Citizens of must obtain a visa in advance. You have to apply for visa through a Sri Lanka diplomatic mission or one of its authorized visa agents outside Sri Lanka. You will need to visit the Embassy in your country to process this visa. Need help in getting prepare the required documentation contact us.
Sri Lankan eVisa is one kind of the Sri Lankan Visa issued completely online by the Government of Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan eVisa is provided for non-Sri Lankan visitors who want to travel to Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka ETA, an Electronic Travel Authorization was launched in January 2012 to simplify the process of applying for the Sri Lanka Travel Authorization. The ETA for Sri Lanka allows eligible citizens to enter and travel around Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka ETA grants a stay of up to 30 days from the date of arrival. Passports must be valid for at least six (6) months from the arrival date.
All You Need to Know about Obtaining a Visa for Sri Lanka
If you are keen to visit Sri Lanka, obtaining a Sri Lanka visa or some travel permit is necessary to enter this utterly diverse country. Boasting a rich cultural heritage and a vast array of well-kept natural landscapes, including 26 national parks and 2 marine parks, the country offers a plethora of activities to tourists. Don’t miss out on the chance to visit this magical country. All you need is to obtain a visa, which isn’t a complicated process at all. In this guide, you will get to know everything about Sri Lanka visas.
Types of Sri Lanka Visas
There are four broad categories of Sri Lankan visas, which permit you to enter and stay in Sri Lanka for a specific timeframe.
Visit Visa
A visit visa allows a traveller to enter and stay in Sri Lanka for a brief period for various purposes. There are two sub-categories of Visit Visa in Sri Lanka, including Tourist Visit Visa and Business Visa.
Tourist Visit Visa:
It is issued to bonafide travellers who want to visit Sri Lanka for holiday and leisurely purposes. Such as if you want to enter the country for excursions, sightseeing, visiting relatives, relaxation/rejuvenation, and yoga training, you’ll select this visa category.
General Guidelines
Business Purpose Visa:
A Business Purpose Visa is applied for when the purpose of your travel to Sri Lanka is a short-term business and trade-related activity. This visa could be issued as single or multiple entries, and the traveller can stay in the country for up to 30 days.
General Guidelines
Residence Visa
As the name suggests, a residence visa allows a non-Sri Lankan to gain a permit and legal authorisation to reside in Sri Lanka. This visa is issued under particular circumstances. There are several categories of residence visas, including the following:
Applicants need to contact the Sri Lanka Department of Immigration and Emigration for further guidance.
Visa for Journalists
Media personnel and journalists need to obtain a visa before visiting Sri Lanka on an assignment, such as covering a sports event or cultural activity. Apart from the visa application form, they will have to submit a list of equipment they intend to use on their trip to Sri Lanka. Journalists must apply for this visa well in advance because the embassy will get clearance from concerned authorities in Colombo before issuing the visa.
Transit Visa
It refers to an entry permit granted to a foreign citizen to enter the territories of Sri Lanka and stay for a brief period. Transit Visa is issued to travellers intending to enter another country via Sri Lanka. The applicant must indicate the period of stay and return travel information while applying for a Transit Visa.
Gratis Visa
Also called a diplomatic or official visa, Gratis Visa is issued to holders of an Official or Diplomatic passport who need to visit the country on official assignment or duties. This visa is offered free of charge.
Who Needs a Visa for Sri Lanka?
Everyone needs a visa before travelling to Sri Lanka. Without a visa, you won’t be allowed to enter the country. Getting a Sri Lanka visa is a pretty straightforward process as you can apply online for Electronic Travel Authorization (ATA) or get a visa on arrival (VoA) at the airport. Few nationalities need to apply for a Sri Lanka visa at an embassy since they aren’t eligible to apply for the ETA or VoA.
1- A recent digital photograph of the applicant.
2- Scanned color copies of your passport with minimum validity of up to 6 months.
3-Nationals of Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia and Syria must hold return or onward tickets.
The requirements include:
Sri Lanka Visa Application
Depending on your nationality, there are three methods to apply for a Sri Lanka visa. These include:
On Arrival- This is free of charge visa given to citizens of a selected few countries. You can obtain this visa at the airport in Sri Lanka.
Through a Website- You can fill out an online application form and obtain a digital visa, also called the Electronic Visa/ETA.
Embassy or Consulate- You’ll have to apply for the relevant visa through the nearest embassy or consulate for a long-term stay in Sri Lanka.
Citizens of the following countries can obtain a visa on arrival from any designated port of entry in Sri Lanka without paying any fee or charges.
Except for the nationalities required to apply for a visa through an embassy, travellers can apply for an electronic visa to Sri Lanka, called Electronic Travel Authorization. You can submit the application form from the comfort of your home after filling out personal and travel-related details and paying the visa fees.
You can obtain an ETA within a few hours. Use any credit or debit card (Visa, MasterCard, or American Express) to pay the visa fees when applying. Provide a valid email ID in your application form because the ETA will arrive in your email inbox, which you can get printed and keep in your luggage to show the border control officials.
However, if you are part of a diplomatic mission, you are entitled to apply for an ETA via the Sri Lankan embassy or consulate in your country of residence. This process is similar to obtaining a regular embassy visa.
