Sri Lanka visa and entry requirements

Sri Lanka's ETA portal says a traveller planning a holiday visit, a short business trip or a transit needs to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before arrival. Its fee table gives USD 50 for a tourist ETA (USD 20 for South Asian countries), or USD 60 (USD 25) on arrival, and says that from 25 May 2026 nationals of 40 listed countries, including India, China and Russia, can obtain the tourist ETA free of charge for 30 days.

Every fact on this page verified on or after: Aug 25, 2026· How this site works

Check requirements for your passport

Requirements differ by nationality. Select your passport above, or scan the full table below.

Visas & entry authorisations

Tourist Visa (ETA) with Double Entry for 30 days

Fee
Not published
Processing
—
Stay per entry
30 days
Entries
double

The ETA portal lists USD 50 for countries outside South Asia and USD 20 for South Asian countries. It says the tourist ETA is free for 30 days for nationals of 40 listed countries from 25 May 2026, for Singapore and Seychelles (30 days) and the Maldives (90 days) under reciprocal and bilateral agreements, and for children of any nationality under 12 (up to 30 days).

Apply on the official site Verified Oct 7, 2026 · eta.gov.lk · archived copy

Tourist Visa Extension

Fee
Not published
Processing
—

The Department of Immigration and Emigration's tourist visa extension fee chart runs in bands counted from arrival — days 31–90, 91–180 and 181–270: USD 100, 150 and 200 for the countries it names, including the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Switzerland and Norway; USD 100 and USD 200 for the United States; free, then USD 150 and 200, for Singapore, the Maldives, Seychelles and the Czech Republic; and USD 60, 150 and 200 for any other country. The ETA portal says short-term extensions beyond 30 days are applied for at eservices.immigration.gov.lk after you arrive in Sri Lanka.

Apply on the official site Verified Oct 7, 2026 · immigration.gov.lk

Entry requirements

Passport validity

The ETA portal says ETA holders need a passport valid for not less than 6 months from the date of arrival.

At least 1 blank page required. Compare every country

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · eta.gov.lk · archived copyCompare every country

Vaccinations

Conditional
  • Yellow fever (ICVP) — WHO's Annex 1 lists Sri Lanka as requiring proof of yellow fever vaccination from travellers aged 9 months or over arriving from countries at risk of yellow fever transmission, including travellers who have transited more than 12 hours through the airport of such a country.
Verified Oct 3, 2026 · cdn.who.int · International Health Regulations (2005), Article 36Compare every country

Travel insurance

Not officially stated

No official source we could read makes travel insurance a condition of entry. The UK government says emergency medical treatment outside main cities is not readily available, treatment in private hospitals can be expensive, and options for repatriation in an emergency are limited and very expensive, and advises adequate travel health insurance.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · gov.uk

Onward or return ticket

Required

The ETA portal says all ETA holders should have a confirmed return ticket at the port of entry.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · eta.gov.lk

Proof of funds

Required

The ETA portal says all ETA holders should have sufficient funds to meet the expenses during the stay at the port of entry. No official source we could read sets an amount.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · eta.gov.lk

Staying past your permitted stay

Fine: 250 to 500 USD

A visitor who leaves within 7 days after the original visa expires pays only the applicable visa fee, at the port of departure, and no penalty. An overstay of more than 7 and up to 14 days costs a penalty of 250 US dollars, and one of more than 14 days a penalty of 500 US dollars, in each case on top of the applicable visa fee.

Verified Oct 12, 2026 · immigration.gov.lk · Gazette Extraordinary No. 2337/10 of 21 June 2023Compare every country

Customs & currency

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka's glossary describes a declaration to the Department of Customs where foreign exchange exceeds USD 15,000 or its equivalent in other foreign currencies.

  • The Government of Canada says exporting antiques without a proper licence is illegal.
Verified Oct 3, 2026 · cbsl.gov.lk

Yellow fever certificate

WHO's Annex 1 lists Sri Lanka as requiring proof of yellow fever vaccination from travellers aged 9 months or over arriving from countries at risk of yellow fever transmission, including travellers who have transited more than 12 hours through the airport of such a country.

The 42 countries WHO lists as a yellow fever risk

Requirements normally count any country you have been in shortly before arrival, not only where you boarded.

