Sri Lanka's ETA (electronic travel authorisation) is a visa in all but name, and nearly every visitor needs one. What changed in 2026 is who pays for it. This page covers who currently gets it free, what everyone else pays, how to apply, what happens at the border, extending your stay and what customs allows in. For the country overview, see our Sri Lanka travel guide.
What changed in 2026
Sri Lanka has waived the ETA fee for a short list of countries since a pilot scheme started in October 2023, but that list was just seven: China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Russia and Thailand. On 25 May 2026, following Parliament's approval on 7 May 2026, the government widened the free list to 40 countries, adding the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and most of Western Europe. This is the single biggest reason older blog posts about Sri Lanka's visa cost are now wrong.
The fee itself hasn't moved for anyone not on the free list, and if you paid the ETA fee before 25 May 2026, even as a now-eligible nationality, it isn't refunded.
Visa rules by nationality
| Passport | Free ETA? | Stay if free | If not free |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | Yes | 30 days, double entry | Not needed |
| US | Yes | 30 days, double entry | Not needed |
| Canada | Yes | 30 days, double entry | Not needed |
| Australia | Yes | 30 days, double entry | Not needed |
| New Zealand | Yes | 30 days, double entry | Not needed |
| Ireland | No | Not applicable | US$50 online |
| India | Yes | 30 days, double entry | Not needed |
| EU | Only 12 of 27 states | 30 days, double entry, for those 12 | US$50 online, for the rest |
Which EU countries are on the free list? Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden. The rest of the EU, including Ireland, Portugal, Greece and the Baltic states, pays the standard fee like anyone else off the list.
Source: the Department of Immigration and Emigration's own notice, "Free Tourist Visas for Nationals of 40 Selected Countries," read on 26 September 2026 and checked again against eta.gov.lk on 6 October 2026.
The full list of 40 free-ETA countries
Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the UK and the US.
Maldives, Seychelles and Singapore aren't on this list but have their own reciprocal fee waiver with Sri Lanka; Maldivian nationals get a 90-day ETA under that arrangement rather than 30 days.
How to apply for the ETA, step by step
Apply only at eta.gov.lk. A lookalike site with a similar name has shown up in search results and charges a "service fee" for exactly the same thing, so type the address in yourself rather than clicking through from an ad.
- Go to eta.gov.lk and choose "Tourist ETA."
- Fill in your name, passport number, date of birth and nationality exactly as they appear in your passport, plus your expected arrival date and where you're staying.
- Review the fee shown, which will read zero if your passport is on the free list.
- Pay by card if a fee applies.
- Wait for approval by email. Approval can take from a few hours to a few days, so apply well before your flight.
Keep the approval email on your phone and print it as a backup if you'd rather not rely on a screen at the border.
Don't count on getting the ETA at the airport. The official portal still mentions a limited on-arrival counter at Bandaranaike airport, at a higher fee. But Sri Lankan embassy notices reported in August 2026 say you must hold the ETA before your journey starts, and airlines can deny boarding without it. A rule making this strict from 15 October 2025 was revoked on 30 October 2025, which is why older advice contradicts itself.
Arrival and immigration
Show your printed or digital ETA approval at check-in and again at immigration on arrival. The Department of Immigration and Emigration also runs a free online arrival card on its own portal (eservices.immigration.gov.lk), which foreign visitors can fill in up to three days before they arrive. It has replaced the paper card since 1 January 2023. The card is separate from the ETA, so check the Department's site before you fly to see whether it applies on your date, and never pay a third-party site for it. Your passport needs at least 6 months' validity from your arrival date, and it's sensible to carry proof of onward travel in case immigration asks.
Extending your stay
If you want longer than the 30 days your ETA grants, apply for an extension through the Department of Immigration and Emigration's online portal (eservices.immigration.gov.lk) before your current stay runs out. Extensions are issued on payment of the applicable fee, which is set per nationality rather than published as one flat figure, so check the fee shown on the portal or call the department (+94 11 2101500) for your passport before you rely on it. Don't overstay: the UK Foreign Office warns that overstaying an ETA can mean detention, a fine, deportation at your own expense, a travel ban or refusal of entry.
Customs and what not to bring
Sri Lanka Customs allows foreign visitors 1.5 litres of liquor, bought in a Sri Lankan duty-free shop or brought with you on the day you arrive. Its general duty-free allowance for visitors staying under 90 days is US$125 (US$187.50 if some of it came from duty-free shops). Cigarettes, cigars and snuff, fresh fruit brought by air, and rough or unfinished gold are on the prohibited list for tourists. Foreign currency worth more than US$15,000 must be declared on arrival, and more than US$10,000 on departure. Check customs.gov.lk before you pack anything unusual, since allowances change.
Health
The routine vaccines most travel clinics recommend, plus hepatitis A and typhoid, cover most trips to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka asks for a yellow fever vaccination certificate if you arrive from a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission. Ask a travel clinic about anything specific to your own itinerary well before you fly, since recommendations change and depend on where else you've been. Our Sri Lanka safety guide covers the wider picture beyond vaccinations.
Rules for your country
The ETA rule is the same as above for all of these, but flights, money and what to pack from home differ, so each page covers those in more detail.
- Sri Lanka from the UK
- Sri Lanka from the US
- Sri Lanka from Europe
- Sri Lanka from Australia
- Sri Lanka from Canada
- Sri Lanka from India
Travel Sri Lanka with a small group
Every SoloNomads Sri Lanka trip runs 7 to 12 days, well inside the 30-day ETA most travellers now get for free. Ages 18 to 40, and your Trip Host is with the group throughout. Short on time: Sri Lanka Express (7 days). The fuller route: 12-Day Sri Lanka Tour. Want to learn to surf: Sri Lanka Surf Camp (8 days).
