Sri Lanka visa and entry requirements

Decision flow

Sort your visa before check-in, because that is where it goes wrong.

1. Check the free-ETA list. Passports of the 40 countries in the free program approved from 25 May 2026 apply online, exclusively at https://eta.gov.lk. The authorization runs 30 days with two entries.
2. Check the bilateral agreements. Maldivian, Singaporean and Seychellois passports fall under permanent reciprocal agreements: Maldivian citizens get a free 90-day ETA, Singapore and the Seychelles 30 days.
3. Otherwise, pay. Neither on the 40-state exemption list nor covered by a reciprocal exception - Cambodia, for instance - means a paid online ETA at 50 USD, or visa on arrival (VOA) at the airport at an increased 60 USD.
4. Sponsored regime for three nationalities. Taiwanese, Kosovar and Syrian passports cannot use the online self-service system at all. The application is filed physically through an authorized Sri Lankan sponsor at the immigration headquarters in Battaramulla, and the visa is granted as a Landing Endorsement at the arrival counter.

Entry formalities common to everyone

• Arrival Card, filed 72 hours ahead. Digital since 1 January 2023, submitted no later than 72 hours before the planned arrival time at the official Ministry of Interior portal (https://eservices.immigration.gov.lk/emb/eEmbarkation). It is free, and successful submission issues a confirmation linked to your passport number.
• Alcohol - travelers over 18 may import 1.5 liters of spirits and 2 regular bottles of wine duty-free.
• Tobacco is the trap. Importing any cigarettes, cigars, beedi or tobacco in personal luggage is illegal for foreigners and subject to immediate confiscation and fines unless declared and fully taxed at the customs counter.
• Gifts and souvenirs - up to a total value of 250 USD per person.
• Currency - foreign currency above 15,000 USD must be declared on arrival; re-exporting cash above 10,000 USD is possible only with the original arrival customs declaration. Import and export of Sri Lankan rupees is capped at 20,000 LKR.
• Yellow fever - an international vaccination certificate is required only if you stayed in or transited an endemic country in the past 9 days. No other mandatory health registrations apply as of July 2026.

What matters in practice

• Print the ETA approval e-mail. Per the r/srilanka community, the most frequent failure is at airline check-in outside Sri Lanka, where counter staff misread "Free ETA" as a waiver of the visa requirement altogether and refuse carriage to travelers with no pre-approved digital ETA document. Carry the printed confirmation even though the system is digitally linked to your passport.
• eta.gov.lk is the only legitimate site. Fraudulent sites copy the official government interface visually and charge extra handling fees under the pretext of expedited processing.
• If the government system goes down, as it did on 4 March 2026, visa on arrival at the standard fee is temporarily allowed at the airport counter as a fallback.