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. Your Sri Lanka ETA is completed in your own language and every answer is reviewed against the current rules before it is submitted, so the authorisation, whatever its government fee, is also filed correctly the first time.
Requirements in detail
The Sri Lanka ETA asks for less than a full visa, but each entry must match your travel documents exactly. You need a passport with at least six months of validity beyond your arrival date, and the name, number and dates you enter must be copied straight from the passport biographical page. A mistyped name or passport number is the most common avoidable error, and a mismatch between your ETA and your passport at check-in can delay boarding, so it is worth checking every character twice.
You also provide a return or onward flight booking, an address for your stay in Sri Lanka, where a hotel reservation is enough, and a valid email address that receives the approval. The government fee depending on your nationality does not remove the need to file the ETA correctly: the declaration of your purpose, the dates and the passport details still have to be accurate and complete, and an incomplete or inconsistent application is a frequent reason for a refusal or a request for more information. There is no photograph to upload for the ETA.
The declaration is reviewed against the categories on the official portal before submission, so the right purpose is selected and nothing obvious is missing when it reaches the authority.
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
Three steps from start to approval.
Complete the form
Answer the official questions online. Your draft is saved for 30 days, so you can finish once your documents are to hand.
Pay securely
You see the one all-inclusive price before you pay. We check your application for completeness before it reaches the government portal.
Receive by email
Your approved travel authorisation arrives by email. Bring it, or a copy, together with the passport you applied with when you travel.
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 1-3 business days; Rush 1 business day; Super Rush less than 6 hours. 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.
Sri Lanka help desk
Have questions about your ETA? Email the Sri Lanka desk and we reply within 24 hours.
srilanka@visitpass-online.com