Visa policy of Sri Lanka

Visitors to Sri Lanka must obtain a visa, either on arrival to Sri Lanka or in advance, unless they are a citizen of one of the visa-exempt countries. Most visitors entering for tourism purposes are required to obtain a visa on arrival, unless they are exempt from obtaining one. However, citizens of some countries must obtain a visa in advance before being allowed to enter Sri Lanka. All visitors must hold a passport valid for 6 months.
Citizens of the following countries do not need a visa to enter Sri Lanka, for stays up to the duration listed below:
On August 21, 2024, a cabinet decision was made to allow visa-free travel to 35 countries, including the USA, UK, Canada, Russia, Thailand, and Indonesia, from October 1, 2024. This pilot program to last for 6 months. On 1 October 2024 it was announced that the plan did not come into effect and that it needs to go through parliamentary approval process which needs to await for the new parliament to convene.
Holders of diplomatic, official, service or special passports of the following countries do not need a visa to enter Sri Lanka, for stays up to the duration listed below:
D – Diplomatic passports O – Official passports S – Service passports Sp – Special passports PA – Passports endorsed for "public affairs". 1 – 90 days 2 – 30 days 3 – 60 days, 90 days within any 1 year-period. 4 – 90 days within any 180-day period. 5 – 30 days within any 60-day period.
Citizens of all other countries except the visa-exempt countries and countries whose citizens require a visa in advance may obtain a visa on arrival which is good for double entry for tourist or good for multiple entries for business, valid for a maximum stay of 30 days. Visas obtained on arrival are generally discouraged as such visas are not automatically approved for entry into Sri Lanka.
Due to the discontinuation of the e-Visa system, citizens of the following 7 countries may obtain a gratis visa (single entry) upon arrival in Sri Lanka for tourism purposes only, valid for a maximum stay of 30 days.
Citizens of all other countries except the countries whose citizens either require a visa obtained on arrival or in advance may also obtain an e-Visa online. The system was suspended in mid-2024 but restarted in September 2024.
Prospective visitors can apply for the following types of tourism/business e-Visas (unless otherwise noted):
* - Duration of stay demonstrates how many days visitor may stay in each entry.
Moreover, a US$18.50 service fee as well as a US$5 "convenience fee" is charged by VFS Global for each visa application, regardless of the type of e-Visa.
Citizens of the following countries are ineligible to apply for both an e-Visa and a visa on arrival independently, and thus must obtain a visa in advance from one of the Sri Lankan diplomatic missions around the world:
When obtaining a visa at a Sri Lankan diplomatic mission, they must present the following documents:
Citizens of the following countries must present a yellow fever vaccination certificate upon arrival in order to enter Sri Lanka:
In 2012, Sri Lanka launched an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system, created and operated by Mobitel, a state-owned enterprise.
On 17 April 2024, Sri Lanka replaced its previous Electronic Travel Authorisation system with a new e-Visa system, operated by VFS Global.
On 2 August 2024, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka issued an interim order, which suspended the e-Visa system operated by VFS Global and ordered the restoration of the previous ETA system operated by Mobitel.
On 4 August 2024, Ada Derana reported that the Ministry of Public Security would make a final decision the next day, and noted that the suspension of the e-Visa system meant that tourists needed to obtain their visas on arrival.
On 5 August 2024, the Department of Immigration and Emigration notified the Sri Lankan diplomatic missions around the world of the discontinuation of the e-Visa system. According to Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles, the old ETA system has yet to be reinstated due to changes made to the Department of Immigration and Emigration's computer system.
On 2 September 2024, Sri Lanka decided to implement visa-free access for citizens of 38 countries, including India, China, Thailand, the UK, the USA, and Indonesia. Although it was initially planned to be implemented on 1 October 2024, the decision was advanced due to the inconvenience caused to tourists at the visa-on-arrival counters, where overcrowding was a significant issue.
Most visitors arriving in Sri Lanka on a short-term basis were from the following countries: