Drone photo of Blue beach island in south Sri Lanka at sunset

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:

VFS Global-operated Sri Lanka e-visa website located at Srilankaevisa.lk

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.

Sri Lanka e-visa website suspension notice screenshot

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.

Sri Lanka official e-visa portal
The formerly retired and un-retired Sri Lanka ETA website

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.

Sri Lanka e visa system step 1

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

Sri Lanka electronic travel authorization system step 2

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

Sri Lanka e visa system step 3

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.

Sri Lanka e visa system step 3 declaration

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.

Sri Lanka e visa system fees

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.

Sri Lanka e visa system fee table
* the fees are always subject to change.

Read more: Is it safe to travel to Sri Lanka? Here is my take

5. Select your payment method and pay

Sri Lanka e visa system step 5 payment

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.

Sri Lanka e visa system acknowledgment

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

Sri Lanka ETA approval e-mail screenshot

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

Sri Lanka visa on arrival counters

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:

Share this article!

Enjoyed reading this article? Subscribe to the mailing list!

* Unsubscribe at any time. Your e-mail address will only ever be used to send the occasional Yoga, Wine & Travel newsletter.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.