Sri Lanka ETA
Everything you need to apply for your Sri Lanka ETA: the requirements, the documents, and the steps from start to approval.
Official Sri Lanka government portalOverview
The Electronic Travel Authorization, or ETA, is Sri Lanka's online travel permit for short visits. It is the document the airline and Sri Lankan immigration check before you board and on arrival, and almost every visitor needs one before travelling. The tourist ETA is valid for 30 days from your first arrival, allows two separate entries during that window, and permits a stay of up to 30 days for leisure, family visits, short courses, business meetings or transit.
It is requested through the official portal, where tourism, business and transit each carry a different declaration of your purpose. The tourist ETA's government fee depends on your nationality: it is waived for 40 nationalities, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, India and the European Union, and is up to USD 50 for others, although it remains mandatory and must be approved before you fly. The ETA does not authorise paid employment, enrolment for a degree or long-term residence, which require the corresponding visa from a Sri Lankan mission.
Your authorisation is linked to the passport you apply with, so you must travel on that same document.
Requirements in detail
Gather everything below before you open the Sri Lanka ETA form, so the application goes through on the first attempt. You need a passport valid for at least six months beyond your arrival, with the biographical page ready to copy, because the authorisation is linked electronically to that exact document; keep its number and its issue and expiry dates beside you, and copy the name, number and dates straight from the passport, since a mistyped character is the most common avoidable error. There is no photograph to upload for the ETA.
Have a return or onward flight booking ready and an address for your stay in Sri Lanka, where a hotel reservation is enough, along with the category that matches your trip, tourism, business or transit, each of which carries a different declaration. A working email address receives the approval, and a payment card covers the single all-inclusive price. The tourist ETA's government fee depends on your nationality: it is waived for 40 nationalities, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, India and the European Union, and is up to USD 50 for others; whatever applies to you is included in the price and itemised on your receipt.
Every traveller, including each child, needs their own ETA, so prepare one set of details for each applicant.
What you'll need
Have these ready before you begin your application. Requirements can vary by nationality and trip purpose.
- Passport with at least six months validity
- Return or onward flight booking
- Sri Lankan accommodation address
- Email address for ETA delivery
- Payment method (one all-inclusive price; the government fee depends on your nationality)
How to apply
Applying for the Sri Lanka ETA is done entirely online, step by step. First, confirm the ETA applies to you: almost every foreign visitor needs an approved ETA before travelling, including travellers whose nationality is exempt from the government fee. Second, gather your passport and your trip details, and choose the category that matches your trip, tourism, business or transit.
Third, complete the online form, entering your name and passport number exactly as they appear in the passport, since a single mismatched character is the usual reason an application is delayed. Fourth, review the single all-inclusive price and pay; the application is checked for completeness before it reaches the Department of Immigration and Emigration. Finally, the approved authorisation arrives by email with a tracking code.
Carry it saved on your phone or printed, and travel on the same passport you applied with.
On arrival
Keep your approved ETA with you when you travel, saved on your phone or printed, together with your return or onward ticket and the address of your accommodation. The airline checks that you hold a valid ETA before you board, and travel on the exact passport you applied with, since the authorisation is linked to it. The ETA lets you request entry, but a Sri Lankan immigration officer makes the final admission decision at the airport and may ask about your plans and length of stay.
The tourist ETA gives double entry, which means you may leave Sri Lanka and return once within the 30-day validity, useful for a short trip to a neighbouring country, without applying again.
Government processing time
What the issuing authority typically takes once the application is submitted.
Government processing: the Sri Lanka Department of Immigration and Emigration decides in 1 to 72 hours. VisitPass review: Standard under 24h; Priority under 6h; Urgent under 30 min. The application is checked for completeness, submitted to the authority, and the confirmation issued.
When to apply: start at least one to two weeks before departure so the approval is settled well before you fly, and allow extra room during the December to March peak around Christmas, New Year and the Sinhala and Tamil New Year in April, when arrivals climb and demand for travel documents rises across the island.
At a glance
- Validity
- 30 days
- Maximum stay
- 30 days
- Entry type
- Double
Who can apply
The Sri Lanka ETA is mandatory before travel and is valid for 30 days from arrival with double-entry use; tourism, business and transit categories use the same portal with different declarations. The tourist ETA's government fee depends on your nationality: it is waived for 40 nationalities, including the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, India and the European Union, and is up to USD 50 for others.
Is this the official application?
VisitPass is an independent travel-document service, not a government website and not affiliated with the Department of Immigration and Emigration. Your application is submitted to the official Sri Lanka ETA system; where a government fee applies to your nationality it is paid in full to the issuing authority and itemised on your receipt, and the service fee covers preparing the application, reviewing it for completeness before submission, and email support. You can always apply directly on the government portal yourself; many travellers choose a guided form to complete it in their own language and have it checked before it is sent.
The decision rests solely with the Sri Lankan government.
Sri Lanka help desk
Have questions about your ETA? Email the Sri Lanka desk and we reply within 24 hours.
srilanka@visitpass-online.comVisitPass is an independent visa-application service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by any government. Government fees go directly to the issuing authority and are listed separately in your receipt.