Nationals from Singapore, the Republic of Maldives, and the Republic of Seychelles are the only travelers exempted from getting an entry visa to Sri Lanka. All other passport holders must apply for the visa in order to be allowed entry into the country.
You can also apply for a Sri Lanka visa once you land in the country, but you must first apply for the visa online.
There are several ways to apply for a Sri Lanka visa, including at the Department of Immigration, visa application center, VFS Global, or through visa agencies such as Arabiers. You don't have to visit the Sri Lankan Embassy, High Commission, or the Consular Office to apply for the visa.
To apply for the Sri Lanka tourist visa, follow these basic steps:
If the Ministry of Foreign Affairs denies your visa application, you will receive a notification about the rejection and the reasons why the visa was denied. You will also be informed if you have another chance to apply for the visa and after how long you can apply for it.
You will need the following documents to complete a Sri Lanka tourist visa application:
A Sri Lanka tourist visa will cost 20-50 USD based on the purpose of the visit. A double entry visa is valid for 30 days and costs 50 USD and 20 USD for nationals of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal.
Visa application for children under the age of 12 is free of charge. You have to pay the visa fee even when applying for a Sri Lanka visa on arrival. However, nationals from Maldives, Seychelles, and Singapore do not pay any fee for their on-arrival tourist visa.
The visa fee is non-refundable and non-transferable, no matter the circumstance.
The Sri Lanka tourist visa is usually valid for a maximum of 90 days. However, you will only be allowed to stay in the country for 30 days. If you wish to spend more days in the country, you will need to apply for a visa extension.
You must enter Sri Lanka within three months from the date the tourist visa was issued for it to be valid.
You can extend a 30-day Sri Lankan tourist visa up to three times. The first time you apply for an extension, you will be granted 60 days, and from there, you can apply for 90-day extensions twice. The tourist visa can be extended for up to 270 days from the arrival date for three consecutive times. After a total extension of 270 days, you must leave the country, or you will be risking overstaying fines.
If you want to extend the visa, ensure you do so before your current visa expires and confirm that your passport is valid for at least two months after the intended stay. Submit your visa extension application at the Department of Immigration & Emigration or apply online through the visa extension portal. You will be charged an extension fee when you apply for the Sri Lanka tourist visa extension.
If you have applied for an ETA through Arabiers, you can check the application status from the Arabiers page. You need to have your unique reference number to inquire. Alternatively, contact the specialized ETA call center, which is open 24/7 at +94 71 99 67 888.