  • Angola
  • Argentina — Misiones and Corrientes Provinces
  • Benin
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burundi
  • Cameroon
  • Central African Republic
  • Chad
  • Colombia
  • Côte d'Ivoire
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Ecuador
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Ethiopia
  • French Guiana
  • Gabon
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • Guyana
  • Kenya
  • Liberia
  • Mali
  • Mauritania
  • Niger
  • Nigeria
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Republic of the Congo
  • Senegal
  • Sierra Leone
  • South Sudan
  • Sudan
  • Suriname
  • Togo
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Uganda
  • Venezuela
Compiled Aug 26, 2026 · cdn.who.int · International Health Regulations (2005), Article 36

International Health Regulations (2005), Article 36 and Annex 7; WHO International Travel and Health, Annex 1, 18 November 2022 (revised 3 January 2023)

Country in a nutshell

Currency
Sri Lankan rupee (LKR, Rs)
Safety — Exercise caution
The UK government says violent crimes against foreigners are rare but there has been an increase in incidents of low-level opportunistic crime, and that protests and demonstrations can happen anywhere across the island at short notice and can become violent. The Government of Canada advises a high degree of caution because of demonstrations, the threat of terrorist attacks and crime.Verified Oct 6, 2026 · gov.uk
Power plugs
D, G, M · 230V 50Hz
Emergency numbers
Police: 119 · Ambulance: 1990 · Fire: 111 · Tourist police: +94 11 242 1052
Languages
Sinhala, Tamil, English
Time zone
UTC+5:30
Driving side
left
International Driving Permit

Sri Lanka is a party to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (UN Treaty Collection). The UK government tells British drivers they need a 1949 international driving permit (IDP) and a Sri Lankan 'recognition permit' to drive a hire vehicle; the Automobile Association of Ceylon verifies their documents and issues the recognition permit. Canada's travel advice tells Canadians who plan to rent a car to bring their Canadian driver's licence or an International Driving Permit issued outside Sri Lanka and then obtain a temporary driver's licence or a recognition certificate, and says Canadian licences are accepted only at the Department of Motor Traffic and must be accompanied by a certified translation if not in English. No official source we could read states for how long a visitor may drive on a foreign licence.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · treaties.un.org · Convention on Road Traffic Compare every country
Tap water
not for drinking. Use bottled

Best time to visit

The Government of Canada says the rainy season (or monsoon) extends from December to February in the northeast and from May to September in the southwest, and that between them are two inter-monsoon seasons, March to April and October to November, when scattered but intense rainfall and thunderstorms are common.

Tips & warnings

The Government of Canada says the rainy season (or monsoon) extends from December to February in the northeast and from May to September in the southwest.

The UK government says disrespecting Buddhist images and artefacts is a serious offence that can lead to arrest, that visible tattoos of Buddha can get you refused entry or deported, and not to pose for photographs standing in front of a statue of Buddha.

