Before heading towards Sri Lanka you need to know about the Sri Lanka visa policy. Every country has its visa policies in order to enter their country, same for Sri Lanka, they have some policies which you have to fulfill while applying for Sri Lanka visa. Do you want to know about the Sri Lanka visa policy? Then you should read the below content carefully to analyze whether you can apply for Sri Lanka visa or not. Tourists who have been traveling to Sri Lanka for tourism purposes are now required to hold a valid ETA (electronic travel authorization) before entering the country. But if a tourist belongs to a visa-exempt country or they are eligible to get a visa on arrival then there is no requirement for the ETA to enter Sri Lanka.
- The essential requirement for all the Tourists visiting the country is to have a passport with the validity of 6 months.
- Nationals of the following countries are required to have a return ticket along with them.
| Pakistan | Afghanistan | Iran | Iraq |
| Nigeria | Somalia | Syria |
CONTENT
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ETA for Sri Lanka
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Sri Lanka Visa-free countries
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Free visa on arrival
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Advance visa for Sri Lanka
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Non-ordinary passport
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Conclusion
ETA For Sri Lanka
Citizens of every country can obtain an ETA visa for Sri Lanka except the nationals of the visa exempt countries. These days ETA visas are more common and easier to get then to go Embassy and follow those long processes. The government of Sri Lanka encourages foreign citizens to apply for ETA. This step is taken by the government of Sri Lanka In order to encourage tourism.
There are three types of ETA visa for Sri Lanka.
- ETA Tourist visa
- ETA Business visa
- ETA Transit Visa
To know more about the different types of visa for Sri Lanka
Sri-Lanka visa-free or ETA applicable countries
The government of Sri Lanka announced a plan to increase tourism in the country which states that the citizens of a few specific countries can enter Sri Lanka without a visa but they should have the passport and citizenship of the country they belong to. Sri Lanka also made few plans in which it was decided that the countries in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and China will be offered extended facilities in the future. But due to the Sri Lanka Easter bombing, these plans were suspended keeping in mind the security. Sri Lanka now allows the citizens of the below countries to visit Sri Lanka for tourism or business with an ETA of Sri Lanka. Now there is no need to have any further paperwork to visit Sri Lanka. After reading the visa policy of Sri Lanka you can apply online to get an ETA Visa for Sri Lanka.
The list of countries is as follows.
Free visa on arrival for Sri Lanka
- The below countries are exempt to obtain ETA for Sri Lanka based on the reciprocity fees.
- It means that the citizens of the following countries do not require an ETA visa for Sri Lanka they can enter the country directly.
- Citizens of these countries will get a visa on arrival at any of the ports and the good news is that they won't be charged any amount for the visa on arrival.
Seychelles-
Citizens of Seychelles can get a 60 days Visa on arrival which can be extended up to 90 days in a single year.
Singapore-
Citizens of Singapore are eligible to get a 30 days visa which is extendable to 150 days if they Desire.
Maldives-
Citizens of Maldives get 30 days Visa on arrival which can be extended if you want to stay in the country for more time.
Advance visa for Sri Lanka
Nationals of few countries have to obtain these in advance to enter Sri Lanka from the Sri Lanka diplomatic missions. The countries named below fall in the list that have to obtain a visa in advance. If you are planning to travel to Sri Lanka not sure which kind of visa you will be required then check the below list do you fall in it or not.
| Afghanistan | Cameroon | Republic of the Congo | Côte d'Ivoire | Gabon | Ghana |
| Guinea | Guinea-Bissau | Kenya | Liberia | Mali | Myanmar |
| Nigeria | North Korea | Pakistan | Sierra leone | Sudan | Syria |
| Uganda |
NON-Ordinary Passport holders who can travel Sri Lanka
Foreign nationals holding the Official or service and diplomatic passport can travel Sri Lanka without Visa. To know whether you can enter Sri Lanka on non-ordinary passport Read the below list of the countries that are allowed to enter Sri Lanka without Visa
| Bangladesh | Belarus | Brazil | Chile | China |
| Cuba | Georgia | Hong Kong | India | Indonesia |
| Iran | Kazakhstan | Kenya | Maldives | Myanmar |
| Nepal | Pakistan | Philippines | Romania | Russia |
| Seychelles | Singapore | Thailand | Vietnam |
Conclusion
Sri Lanka is one of the best countries For Tourism. If you have been planning for so long to visit Sri Lanka but were confused that you are eligible to apply for Sri Lanka visa or you were confused about which visa you should apply for. Don't be confused because we have mentioned the list of countries for Visa on arrival, non-ordinary visa, Visa-exempt countries, and Visa-free countries. If you find yourself eligible to travel Sri Lanka Under the Sri Lanka visa policy then you can check the type of visa you should apply for.
