TOURIST VISA

Tourist Visas are issued to bona-fide tourists who wish to visit Sri Lanka for sightseeing or holidaying, visiting friends & relatives, medical treatments including Ayurvedic, participate in sports events competitions and activities relating to cultural performance for a short period of time.

Conditions for tourist visa holders:

• Visitors cannot engage in any form of employment, paid or unpaid, in any trade/business during their stay.
• The visa must be utilized before the specified date of expiry.
• An extension of two (2) months beyond the original 30 days shall be granted at the Department of Immigration & Emigration, if required.
• Further extensions will be considered only with valid reasons. This restriction will not apply to ex-Sri Lankans.
• For minors below the age 12, ETA will be issued free of charge.

Required documents for Tourist Visa:

• Duly filled Tourist Visa Application Form  Tourist-Business-Visa-application-form.pdf
• Current Passport (valid for at least 6 months from the expected date of arrival).
• One recent passport-sized (3.5cm x 4.5cm) photograph
• Flight reservation of a return ticket

How to apply for Tourist Visa:

• Sri Lanka has introduced an online system to issue an authorization (Electronic Travel Authorization or ETA) for short visits, which can be obtained by applicants on their own through gov.lk
• To apply for an ETA, visit ONLY the official ETA website gov.lk. It has been reported that third-party websites offer Sri Lankan ETA and charge exorbitant amounts. The government of Sri Lanka would not be liable for any payment made to these third-party sites or agencies.
• Applying at our counter: If you so require, we can facilitate your ETA application. You can submit your application by visiting us in person after obtaining a prior appointment through our website embassy.gov.lk. You can obtain an appointment on any working day between 9.30am -1.30pm. through the link provided in the website.
• Submitting via post:You can also submit your application for ETA for more than 30 days (Up to 90 days) via post. You must send the application to us at least 7 working days prior to your departure.

Payment

Visa Fee

For Payments at the Counter:

• Payment must be made at the time of tendering the application, and the receipt should be kept for reference.
• Personal/Company cheques not accepted.
• All payments are non-refundable.

For Applications submitted via post–The scanned copy of the receipt will be emailed to the applicant after the payment is received and  the application is processed.

 Check list and sample ETA Application Form

Tourist-Business-Visa-application-form.pdf

Check-List-Tourist-Visa-1.pdf

TRANSIT VISA

Please note that if you are not leaving the airport, a transit visa is not required.

A Transit Visa is an entry permit granted to a foreign national for admission into Sri Lanka for a brief period which is incidental and during his journey to another destination. Those who want to transit through Sri Lanka should also obtain an ETA by paying the relevant ETA Processing fee. However, if the transit period is less than 48 hrs, passengers are not required to pay the ETA Processing Fee.

The applicants themselves or a third party on their behalf can apply for a transit ETA by submitting an ETA application online via the ETA website www.eta.gov.lk