Besides the nationals from Singapore, the Republic of Maldives, the Republic of Seychelles, and Czech Republic, who can enjoy the perks of a free 30 day on arrival visa, other passport holders are not exempted.
If you are a national not from the countries listed above, you must apply for an ETA online in order to be allowed entry into Sri Lanka. However, there is a possibility of more countries being added to the exemption list in the near future, we will keep you updated on which countries make this list.
The Sri Lankan visa system is easy to navigate, but, if you want a hassle-free experience, use Arabiers Sri Lanka visa services.
The cost of a Sri Lankan tourist visa depends on your nationality. For a 30 day double entry tourist visa, if your country is part of SAARC, the ETA processing fee is USD 20. The SAARC countries on this list are: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal. The cost is USD 50 for all other countries.
Visa application is free of charge for children under 12 years of age. Besides the exempted countries, you will need to pay a visa fee of USD 25 (SAARC countries) or USD 60, for on arrival tourist visa. These fees are non-refundable and non-transferable, irrelevant of the circumstances.
A new visa regime was introduced for nationals of China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan, where they can enjoy a 30 day free visa period. However, they need to apply for an ETA before arriving in Sri Lanka and need to pay fees for visa extensions.
You do not have to visit the Sri Lankan Embassy or Consular Office you country to apply for tourist visa to Sri Lanka. There are several ways from visa application centres to VFS Global or visa agencies such as Arabiers.
If you are looking for a stress free way of obtaining an e-tourist visa or ETA, a visa agency is one of your best options. At Arabiers, our representatives will do all the hard work for you. All you have to do is provide the necessary documents.
Follow these steps to apply a Sri Lanka tourist visa:
If the Ministry of Foreign Affairs denies your visa application, you will receive a notification about the rejection and the reasons why your visa was denied. We will also inform you if there is another chance to apply for visa and after how long you can apply again.
You will need the following documents to complete a Sri Lanka tourist visa application:
The Sri Lankan double entry tourist visa is only valid for 30 days. If you wish to spend more days in the country, you will need to apply for a visa extension which can be extended up to six months.
You must enter Sri Lanka within three months from the date the tourist visa was issued for it to be valid.
You will be charged an extension fee, which can vary depending on the type of visa obtained, when applying for the Sri Lanka tourist visa extension. There are four types of tourist visa extensions; ETA, 30-day or 6 months tourist visa obtained before 27th of September 2024 and a 30 days free tourist visa for seven nationals.
The ETA and 30 day tourist visa can be extended online through the visa extension portal or by visiting the Department of Immigration & Emigration in Battaramulla. For the seven nationals that belong to China, India, Russia, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, extension for 30 days free tourist visa can also be obtained online or by visiting The immigration department.
The six months tourist visa can only be extended online, for 60 more days by dedicating the double entry facility. Before submitting an extension make sure your passport is valid for at least two months after the intended stay.
In order to extend your visit visa, you will need a return air ticket, an address and phone number of the place of accommodation, an application along with a photo of the applicant and a valid passport.
You can check the application status from the Arabiers page, using your unique reference number, if you have applied for ETA through Arabiers. Alternatively, contact the specialized ETA call center, which is open 24/7 at +94 71 99 67 888.