The Sri Lanka Electronic Travel Authorization is the online approval a visitor obtains before arriving. Since 25 May 2026, 40 named nationalities plus Maldives, Seychelles and Singapore receive the tourist ETA free of charge.
Free is not the same as unnecessary. Those passports still apply for the ETA; the amount they pay is zero.
Verified
Run by Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka. Last verified August 30, 2026.
· Archived snapshot
Read the fee category for your exact passport first, then open the application.
Verified
Run by Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka. Last verified August 30, 2026.
· Archived snapshot
Start here
1. Check the fee before you pay
Who is in the free scheme, what everyone else pays, and why the on-arrival route costs more. → Read the ETA overview
2. Prepare the application
Eight preparation checks taken from the Department’s own pages. No invented regexes or error text. → Open the application guide
Fast facts
- Official application:
eta.gov.lk, linked from the Department of Immigration and Emigration site. - Agency: Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka.
- Free scheme since 25 May 2026: 40 named nationalities plus Maldives, Seychelles and Singapore. Maldivian nationals receive 90 days; other free-scheme tourists receive 30 days and double entry.
- Other passports: USD 20 online for SAARC nationals, USD 50 online for other nationalities.
- Also free: children under 12, and two-day transit.
- On arrival: costs more than the online route, and can end in return travel if a referral is issued.
- Published requirements: passport valid at least 6 months, the same travel document at application and arrival, a confirmed return ticket, and sufficient funds.