Tip: Applying for a visa for Sri Lanka

You need a visa if you want to visit Sri Lanka. There are several visas, like a business visa, a transit visa and a tourist visa. Do you want to visit Sri Lanka for a holiday? Then you need a tourist visa. You can apply for a visa for Sri Lanka very easily online. In this article I will explain you how.

Why do you need a visa?

You need a visa, because the country you are visiting wants to check who is entering the country, how long the person is staying and when the person is leaving the country again. When you apply for a visa, you ask permission to visit the country for a specific purpose. For example, for a holiday. Is your application accepted? Then you have official permission to travel to the country and stay here for a certain period of time and for a certain purpose.

E-Visa

An e-visa is a digital visa. You can travel to Sri Lanka for a holiday with both an e-visa and a physical visa. We chose the e-visa, because it’s very easy to apply for one online. Another name for an e-visa is ETA. ETA stands for Electronic Travel Authorization.

Sri Lanka visa validity

A tourist visa for Sri Lanka is valid for 30 days (Tourist visa with Double Entry for 30 days.). You may enter the country twice within those 30 days. That’s perfect, as it allowed us to visit Sri Lanka & the Maldives as well!

E-visa conditions

When you apply for a visa online, you need to complete a questionnaire, so keep your passport ready! You also need to provide the address where you are staying in Sri Lanka. If you are going to travel around the country like us, you’ll only need to provide the first address where you are staying. In addition, it is expected that you will be able to present a ticket upon arrival, which proves that you will leave the country within 30 days.

Valid passport

Your passport will be checked when you enter Sri Lanka. Your passport has to be valid for at least more 6 months, so keep this in mind when applying for your visa and check in advance if your passport is valid for 6 months upon arrival. Is this not the case? Then first apply for a new passport. Use your new passport details to apply for your visa.

Apply for a visa for Sri Lanka via the official website

You can apply for a visa via the official website eta.gov.lk. Complete the online visa application form and apply for your visa with ease. In 2018 we paid $ 35,- per person for the tourist visa. We received the visa almost immediately, but in any case, within 24 hours, by email.