How to Apply for a Sri Lanka E-Visa: Step-By-Step Guide (2025)
Planning on applying for a tourist visa for Sri Lanka? Here is what you need to know.
There have been many, many changes with the Sri Lanka e-visa process over the past few months – so many, in fact, that they made my head spin. And if you’ve landed on this page I imagine they made your head spin too!
Which is why I’ve put together this updated Sri Lanka e-visa guide to show you exactly what to expect and how to apply for your Sri Lanka ETA (electronic travel authorization) without any issues.
Sri Lanka e-visa changes: Recap
Let me start with a quick recap of all of the back-and-forth changes to the e-visa process in Sri Lanka over the past few months:
In mid-April 2024, Sri Lanka announced that it was retiring the former ETA system and that it was outsourcing the e-visa handling to a company called VFS Global – an organization that handles visa processing for many governments as well as providing Schengen visa services.
Some kerfuffle immediately ensued as the former, long-established ETA website (eta.gov.lk) unceremoniously simply returned a 404 error instead of being redirected, and it appeared that the single entry ETA had been scrapped. The immigration website and consulate websites hadn’t been updated at that time, and travelers were unsure as to whether the new Sri Lanka e-visa website was legitimate and official.
Fast forward to a few months later on August 2nd, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka ordered for the VFS-operated e-visa website to be suspended, and the website immediately returned this announcement above.
Between August 2nd to September 26th there was no functioning e-visa system in Sri Lanka, and travelers had to rely on on-arrival visas at the airport.
However, as of September 27th 2024 the former ETA website located at eta.gov.lk and operated by SLT Mobitel was reinstated – it is now officially back up and running.
It was also announced earlier that Sri Lanka would allow visa-free entry to Sri Lanka from October 1st 2024 until April 2025 for citizens of 30+ countries including the UK, Australia, Germany, China, India, the US, France and more, however this has hit a stumbling block and has not been formally approved yet. So until an announcement comes out you should apply for your ETA or visa-on-arrival as usual.
In short, within a span of 6 months the old ETA system was replaced with a new e-visa website, which was later suspended and replaced with the old ETA system again: full circle.
What exactly is the difference between a Sri Lanka ETA and Sri Lanka e-visa?
ETA is an official “electronic travel authorization” for a short visit to Sri Lanka, and those who hold an approved ETA will then be issued a 30-day short visit visa at the port of entry in Sri Lanka. Essentially, “ETA” and “e-visa” can be used somewhat interchangeably as they serve the same purpose: if you hold a Sri Lanka ETA you should be granted a Sri Lanka visa once you arrive in the country.
Almost all visitors are required to apply for the Sri Lanka ETA except for citizens of The Republic of Singapore, The Republic of Maldives and The Republic of Seychelles.
You may also like: Important things to know before traveling to Sri Lanka and this 2 week Sri Lanka itinerary for first time visitors
How to apply for a Sri Lanka ETA
Though the Sri Lanka e-visa process has gone through a turbulent period, the (slightly clunky but perfectly effective) ETA system is back and relatively fuss-free. Read on for the steps to apply for your Sri Lanka visa online.
1. Visit the official Sri Lanka ETA website
First of all, head to the Sri Lanka ETA website here: https://eta.gov.lk/, note that this is the only official online visa website for Sri Lanka.
Select your language, and then hit the “Apply” tab here which will open up a new tab containing the terms and conditions. Check “Agree” and move onto the next step.
2. Choose type of visa
The Sri Lanka tourist ETA is valid for 30 days from the date of your first entry. It allows double entry within that 30 days, and can be extended online, via an agent or in person in Colombo – for the purposes of this guide I will focus on the tourist ETA, and most people will be applying for an individual (yourself). Note that if you are applying for a business visa/ETA you likely need to provide a company invitation letter.
Looking for more Sri Lanka travel tips and destination guides? Click here for everything you need to help plan your trip to Sri Lanka!
3. Complete the form
The next step is fairly straightforward – fill in the fields which ask for details such as your name, nationality, passport number and expiry date, previous travel information, intended arrival date, purpose of visit, contact details and so on.
At the end of the form you will be asked to declare whether a few statements are true, and that you’ve filled out the form accurately before you hit “Next”.
4. Review information
Next, you will need to verify and ensure that the details you entered are accurate. If you scroll down, it will also show you the visa fee.
As of 2024* here are the Sri Lanka ETA fees, it is US$50 (plus a small credit card processing fee) for a 30-day ETA for most nationalities. A number of nationalities are eligible for a free e-visa (currently China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan), but must still apply for the ETA online first.
Read more: Is it safe to travel to Sri Lanka? Here is my take
5. Select your payment method and pay
The next step of the Sri Lanka visa application is also pretty straightforward – select a payment method. The e-visa system in Sri Lanka currently accepts several credit cards.
The system can be finicky, if the system doesn’t accept your card you may have to try another.
Once the payment is complete, you will be taken to a confirmation page with the application reference number (the same thing will be e-mailed to you). This is not the e-visa.
6. Wait for the Sri Lanka electronic visa/ETA approval
So, how long does it take for the Sri Lanka e-visa to be approved? I submitted my online Sri Lanka visa application and received an e-mail confirmation that my “… ETA application to visit Sri Lanka has been received” immediately. Another 6 minutes later and I received the approved ETA in my e-mail inbox! Yes, you read that right – 6 minutes.
That being said, it can take the Sri Lanka electronic visa 24 hours and up to process and it doesn’t seem to be consistent across the board. You can also check the status of your Sri Lanka e-visa application here.
I would therefore recommend applying at least 1 week ahead of your flight. To save time at the airport you should also fill out the digital arrival form as paper forms may not always be handed out in-flight.
Sri Lanka visa on arrival
Travelers from eligible countries can also opt to apply for a 30-day Sri Lanka visa on arrival at the international airport. However, the lines can be significant – especially during the peak travel season – so I don’t usually recommend this option for people who are arriving late at night or traveling with children and/or the elderly.
You may also find these guides helpful:
- Read more about whether it is safe to visit Sri Lanka here
- There are some common misconceptions about Sri Lanka – here are some important things to know before you visit Sri Lanka
- Wondering what NOT to do in Sri Lanka? Here are some common Sri Lanka travel mistakes you’ll want to avoid
- Start your Sri Lanka travel planning here with a list of some of the top destinations in Sri Lanka
- And get inspired with this classic 2 weeks in Sri Lanka itinerary or this express 1 week Sri Lanka itinerary
- Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle is unmissable – here are 7 places you can’t miss
- Colombo is the transportation gateway to the rest of Sri Lanka. Here is my Colombo city guide
- Did you know? Sri Lanka is one of the best places in the world to see elephants in the wild. Here is where to see elephants in Sri Lanka
- I’ve loved experiencing boutique and luxury hotels around the island. Here are some of my favorite hotels in Sri Lanka
- Explore the full collection of Sri Lanka travel guides here
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