When you arrive at the airport or any other port of entry in Sri Lanka, along with the ETA, you will have to show your passport, with the required validity date, a confirmed return ticket, and proof of sufficient funds to the border control officials.
ETA is generally issued for tourism and business purposes, and it is a short-term visa. If you intend to stay in Sri Lanka for a long time, seek employment or study in the country, please consult the embassy or consulate for further guidance.
Here is the list of countries the citizens of which must obtain a visa via an embassy/consulate as they are ineligible to apply for an ETA or VoA.
Application process
You can apply through an embassy just as quickly as you would apply online, and the only difference is that you have to contact and visit your nearest Sri Lankan embassy or consulate. After booking an appointment and identifying the support documents you will have to submit with the visa application, all you have to do is visit the embassy with your passport and other required documents. Once there, you will fill out the application form, pay the visa fee and submit all the documents.
Your application will be forwarded to the Sri Lankan Department of Immigration & Emigration (DI&E), and they will issue a reference number. The embassy, within three business days, will duly notify you about the status of your application. If your application is approved, revisit the embassy to receive the passport with the visa.
The nature of stay, such as single, double, or multiple entries, is determined according to your visa validity. Generally, a visa is valid for three months. Just like the case with ETA, when travelling with a sticker visa, please keep the stamped visa, your passport, a confirmed return ticket and proof of sufficient funds, e.g. bank statement, with you to show them to the immigration officials after you arrive in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka Visa Validity
Sri Lanka Visa Extension
Sri Lanka visa can be extended easily by applying to the Sri Lankan Department of Immigration’s Visa Section before your current visa expires. Also, you need to have a solid and valid reason to seek an extension on your visa. The maximum period for which your visa can be extended is six months. Here’s what you will need to extend the Sri Lanka visa validity period:
Sri Lanka Visa Processing Fees
An online visa to Sri Lanka or ETA can be obtained for:
There are no charges for a transit visa.
The ETA price would be higher if you decided to get it at the airport. Here’s the cost of obtaining an ETA at the airport.
For Sri Lanka, sticker visas issued by the embassy/consulate are subject to change from country to country.
Entry-Exit Requirements
In the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic that has gripped every country in the world since 2020, Sri Lanka has imposed certain entry/exit guidelines for travellers. As per the recent changes to the entry/exit requirements, only fully vaccinated tourists can stay in any type of accommodation in Sri Lanka without taking an on-arrival PCR test.
If the traveller is not fully vaccinated, as per the latest health guidelines issued by the Sri Lanka Health Ministry, the traveller will have to reserve a safe and secure certified Level o1 hotel for quarantining. Then they will have to seek approval from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) for staying at the level o1 hotel.
Visitors from Nigeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and Ghana intending to apply for ETA can also apply through a Sri Lankan Sponsor from the Department of Immigration & Emigration, Sri Lanka’s head office.
All Countries / Nationalities that required regular visa for Sri LankaAll foreign travellers need a visa to enter Sri Lanka. If your travel purpose is for business, tourism, or transit and you will be staying for less than or up to 30 days, then you can avail the exclusive online visa facility called the ETA. It is an Electronic Travel Authorization received digitally after submitting an online visa application, paying the visa processing fees, and uploading the required travel documents based on the purpose of your travel to Sri Lanka. With this new system, you don’t need to visit a Sri Lankan embassy or consulate to apply for a visa as it is delivered in your email inbox, and you only have to take a printed copy of this visa when travelling to Sri Lanka.
Applying for Sri Lanka is a very straightforward process. It is a three-step process where you first fill in an application form available on the website using the information mentioned on your passport’s biography page. The next step is paying the visa fees, which can be done using Visa, MasterCard, or American Express debit/credit card. You can also process payments through PayPal. The final step is uploading the required documents.
As a general rule, you are supposed to apply at least a week before your booked flight ticket or your intended date of travel. The e-Visa applications are processed within three business days, and urgent visa applications are processed within 24 hours. You should keep in mind that an urgent visa will cost more than a normal visa.
As a general rule, you are supposed to apply at least a week before your booked flight ticket or your intended date of travel. The e-Visa applications are processed within three business days, and urgent visa applications are processed within 24 hours. You should keep in mind that an urgent visa will cost more than a normal visa.
It is easy to determine the visa you will require because Sri Lanka offers a wide range of visas catering to all aspects of life. So, if you are going on a holiday and want to stay for no longer than 30 days, apply for an online Tourist visa. Similarly, if the purpose of your travel is business-related, but will not be entering into service with any Sri Lankan organization, apply for a Business visa through this website. This visa also allows you to stay in the country for up to 30 days.
On the other hand, if your purpose of travel to Sri Lanka is to make a transfer and enter another country via Sri Lanka, apply for a Transit visa that will allow you to stay for 48 hours.
If you need a visa quickly, then apply for an Urgent visa.
You will require a scanned copy of the passport against which you will apply for a Sri Lanka visa. In addition to this, you will need to provide a return flight ticket and proof of accommodation. In case you are travelling to Sri Lanka for business purposes, you will provide a letter of invitation issued by your employer.
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