Visa policy of Sri Lanka
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All travellers visiting Sri Lanka for short-stay purposes (tourism or business) are required to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before arrival to Sri Lanka, unless they are exempt from obtaining one.[1][2] However, citizens of some countries must obtain a visa in advance before being allowed to enter Sri Lanka. All visitors must hold a passport valid for 6 months.[3]
Visa policy map
Visa exemption
Ordinary passports
Citizens of the following countries are eligible to obtain a free ETA to enter Sri Lanka, for stays up to the duration listed below:[4][5]
|
90 days 60 days
30 days |
# - Exempt from the requirement to obtain an ETA as per bilateral arrangements.
1 - 90 days within any 1-year period.
- Holders of a United Nations Passport, regardless of nationality, do not need a visa to enter Sri Lanka for a maximum stay of up to 90 days.
- Holders of a Interpol Passport, regardless of nationality, do not need a visa to enter Sri Lanka for a maximum stay of up to 90 days.
Non-ordinary passports
Holders of diplomatic, official, service or special passports of the following countries do not need a visa to enter Sri Lanka, for stays up to the duration listed below:[6][7][8]
|
D – Diplomatic passports
O – Official passports
S – Service passports
Sp – Special passports
PA – Passports endorsed for "public affairs".
1 – 90 days
2 – 30 days
3 – 60 days, 90 days within any 1 year-period.
4 – 90 days within any 180-day period.
5 – 30 days within any 60-day period.
Visa required in advance
Citizens of the following countries are ineligible to apply for ETA independently,[3] and thus must obtain a visa in advance from one of the Sri Lankan diplomatic missions around the world:[9]
When obtaining a visa at a Sri Lankan diplomatic mission, they must present the following documents:[9]
- Police clearance report
- If the applicant is coming from another country after staying for more than 6 months, are required to provide Police clearance from that country and copy of the Visa
- Certificate from a Sri Lankan guarantor & a photocopy of the guarantors NIC
- Affidavit from a Sri Lankan JP (justice of peace) or a Lawyer
- Accommodation information (place of stay)
Entry restrictions
Mandatory yellow fever vaccination
Citizens of the following countries must present a yellow fever vaccination certificate upon arrival in order to enter Sri Lanka:[9]
History
In 2012, Sri Lanka launched an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system, created and operated by Mobitel, a state-owned enterprise.[10]
On 17 April 2024, Sri Lanka replaced its previous Electronic Travel Authorisation system with a new e-Visa system,[11] operated by VFS Global.[12][10]
On 2 August 2024, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka issued an interim order, which suspended the e-Visa system operated by VFS Global and ordered the restoration of the previous ETA system operated by Mobitel.[13]
On 4 August 2024, Ada Derana reported that the Ministry of Public Security would make a final decision the next day, and noted that the suspension of the e-Visa system meant that tourists needed to obtain their visas on arrival.[14]
On 5 August 2024, the Department of Immigration and Emigration notified the Sri Lankan diplomatic missions around the world of the discontinuation of the e-Visa system.[15] According to Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles, the old ETA system has yet to be reinstated due to changes made to the Department of Immigration and Emigration's computer system.[16]
On 2 September 2024, Sri Lanka decided to implement visa-free access for citizens of 38 countries, including India, China, Thailand, the UK, the USA, and Indonesia. Although it was initially planned to be implemented on 1 October 2024, the decision was advanced due to the inconvenience caused to tourists at the visa-on-arrival counters, where overcrowding was a significant issue.[17]
