Entry requirements
Since 25 May 2026 the tourist ETA is free for forty nationalities. It is not, however, visa-free, and the difference has been catching travellers out at the departure gate.
The short version
Sri Lanka removed the tourist ETA fee for nationals of forty countries with effect from 25 May 2026. If you hold one of those passports you now pay nothing for a thirty-day, double-entry tourist visa. Singapore and the Seychelles are covered by separate reciprocal arrangements on the same thirty-day terms, and Maldivian nationals receive ninety days.
What did not change is the paperwork. You still complete the Electronic Travel Authorization online, before you fly, and you still need the approval in hand when you check in. The government removed the charge as a tourism measure and kept the authorisation itself as a security one. Reading "free visa" as "no visa" is the single most common mistake being made this season, and it is made at the airport, where it is expensive to fix.
Everything below is drawn from the Department of Immigration and Emigration's published fee schedule and the notices its overseas missions have issued this month. Rules move; we date-stamp this page every time we re-check it.
Eligibility
Nationals of these countries pay no fee for a thirty-day double-entry tourist ETA. The application is still mandatory.
Under reciprocal and bilateral agreements, Singapore and the Seychelles also receive a free thirty-day tourist ETA, and the Maldives a free ninety-day one. All three must now use the ETA system, having previously been exempt from it. Children under twelve of any nationality receive a free thirty-day tourist ETA. ETA fees paid before 25 May 2026 are not refunded.
The thing that catches people out
Conflicting official guidance
The government's own fee page still lists an on-arrival tourist visa at US$25 for South Asian nationals and US$60 for everyone else, and the portal's FAQ still says an ETA is not a prerequisite for boarding. Both appear to be out of step with the Department of Immigration and Emigration's current instructions.
Through August 2026, Sri Lankan missions in Beijing, France, Türkiye and Singapore have issued notices telling travellers to obtain a valid authorisation before beginning the journey, and warning that they may otherwise be refused boarding. The practical point is that the decision is not made in Colombo. It is made by an airline agent at your departure airport, working from their own carrier rules, and an argument about what a government FAQ says will not get you onto the aircraft.
Apply online. It is free for most readers of this page and takes about ten minutes.
If you are not on the list
Fees charged when the application is submitted by the applicant, at a Sri Lankan overseas mission, or at the head office.
| Visa type | South Asian countries | All other countries |
|---|---|---|
| Tourist ETA, 30 days, double entry | US$20 | US$50 |
| Business ETA, 30 days | US$30 | US$55 |
| Transit visa, 2 days | Free | Free |
| Children under 12, tourist, 30 days | Free | Free |
| The 40 listed countries, tourist, 30 days | Free | Free |
Stays beyond thirty days attract extension fees set by nationality, applied for after arrival. Extensions run in stages to a maximum of 270 days in total.
How to apply
Common questions
No. Sri Lanka is fee-free for forty nationalities, which is not the same thing. Since 25 May 2026 those travellers pay nothing for a thirty-day double-entry tourist ETA, but they must still apply online and receive approval before they travel. The formality remains; only the charge was removed.
Nothing, for nationals of the forty listed countries, plus Singapore, the Seychelles and the Maldives under reciprocal agreements. For every other nationality the tourist ETA is US$20 for South Asian countries and US$50 for all others. Children under twelve of any nationality receive a free thirty-day tourist ETA.
Most approvals arrive within 24 to 48 hours. Apply at least a week before departure so that a query or a system outage does not become a problem on the day you fly.
Treat it as unavailable. The official portal still lists an on-arrival fee, but the Department of Immigration and Emigration has instructed travellers to hold a valid authorisation before beginning their journey, and Sri Lankan missions abroad have issued notices this month warning of possible denial of boarding. Airlines check at the departure gate, not at Colombo.
Thirty days from first arrival, with double entry inside that window. The thirty days do not restart when you re-enter, so a few days in the Maldives partway through uses the balance rather than resetting the clock. Extensions are available in stages up to 270 days total, applied for in Sri Lanka before your current permission expires.
eta.gov.lk, run by the Department of Immigration and Emigration. A large number of commercial lookalike sites charge a service fee on top of a visa that is free for most travellers. Check for the gov.lk domain before you enter passport details or pay anything.
A passport valid for six months from your date of entry, and a confirmed return or onward ticket, which may be requested. Arrivals are at Bandaranaike International (CMB) near Colombo, or Mattala Rajapaksa International (HRI) in the south. Our trip planning guide covers what to do once you are through.
Entry sorted
Thirty days is a generous amount of island. Tell us your dates and what you want out of them, and our team will turn it into a day-by-day route.
