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Tourist ETA — free scheme for 40 listed countries

Sri LankaShort stays and visits

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Explore pathways in Sri Lanka Read the five questions ↓

For the relevant traveller scope, is a visa, electronic authorisation, visa on arrival or no advance visa normally required?

All foreign nationals, including nationals of the 40 listed countries (e.g. Australia, China, India, Japan, United Kingdom), are required to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) prior to arrival; for nationals of the listed countries holding Diplomatic, Official, Service or Ordinary passports, the tourist ETA is free of charge under this scheme.

See recorded sources
  • https://www.immigration.gov.lk/pages_e.php?id=60
    all foreign nationals, including nationals of the above-mentioned 40 countries and nationals with the bilateral reciprocal agreements with Sri Lanka (i.e. Maldives, Seychelles and Singapore) are required to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) prior to their arrival in Sri Lanka.
  • https://www.immigration.gov.lk/pages_e.php?id=60
    Nationals of the above-mentioned countries holding Diplomatic, Official, Service, or Ordinary passports are eligible to obtain tourist visa (ETA) free-of-charge under this scheme.
  • https://www.immigration.gov.lk/pages_e.php?id=60
    Full country list (40, verbatim incl. source typos): AUSTRALIA, AUSTRIA, BAHARAIN(sic), BELARUS, BELGIUM, CANADA, CHINA, CZECH REPUBLIC, DENMARK, FINLAND, FRANCE, GERMANY, INDIA, INDONESIA, IRAN, ISRAEL, ITALY, JAPAN, KAZAKAZTHAN(sic), KUWAIT, MALAYSIA, NEPAL, NETHERLAND(sic), NEW ZEALAND, NORWAY, OMAN, PAKISTAN, POLAND, QATAR, RUSSIA, SAUDI ARABIA, SOUTH KOREA, SPAIN, SWEDEN, SWISTZERLAND(sic), THAILAND, TURKEY, UAE, UNITED KINGDOM, UNITED SATATES OF AMERICA(sic).

What short-visit purposes does this route cover?

This is the tourist ETA, covering short tourist visits by nationals of the 40 listed countries.

See recorded sources

What maximum stay, rolling-period rule, validity and entry rules apply?

The free ETA is valid for 30 days, with double-entry permitted from the date of first arrival within that 30-day validity window; a traveller who wants to stay beyond 30 days may apply for a paid visa extension.

See recorded sources
  • immigration.gov.lk pages_e.php?id=60, Conditions
    tourists are entitled to a tourist visa (ETA) free of charge valid for 30 days (Maldivian nationals will receive 90 days), with double-entry facility permitted from the date of first arrival in Sri Lanka within the 30-day validity period.
  • immigration.gov.lk pages_e.php?id=60, Conditions
    Applicants who have obtained a free visa and wish to remain in Sri Lanka beyond 30 days may apply for a visa extension upon payment of the applicable visa fee.

What important funds, accommodation, invitation, insurance, onward-travel or passport evidence may be required?

The general requirements for all Sri Lankan visas apply: a passport valid for a minimum period of six months from the date of arrival; Immigration must be satisfied that the traveller has adequate funds for maintenance in Sri Lanka and for the return passage; and a visit visa holder must hold a written assurance (ticket) to return to the country of domicile or a visa to the next country of destination.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • These are general requirements for all Sri Lankan visas, not ETA-specific; eta.gov.lk not read for scheme-specific evidence.

Where/how is permission obtained when required, and under what important circumstances can a stay be extended or changed?

Tourist or business travellers can obtain an ETA for entering Sri Lanka at eta.gov.lk. The ETA for nationals of the 40 listed countries is processed free of charge; ETA fees paid before 25.05.2026 are non-refundable. Nationals of all other countries remain subject to the general Sri Lanka ETA rules. Extensions of extendable visas are applied for to the Department of Immigration and Emigration or online; the extension is single entry and is cancelled once the holder leaves the country.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The paid extension beyond 30 days for free-ETA holders is stated on the page but already cited by the protected R3 answer and is not repeated here.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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