As of October 15, 2025, travelers visiting Sri Lanka for short stays must obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before departure.[18]
Visitor statistics
Most visitors arriving in Sri Lanka on a short-term basis were from the following countries:[19][20][21]
| Country | 2025 (Jan - Nov) | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 474,796 | 416,974 | 302,844 | 123,004 | 56,268 | 89,357 | 355,002 |
| United Kingdom | 191,742 | 178,339 | 130,088 | 85,187 | 16,646 | 55,455 | 198,776 |
| Russia | 158,593 | 201,920 | 197,498 | 91,272 | 16,984 | 49,397 | 86,549 |
| Germany | 131,259 | 136,084 | 102,539 | 55,542 | 12,442 | 34,507 | 134,899 |
| China[22] | 121,671 | 131,681 | 68,789 | 4,715 | 2,417 | 26,147 | 167,863 |
| France | 101,771 | 88,775 | 56,251 | 35,482 | 6,549 | 24,838 | 87,623 |
| Australia | 94,667 | 89,573 | 67,436 | 30,924 | 4,421 | 20,283 | 92,674 |
| Netherlands | 59,589 | 50,116 | 29,056 | 11,987 | 2,422 | 8,656 | 38,993 |
| United States | 57,449 | 59,532 | 46,344 | 22,230 | 6,124 | 16,842 | 68,832 |
| Bangladesh | 55,110 | 39,555 | 17,846 | 3,817 | 1,496 | 1,986 | 8,261 |
| Poland | 43,119 | 44,165 | 17,946 | 15,195 | 2,110 | 11,908 | 20,896 |
| Italy | 43,948 | 38,709 | 22,242 | 7,449 | 1,309 | 8,603 | 36,147 |
| Spain | 42,794 | 37,928 | 23,905 | 12,895 | 2,015 | 3,385 | 24,489 |
| Canada | 42,195 | 42,212 | 43,944 | 26,845 | 5,079 | 12,346 | 48,729 |
| Japan | 33,756 | 30,429 | 19,583 | 3,087 | 392 | 6,644 | 30,079 |
| Maldives | 33,278 | 47,222 | 37,298 | 18,880 | 6,272 | 9,407 | 60,278 |
| Switzerland | 30,143 | 29,829 | 23,556 | 13,260 | 2,974 | 6,389 | 29,981 |
| Malaysia | 21,436 | 18,259 | 10,940 | 2,779 | 323 | 3,494 | 16,861 |
| Israel | 21,076 | 24,845 | 19,517 | 9,326 | 1,724 | 3,556 | 14,770 |
| Pakistan | 20,701 | 13,451 | 10,744 | 6,260 | 7,520 | 3,065 | 14,655 |
| Belgium | 19,503 | 17,219 | 10,667 | 6,164 | 1,283 | 3,371 | 14,948 |
| Czech Republic | 16,367 | 19,279 | 12,056 | 7,350 | 1,864 | 7,599 | 19,204 |
| Austria | 15,568 | 17,103 | 10,594 | 5,541 | 1,502 | 4,300 | 14,713 |
| Denmark | 15,430 | 14,952 | 10,346 | 7,278 | 1,302 | 4,905 | 16,869 |
| Singapore | 13,105 | 12,591 | 9,551 | 3,770 | 557 | 2,545 | 13,871 |
| New Zealand | 11,606 | 11,282 | 7,913 | 2,866 | 325 | 2,324 | 12,463 |
| Norway | 11,284 | 11,399 | 8,747 | 5,983 | 1,141 | 3,019 | 13,446 |
| South Korea | 10,825 | 10,800 | 7,298 | 1,843 | 389 | 2,499 | 12,195 |
| Sweden | 10,670 | 13,413 | 8,643 | 5,097 | 1,601 | 7,061 | 22,464 |
| Ireland | 9,388 | 8,747 | 5,136 | 3,056 | 559 | 2,294 | 8,254 |
| Iran | 9,143 | 10,858 | 10,322 | 4,301 | 397 | 648 | 3,249 |
| Kazakhstan | 8,510 | 11,383 | 5,130 | 8,068 | 5,754 | 2,333 | 2,399 |
| Belarus | 8,497 | 10,933 | 10,969 | 3,621 | 646 | 2,638 | 4,796 |
| Thailand | 7,812 | 7,246 | 4,922 | 1,725 | 247 | 1,880 | 9,861 |
| Ukraine | 7, 515 | 7,099 | 5,082 | 14,917 | 7,037 | 17,169 | 35,051 |
| Turkey | 7,434 | 6,673 | 3,739 | 1,514 | 309 | 2,121 | 4,972 |
| Portugal | 7,281 | 6,489 | 3,943 | 1,906 | 372 | 1,602 | 5,193 |
| Slovakia | 6,346 | 6,710 | 4,464 | 2,432 | 664 | 1,513 | 4,944 |
| Philippines | 6,269 | 5,267 | 4,164 | 1,961 | 529 | 4,249 | 14,590 |
| Lithuania | 5,855 | 6,395 | 2,722 | 2,115 | 383 | 1,054 | 2,793 |
| Saudi Arabia | 5,785 | 5,887 | 6,797 | 5,952 | 1,596 | 4,755 | 15,707 |
| Hungary | 5,455 | 6,580 | 3,786 | 2,324 | 445 | 1,588 | 4,091 |
| United Arab Emirates | 5,275 | 4,296 | |||||
| Nepal | 5,182 | 4,463 | 4,750 | 1,065 | 325 | 1,384 | 5,414 |
| Romania | 5,036 | 6,407 | 4,092 | 3,313 | 820 | 1,724 | 5,463 |
| Indonesia | 4,599 | 3,744 | |||||
| South Africa | 4,427 | 4,872 | 3,444 | 1,502 | 272 | 1,364 | 7,132 |
| Finland | 4,249 | 4,276 | 2,287 | 1,500 | 341 | 2,298 | 7,028 |
