 30 days were free. The eta.gov.lk notice, re-read 23 October 2026, says applicants who obtained a free visa and want to remain beyond 30 days may apply for an extension and pay the applicable fee. The Department of Immigration and Emigration's Visit Visa page (checked 23 October 2026) is the step-by-step source.

Where to apply (checked 23 October 2026):

1. Online, through the Department's tourist visa extension portal. The Visit Visa page says ETA tourist visas, paid 30-day tourist visas, and the older seven-nationality free tourist visas can be extended online or at the head office. Use only that official link. The same page says applications via other websites shall not be treated as a claim for an extension.
2. In person, at the Department of Immigration and Emigration head office, "Suhurupaya", Sri Subhuthipura Road, Battaramulla (contact details on the online extension page: 1962 / +94 112 101 500).
3. Apply well before the current visa expires. GOV.UK's Sri Lanka entry advice also says you can apply for an extension online through the official immigration portal.

Rules the Visit Visa page states (checked 23 October 2026):

• Your intended stay must end at least two months before your travel document expires.
• Children under 12 must also extend, and pay the extension fee, if they stay more than 30 days from first arrival.
• Double entry is available only in the first 30 days from first arrival. If you extend during those first 30 days, the double-entry facility is cancelled.
• An extension obtained by paying the fee is cancelled if you leave during the extended period. You then need a new tourist visa to enter again.
• Business visas cannot be extended online.

Fees, from the Department's visa fees page, re-read 23 October 2026 (the same bands as 15 October 2026):

The fees page still notes that an ETA or on-arrival visa is valid up to 30 days only, and that a stay beyond 30 days requires an extension. India falls in "any other country" on that extension chart (USD 60 / 150 / 200). UK, Australian, German and Japanese citizens are in the USD 100 / 150 / 200 group.

Overstaying costs more: under Gazette 2337/10 of 21 June 2023, a US$ 250 penalty plus the visa fee for 7 to 14 days over, and US$ 500 plus the visa fee beyond 14 days. Leaving within 7 days of expiry means paying only the visa fee at departure.

Which ETA websites are fake?

Only eta.gov.lk (and the Department's own immigration.gov.lk) is official. Government warnings name lookalike sites that charge high fees. The High Commission of India in Colombo lists these as unauthorised, among others. The Sri Lanka High Commission in Canberra also warns that third-party ETA websites are not official and often charge higher fees (both checked 20 October 2026):

• eta.org.lk
• srilankavisa.org.lk
• e-visa.lk / e-visa.org.lk
• srilankavisa.lk
• go-sri-lanka.com
• srilanka-visaonline.com, srilankaetavisa.com, srilanka-etaonline.com
• visa-srilanka.net, srilankavisa.net, srilankanetavisa.net
• ivisa.com's Sri Lanka visa pages
• srilankavisa.org
• srilankaevisa.lk (named by the Controller General of Immigration, Ceylon Today, 26 April 2024)

Before you type passport details, check the address bar says eta.gov.lk. If your nationality is on the free list and a site asks for money, it is not the official free ETA.

How do I check my ETA status?

The Department runs an online Visa Application Status Inquiry. No official page we read states a processing time, so apply well before you fly.

Sri Lanka visa for Indian citizens (checked 17 October 2026)

India remains on the official free-tourist-ETA list in the Department notice already cited on this page (re-read 17 October 2026). You still complete the ETA application; only the fee is waived. The High Commission of India in Colombo's visa advisory warns Indian nationals about unofficial ETA websites.

Rechecked 20 October 2026: the fees page on the official ETA site still lists India among the 40 countries that get a free 30-day tourist ETA from 25 May 2026. You still apply on eta.gov.lk before you travel. For nationalities not on the free list, the same page lists USD 20 for a tourist ETA from South Asian countries and USD 50 from all other countries, or USD 25 and USD 60 on arrival.

Sri Lanka visa for UK, US and Australian citizens (checked 18 October 2026)

All three nationalities are on the free list, so the 30-day tourist ETA costs nothing. You still apply on eta.gov.lk before you fly. The UK, the United States and Australia are all among the 40 countries on the official eta.gov.lk notice. Here is what each government's own travel advice says, next to the Sri Lankan rule.

Sources: eta.gov.lk and its how to apply page; GOV.UK Sri Lanka entry requirements; US State Department Sri Lanka page. We could not load Smartraveller on 18 October 2026, so Australians should read it directly.

Where the advice differs, follow the stricter rule.

• Passport validity. The US page counts six months from your departure and asks for a blank page. Sri Lanka's ETA site and GOV.UK count from arrival. A passport that meets the US wording also meets the other two.
• On arrival. The US page says the visa can be obtained "via ETA or upon arrival". The eta.gov.lk notice says all foreign nationals, including the 40 free-list countries, must get an ETA before arrival. Apply before you fly.
• Air transit (UK advice). GOV.UK says you do not need a visa if you are transiting by air and your connecting flight is within 24 hours of arrival.

Staying longer than 30 days. We re-read the Department of Immigration and Emigration's extension fee chart on 18 October 2026 and it matches the extension table above: UK and Australian citizens pay USD 100 for a total stay of 31 to 90 days, USD 150 for 91 to 180 days and USD 200 for 181 to 270 days. US citizens pay USD 100 and then USD 200, with no third band shown. GOV.UK says you can apply for an extension online through the official immigration portal.

Sri Lanka visa for German, Russian, Chinese and Japanese citizens (checked 21 October 2026)

All four countries are on the free list, so the 30-day tourist ETA costs nothing. You still apply on eta.gov.lk before you fly. Germany, Russia, China and Japan are among the 40 countries the official ETA site lists as eligible for a free tourist ETA from 25 May 2026.

The free list covers tourist visas only. The same eta.gov.lk fee table charges USD 55 for a business ETA applied for online from these countries. Children of any nationality under 12 get a free tourist ETA for up to 30 days, and a 2-day transit visa is free. To stay longer than 30 days, the ETA site says to apply for an extension after you arrive on the Department of Immigration and Emigration's online visa extension portal.

Other neighbours of these countries on the free list include Austria, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, Belarus, Kazakhstan and South Korea. Singapore and Seychelles nationals also get a free 30-day ETA, and Maldives nationals 90 days, under separate agreements.

Plan the rest of the trip

Flying from the UK or Europe? The direct flights to Sri Lanka guide covers the London and Zurich nonstops for winter 2026/27. Once entry is settled, set your dates with the best time to visit guide, choose a trip length in how many days in Sri Lanka, and line up transfers with getting around Sri Lanka. Sort data before landing with the Sri Lanka eSIM and SIM guide, and add up costs in the trip cost guide. The one-week first visit and ten-day classic itineraries both start in Colombo. Travelling from India? The 5-day Sri Lanka itinerary from India pairs the free ETA with flight, ferry and rupee checks.