Sri Lanka tightens entry rules!
From 15 October 2025, all travellers planning a trip to Sri Lanka will need to obtain in advance Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) internet". The current option of obtaining a visa on arrival will no longer exist.
What is changing?
Until now, many tourists have chosen to either complete the application online or sort out their ETA upon arrival at Colombo Airport. This flexibility is being removed from mid-October: Without approved online ETA, it will not be possible to board the flight..
This decision applies to all foreign nationals, regardless of their country of origin. Even travellers from countries that currently enjoy a fee waiver – for example India, China, Russia, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan – must go through the online procedure.
How to get an ETA visa?
- Where to apply: exclusively on the official website eta.gov.lk.
- Price: 50 USD for a double entry.
- Year of publication: most commonly within a few hours (confirmation is sent via email).
- Validity six months from the date of issue.
- Length of stay: for 30 days, with the possibility of extension from local immigration.
What about fee waivers?
The Sri Lankan government announced a plan in July to expand the list of ETA-exempt countries to include an additional 33 nations – among them the USA, the UK, Australia, and most of Europe. However, this programme has not yet come into effect. Until official confirmation, all travellers are required to pay the standard fee.
Tourism is growing despite stricter rules
Despite stricter visa procedures, Sri Lanka is recording strong tourism growth this year. By the beginning of October, more than 1.7 million tourists, and in September alone, about 150,000 arrived. The most arrivals continue to come from India, and analysts believe that 2025 could break the 2018 record (2.3 million visitors).