| Egypt | 3,877 | 4,069 | 3,091 | 2,340 | 400 | 956 | 3,708 |
| Greece | 3,813 | 2,853 | |||||
| Bulgaria | 3,638 | 3,699 | |||||
| Vietnam | 3,462 | 2,963 | |||||
| Estonia | 3,445 | 3,800 | 1,808 | 978 | 376 | 1,185 | 2,516 |
| Slovenia | 3,234 | 3,477 | 1,927 | 602 | 91 | 800 | 2,926 |
| Lebanon | 3,085 | 3,438 | 3,347 | 1,606 | 547 | 483 | 4,304 |
| Latvia | 3,021 | 3,570 | |||||
| Seychelles | 2,890 | 2,691 | |||||
| Jordan | 2,704 | 2,823 | |||||
| Oman | 2,473 | 2,775 | |||||
| Myanmar | 2,410 | 1,515 | |||||
| Armenia | 2,067 | 2,634 | |||||
| Serbia | 2,034 | 2,015 | |||||
| Brazil | 1,847 | 1,945 | |||||
| Croatia | 1,741 | 1,859 | |||||
| Kuwait | 1,739 | 1,885 | |||||
| Iraq | 1,560 | 1,012 | |||||
| Azerbaijan | 1,252 | 2,035 | |||||
| Bahrain | 1,229 | 1,169 | |||||
| Sudan | 1,178 | 941 | |||||
| Cyprus | 1,132 | 1,194 | |||||
| Cambodia | 1,121 | 1,183 | |||||
| Kenya | 1,052 | 807 | |||||
| Mexico | 1,031 | 1,068 | |||||
| Morocco | 1,021 | 1,042 | |||||
| Taiwan | n/a | n/a | 4,999 | 363 | 42 | 1,985 | 7,127 |
| Countries below 1000 | 22,248 | ||||||
| Total | 2,103,593 | 2,053,465 | 1,487,303 | 719,978 | 194,495 | 507,704 | 1,913,702 |
See also
- Visa requirements for Sri Lankan citizens
- Tourism in Sri Lanka
- Foreign relations of Sri Lanka
- Sri Lankan passport
References
- ^ "IMPORTANT NOTICE". immigration.gov.lk. Department of Immigration and Emigration. 14 October 2025. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ^ "SL ETA".
- ^ a b "Visa and passport". Timatic. International Air Transport Association through Emirates. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
- ^ "IMPORTANT NOTICE". immigration.gov.lk. Department of Immigration and Emigration. 14 October 2025. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ^ "ETA mandatory for tourists arriving Sri Lanka from tomorrow". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ^ "Gratis Visa".
- ^ "Visa fee".
- ^ "Diplomatic & Official Visits".
- ^ a b c "Information".
- ^ a b Pethiyagoda, Rohan David (4 August 2024). "The VFS Visa Fraud in Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka Guardian". slguardian.org. Sri Lanka Guardian. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ "Sri Lanka implements new online visa system from today". Travel Trade Journal. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "Sri Lanka opposition leader questions visa fee hike". EconomyNext. 19 April 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ Padmanabhan, Keshav (3 August 2024). "Sri Lankan Supreme Court suspends controversial e-visa scheme run by consortium including Indian firm". ThePrint. ThePrint.
- ^ "Sri Lankan e-visa issuance suspended; final decision tomorrow". www.adaderana.lk. Ada Derana. 4 August 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ Samath, Feizal (6 August 2024). "Sri Lanka reverts to old visa scheme". TTG Asia. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- ^ "Sri Lanka online tourist e-visa resumption date uncertain: Minister". EconomyNext. 9 August 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
- ^ "Sri Lanka to implement "One Chop" visa-free system for 38 countries". NewsWire. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
- ^ VisasNews (15 October 2025). "Sri Lanka: ETA now mandatory before departure". VisasNews. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ^ "TOURIST ARRIVALS BY COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE 2016" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 July 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
- ^ "Tourist Arrivals by Region – December 2016 & December October 2018" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 November 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:0was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Including Hong Kong and Macau. Taiwan possibly also included from 2024.