Visa requirements by nationality

PassportsVisas & entry authorisationsMax stay
AfghanistanETA30 days
AlbaniaETA30 days
AlgeriaETA30 days
AndorraETA30 days
AngolaETA30 days
Antigua and BarbudaETA30 days
ArgentinaETA30 days
ArmeniaETA30 days
AustraliaETA30 days
AustriaETA30 days
AzerbaijanETA30 days
BahamasETA30 days
BahrainETA30 days
BangladeshETA30 days
BarbadosETA30 days
BelarusETA30 days
BelgiumETA30 days
BelizeETA30 days
BeninETA30 days
BhutanETA30 days
BoliviaETA30 days
Bosnia and HerzegovinaETA30 days
BotswanaETA30 days
BrazilETA30 days
BruneiETA30 days
BulgariaETA30 days
Burkina FasoETA30 days
BurundiETA30 days
Cabo VerdeETA30 days
CambodiaETA30 days
CameroonETA30 days
CanadaETA30 days
Central African RepublicETA30 days
ChadETA30 days
ChileETA30 days
ChinaETA30 days
ColombiaETA30 days
ComorosETA30 days
Costa RicaETA30 days
Côte d'IvoireETA30 days
CroatiaETA30 days
CubaETA30 days
CyprusETA30 days
CzechiaETA30 days
Democratic Republic of the CongoETA30 days
DenmarkETA30 days
DjiboutiETA30 days
DominicaETA30 days
Dominican RepublicETA30 days
EcuadorETA30 days
EgyptETA30 days
El SalvadorETA30 days
Equatorial GuineaETA30 days
EritreaETA30 days
EstoniaETA30 days
EswatiniETA30 days
EthiopiaETA30 days
FijiETA30 days
FinlandETA30 days
FranceETA30 days
GabonETA30 days
GambiaETA30 days
GeorgiaETA30 days
GermanyETA30 days
GhanaETA30 days
GreeceETA30 days
GrenadaETA30 days
GuatemalaETA30 days
GuineaETA30 days
Guinea-BissauETA30 days
GuyanaETA30 days
HaitiETA30 days
HondurasETA30 days
Hong KongETA30 days
HungaryETA30 days
IcelandETA30 days
IndiaETA30 days
IndonesiaETA30 days
IranETA30 days
IraqETA30 days
IrelandETA30 days
IsraelETA30 days
ItalyETA30 days
JamaicaETA30 days
JapanETA30 days
JordanETA30 days
KazakhstanETA30 days
KenyaETA30 days
KiribatiETA30 days
KosovoETA30 days
KuwaitETA30 days
KyrgyzstanETA30 days
LaosETA30 days
LatviaETA30 days
LebanonETA30 days
LesothoETA30 days
LiberiaETA30 days
LibyaETA30 days
LiechtensteinETA30 days
LithuaniaETA30 days
LuxembourgETA30 days
MacauETA30 days
MadagascarETA30 days
MalawiETA30 days
MalaysiaETA30 days
MaldivesETA90 days
MaliETA30 days
MaltaETA30 days
Marshall IslandsETA30 days
MauritaniaETA30 days
MauritiusETA30 days
MexicoETA30 days
MicronesiaETA30 days
MoldovaETA30 days
MonacoETA30 days
MongoliaETA30 days
MontenegroETA30 days
MoroccoETA30 days
MozambiqueETA30 days
MyanmarETA30 days
NamibiaETA30 days
NauruETA30 days
NepalETA30 days
NetherlandsETA30 days
New ZealandETA30 days
NicaraguaETA30 days
NigerETA30 days
NigeriaETA30 days
North KoreaETA30 days
North MacedoniaETA30 days
NorwayETA30 days
OmanETA30 days
PakistanETA30 days
PalauETA30 days
PalestineETA30 days
PanamaETA30 days
Papua New GuineaETA30 days
ParaguayETA30 days
PeruETA30 days
PhilippinesETA30 days
PolandETA30 days
PortugalETA30 days
QatarETA30 days
Republic of the CongoETA30 days
RomaniaETA30 days
RussiaETA30 days
RwandaETA30 days
Saint Kitts and NevisETA30 days
Saint LuciaETA30 days
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesETA30 days
SamoaETA30 days
San MarinoETA30 days
São Tomé and PríncipeETA30 days
Saudi ArabiaETA30 days
SenegalETA30 days
SerbiaETA30 days
SeychellesETA30 days
Sierra LeoneETA30 days
SingaporeETA30 days
SlovakiaETA30 days
SloveniaETA30 days
Solomon IslandsETA30 days
SomaliaETA30 days
South AfricaETA30 days
South KoreaETA30 days
South SudanETA30 days
SpainETA30 days
Sri LankaFree movement—
SudanETA30 days
SurinameETA30 days
SwedenETA30 days
SwitzerlandETA30 days
SyriaETA30 days
TaiwanETA30 days
TajikistanETA30 days
TanzaniaETA30 days
ThailandETA30 days
Timor-LesteETA30 days
TogoETA30 days
TongaETA30 days
Trinidad and TobagoETA30 days
TunisiaETA30 days
TurkeyETA30 days
TurkmenistanETA30 days
TuvaluETA30 days
UgandaETA30 days
UkraineETA30 days
United Arab EmiratesETA30 days
United KingdomETA30 days
United StatesETA30 days
UruguayETA30 days
UzbekistanETA30 days
VanuatuETA30 days
Vatican CityETA30 days
VenezuelaETA30 days
VietnamETA30 days
YemenETA30 days
ZambiaETA30 days
ZimbabweETA30 days

Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.

India4 of 199 passports visa-free · 165 eVisa/ETANepal2 of 199 passports visa-freeThailand79 of 199 passports visa-free · 117 eVisa/ETA

Frequently asked questions

Do US citizens need a visa for Sri Lanka?

Yes — the ETA portal says travellers need to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before arrival. Its fee table lists the United States of America among the 40 countries whose nationals, from 25 May 2026, can obtain the tourist ETA free of charge for 30 days; the tourist visa is listed with double entry for 30 days.

Which nationalities get Sri Lanka's ETA free of charge?

The ETA portal says that from 25 May 2026 nationals of 40 listed countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, India, China, Russia and Japan, can obtain the tourist ETA free of charge for 30 days, and that under reciprocal and bilateral agreements Singapore and Seychelles (30 days) and the Maldives (90 days) can too. It says a traveller needs to apply and obtain an ETA before arrival.

Can I extend my 30-day stay in Sri Lanka?

Yes. The Department of Immigration and Emigration's tourist visa extension fee chart runs in bands counted from arrival — days 31–90, 91–180 and 181–270. To reach day 90 it charges USD 60 for any country it does not name, and USD 100 for the United States and for the countries it names, including the UK, Canada and Australia. The ETA portal says short-term extensions beyond 30 days are applied for at eservices.immigration.gov.lk after you arrive.

How long does the Sri Lanka ETA take?

No official source we could read states how long an online ETA application takes. The ETA portal says Sri Lanka's overseas missions issue an ETA or short-stay visa within 3 business days, and advises keeping a copy of the ETA approval to produce at the port of entry.

What documents does Sri Lanka require on arrival?

The ETA portal says all ETA holders should have, at the port of entry, a passport valid for not less than 6 months from the date of arrival, a confirmed return ticket and sufficient funds to meet expenses during the stay, and advises keeping a copy of the ETA approval. Canada's travel advice says you will also need to fill out an online arrival card, which you can complete 3 days before arriving.

Sources & verification

Every fact on this page is compiled from and periodically re-checked against these official sources:

Something wrong or out of date? Tell us, with the official source