Sri Lanka ETA 2026: Free for 40 Countries, USD 50 Fee and How to Apply

The ETA is Sri Lanka's online short stay visa for tourism, business and transit. You fill in a short form on the official ETA website, pay if a fee applies and get the approval by email. At the airport you show your passport and the approval.

The rule is simple: all foreign nationals need an ETA before they arrive. That includes people from the 40 countries with a free ETA and from Maldives, Seychelles and Singapore, which have reciprocal agreements. Free means you do not pay; it does not mean you can skip the application. Read what an ETA is for the general idea.

Citizens of these countries get a tourist ETA free of charge for 30 days, with double entry within the 30 days from the first arrival. Diplomatic, official, service and ordinary passports all qualify.

Maldivian citizens get 90 days through the ETA system; Seychelles and Singapore citizens get 30 days free. ETA fees paid before 25 May 2026 are not refunded. To stay longer than 30 days you apply for an extension in Sri Lanka and pay the extension fee.

If your passport is not on the free list, for example Azerbaijan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Egypt or Bangladesh, you pay the standard fees. SAARC countries are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka; of these, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan pay the SAARC rate.

Fees from the official ETA fee page, checked on 4 November 2026. Lookalike sites charge much more for the same ETA. Check that the address is eta.gov.lk before you pay.

1. 1

   Open the official site

   Go to eta.gov.lk and choose the tourist, business or transit ETA.

2. 2

   Enter your passport details

   Use the passport you will travel with. Keep at least 6 months of validity; airlines often check this.

3. 3

   Add your trip

   Give your arrival date, flight if you have it, and where you will stay.

4. 4

   Pay if a fee applies

   Free ETA nationalities and children under 12 pay nothing for a tourist ETA. Others pay by card.

5. 5

   Keep the approval

   Save the approval email on your phone and print a copy for the airline and the border.

6. 6

   Extend in Sri Lanka if needed

   After arrival, apply on the immigration e services portal to stay beyond 30 days and pay the extension fee for your nationality.

Citizens of Cameroon, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Afghanistan apply for an ETA through a Sri Lankan sponsor at the Department of Immigration and Emigration head office in Battaramulla. Taiwan, Kosovo and Syria passport holders apply for tourist or business visas the same way.

The sponsor brings a request letter, an affidavit signed before a Justice of the Peace or a lawyer, a copy of their ID card or passport, your police clearance report, your passport copy and proof of accommodation.

The ETA follows your nationality, not where you live. An Indian or Pakistani engineer in Baku gets the free ETA; an Azerbaijani colleague pays USD 50; a Nigerian student needs a sponsor in Sri Lanka. If you change planes on the way, for example in the Gulf, check the transit rules for that airport too.

For other destinations open to your passport, see travel from Azerbaijan, travel from India and travel from Pakistan. If you hold an Azerbaijani residence permit, keep it valid while you are away; the Sroky reminders can warn you before it ends.