Visa policy of Sri Lanka

All visitors to Sri Lanka must obtain a visa, either on arrival to Sri Lanka or in advance. Most visitors entering for tourism purposes are required to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) in order to receive a visa on arrival, unless they are exempt from obtaining one. However, nationals of some countries must obtain a visa in advance instead of an ETA before being allowed to enter Sri Lanka. All visitors must hold a passport valid for 6 months.

Visa policy map

Gratis visa

On the basis of reciprocity, citizens of the following countries need neither a prior visa nor an ETA to enter Sri Lanka, as a gratis visa is granted automatically upon arrival for up to the duration listed below:

Maldives (30 days, extendable up to 180 days)
Seychelles (60 days, up to 90 days per calendar year)
Singapore (30 days, extendable up to 180 days)

Gratis electronic travel authorization

From 24 October 2023 to 31 March 2024, citizens of the following seven countries are eligible for a gratis visa for tourism purposes only, valid for a maximum stay of 30 days.

To qualify for the gratis visa, they must apply for a free electronic travel authorization, either on arrival or online.

Non-ordinary passports

Holders of diplomatic, official, service or special passports of the following countries do not need a visa to enter Sri Lanka, as they are automatically granted a gratis visa upon arrival in Sri Lanka for the following period, depending on nationality:

ASEAN countries² ^D ^O ^S (except Brunei, Laos and Malaysia)

Bahrain² ^D ^Sp
Bangladesh² ^D ^O ^S
Belarus² ^D ^O
Brazil² ^D ^O ^S
Chile² ^D ^O
China² ^D ^O ^S ^PA
Cuba² ^D

Georgia⁴ ^D ^O ^S
Hong Kong² ^D ^O ^S ^Sp
India² ^D ^O
Iran² ^D ^O ^S
Kazakhstan² ^D ^S
Kenya² ^D ^O
Maldives¹ ^D ^O

Oman² ^D ^S ^Sp
Pakistan² ^D ^O
Qatar² ^D ^O
Romania⁴ ^D
Russia² ^D ^O ^S
Seychelles³ ^D ^O
Ukraine⁵ ^D ^O ^S

_{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 during one trip, but no more than 90 days within any 1 year-period.}
_{4 - 90 days within any 180-day period.}
_{5 - 30 days within any 60-day period.}

Electronic travel authorization

Citizens of most other countries except the ETA-exempt countries and countries whose citizens require a visa in advance may obtain an ETA either on arrival to Sri Lanka or online; however, visitors are encouraged to obtain the ETA online in order to avoid lengthy delays at the port of entry. Holders of an ETA can then obtain a visa on arrival by presenting their ETA and passport to a Sri Lankan immigration officer. A visa obtained on arrival is valid for 30 days, but can be extended up to 180 days. Business purpose ETAs can only be obtained from one of the Sri Lankan diplomatic missions around the world, as well as the head office of the Department of Immigration and Emigration.

ETA restrictions

ETA applications lodged by citizens of Pakistan are required to be subject to additional processing by the Department of Immigration and Emigration.

Visa on arrival

Citizens of the following countries and territories are ineligible to obtain an electronic travel authorization, but may obtain a visa on arrival in Sri Lanka. When obtaining a visa on arrival, they must provide a passport photo and fill in additional paperwork, such as a "Declaration of Identity for Visa Purpose", in order to be granted the visa.

Taiwan
Syria

Visa required in advance

Citizens of the following 6 countries are ineligible to apply for both an ETA and a visa on arrival independently, and thus must obtain a visa in advance from one of the Sri Lankan diplomatic missions around the world:

Nigeria^*
North Korea

* - May apply for an ETA at the head office of the Department of Immigration and Emigration through a Sri Lankan sponsor.

Entry restrictions

Citizens of the following 7 countries are specifically required to hold return or onward tickets in order to enter Sri Lanka:

North Korea

In addition, citizens of North Korea are refused entry and transit, unless they have been approved or cleared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to enter or transit in Sri Lanka.

Statistics

Most visitors arriving to Sri Lanka on a short-term basis in 2018 were from the following countries:
Rank	Country	2016	2017	2018
1	India	356,729	384,628	424,887
2	China	271,577	268,952	265,965
3	United Kingdom	188,159	201,879	254,176
4	Germany	133,275	130,227	156,888
5	Australia	74,496	81,281	110,928
6	France	96,440	97,282	106,449
7	Maldives	95,167	79,371	76,108
8	United States	54,254	57,479	75,308
9	Russia	58,176	59,191	65,497
10	Netherlands	41,373	51,148	57,160
	Total Foreign Arrivals	2,050,832	2,116,407	2,333,796