Sri Lanka eTA — apply online

• After you submit a successfully completed application, you promptly receive an acknowledgement notice confirming the application was received.
• Important: the acknowledgement notice is NOT permission to travel - you are not permitted to arrive in Sri Lanka until you receive the actual ETA Approval Notice, as the acknowledgement does not serve as entry approval.
• The Department then reviews the application and you will receive either an ETA approval notice or a referral notice.
• Approved/Granted means your ETA has been issued and you may travel; you should keep a copy of the approval (a printout of the approved status screen is acceptable) to produce at the port of entry.
• Pending means the application is still being processed or examined - you can check progress on the official status page or via the ETA call centre rather than re-submitting.
• Referred means the application was not approved and the system serves a referral notice to the applicant; if a referral notice is served you will be refused entry and returned to your original destination.
• If your application is missing or has unclear supporting information, you may be asked to correct or provide further documents (for example a clearer passport copy or photo, return ticket, or proof of funds), with communication via your registered email or the ETA contact channels.
• You can check your application status online using your confirmation code, passport number, nationality and date of birth, and there is a checkbox option to proceed if the confirmation code is not known.
• Print your ETA Approval Notice (or the approved status page) and carry it with you to present at immigration on arrival.
• On arrival, present at immigration your passport (valid at least six months from arrival), the ETA approval notice, a confirmed return/onward ticket, and evidence of sufficient funds for your stay.
• The immigration officer at the port of entry makes the final decision on whether to admit you - holding an approved ETA does not by itself guarantee entry, and the officer determines the stay granted.
• Routine fingerprinting/biometrics is not a stated part of the standard tourist arrival process; biometric enrolment requirements apply mainly to Sri Lankan passport matters rather than ordinary ETA tourists.
• You must enter and leave only through Sri Lanka's designated/approved ports, which include the airports Bandaranaike International (Katunayake), Mattala Rajapaksa International, Colombo International - Ratmalana, Jaffna International, Koggala and Batticaloa International, and the seaports Colombo, Galle, Hambantota International, Trincomalee, Kankesanthurai, Thalaimannar Pier, Norochcholai, Oluwil and Colombo Port City; the ETA is not valid for land border crossings.
• If you arrive without a prior ETA, a limited facility to obtain an ETA on arrival exists at the airport (you report to the ETA counter and complete the form), but applying and getting approval before you travel is strongly advised to avoid being refused or delayed.
• When you exit, leave before your authorized period (or extension) expires; an extension is single-entry and is automatically cancelled once you depart the country.

• A passport valid for at least six months from your intended date of arrival in Sri Lanka, with the same details you will enter in the application.
• A valid email address where your ETA approval notice can be sent.
• Personal and passport details including full name, date of birth, nationality, passport number, and passport expiry date, all matching your travel document exactly.
• Your travel details, including your intended arrival date and your address or accommodation in Sri Lanka.
• A recent passport-style photograph with a white or plain light background, face clearly visible, taken within the last six months (commonly accepted as a JPEG or PNG file under about 500 KB and at least 350 x 350 pixels).
• A confirmed return or onward air ticket and evidence of sufficient funds for your stay, which may be checked at the port of entry.
• A debit or credit card to pay any applicable fees online at the time of application.
• It is best to apply at least a few days before travel, since processing usually takes around 24 to 72 hours and some applications are flagged for additional manual review.

Business

Supporting details of the business purpose may be required, such as an invitation or letter from the host company or organiser of the meeting, conference, or training programme in Sri Lanka.

Transit

A confirmed air ticket showing your onward journey to a third country, to demonstrate that you are genuinely transiting through Sri Lanka.

Tourism (medical visit)

If you are travelling for medical treatment, documentation from the treating hospital or medical institution in Sri Lanka may be requested.

An ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) is an official pre-arrival travel permission that almost all foreign visitors must obtain before travelling to Sri Lanka. It is linked electronically to your passport and is available for tourism, business, and transit purposes.

An ETA is mandatory for almost all foreign travellers, with the main exception being citizens of Sri Lanka. Every traveller, including children and infants, needs their own ETA, and since 15 October 2025 it must be obtained before you depart for Sri Lanka.

Nationals of 40 designated countries receive the tourist ETA free of charge under the scheme effective 25 May 2026, and nationals of the Maldives, Seychelles and Singapore are also processed free of charge. Travellers from other countries pay the applicable government fee. In all cases the ETA application itself remains mandatory.

The Tourist ETA normally allows a stay of up to 30 days from your date of first arrival and permits double entry, so you may leave and re-enter Sri Lanka once within that period. On the second entry, only the remaining days of the original 30 days are granted.

The Tourist ETA is for sightseeing, visiting friends or relatives, medical treatment, and cultural or sporting events, and does not allow business activity or work. The Business ETA is for short-term business such as meetings, conferences, seminars, workshops, and short-term training, and is available with single, double, or multiple entries.

If you stay inside the airport terminal and do not pass through immigration, you do not need a transit visa. If you leave the airport during your stopover, you need a Transit ETA, which is valid for a maximum of 48 hours.

Processing usually takes around 24 to 72 hours. Many applications are approved within a few hours, but some are flagged for manual review and can take longer, so it is best to apply at least a few days before you travel.

Once approved, your ETA approval notice is sent to you by email as a PDF document. You should save it and print a copy to carry with you, as immigration officers may ask to see a physical printout on arrival.

Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the date you arrive in Sri Lanka, and you must travel on the exact same passport whose details you used in your ETA application.

A tourist stay can be extended by applying to the Department of Immigration and Emigration in Colombo or through the official online extension portal before your current permit expires, subject to the applicable extension fee. The extension is single entry and is cancelled once you leave the country, and Business ETA stays cannot currently be extended online.

You can enter through designated ports of entry, including Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake (Colombo), Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, Colombo International Airport (Ratmalana), Jaffna International Airport, Koggala Airport and Batticaloa International Airport, as well as designated seaports such as the Port of Colombo, Galle Port, Hambantota International Port, Trincomalee Port, Kankesanthurai Port and Thalaimannar Pier.

No. An approved ETA is permission to travel to Sri Lanka, but the final decision on entry is always made by the immigration officer at the port of arrival, who must be satisfied that you are a genuine visitor with adequate funds and onward travel.

If your application is rejected, check the reason given, correct any errors, and reapply, or contact the nearest Sri Lankan diplomatic mission for guidance. Note that any processing fee paid is non-refundable and non-transferable.