Applying for a Sri Lankan Visa Online
The official form takes about ten minutes. This walks through each screen, and flags the fields where mistakes actually cause problems.
eta.gov.lk is the government portal. Agent sites charge a markup for submitting the same form on your behalf. This site is an independent guide — we do not process applications or take payments.
Before you start, have these ready
- Your passport, open at the photo page.
- Your confirmed return or onward flight details.
- The address of your first night's accommodation.
- A working email address you can access.
- A credit or debit card, unless your nationality is on the free list.
The application, screen by screen
- Choose your application type
Individual for a single traveller, or Group/Family if you are applying together. Group applications need each member's passport details.
- Select the visa category
Tourist, Business or Transit. The category cannot be changed after approval.
- Enter personal details
Surname and given names exactly as printed in the machine-readable zone of your passport — not a shortened or anglicised version.
- Enter passport details
Passport number, issue date, expiry date and issuing country. Check the number character by character; a single wrong digit invalidates the authorization.
- Enter travel details
Intended arrival date, flight number if known, purpose of visit, and the address where you will stay first.
- Review everything
The review screen is your last chance. Corrections after submission mean a new application.
- Pay, or skip if exempt
Free-list nationals see no payment step. Others pay USD 50 for the tourist ETA by card.
- Save your reference number
You get an acknowledgement with a reference number — keep it. It is how you check status later.
Mistakes that cause rejection
Name mismatch
Entering a nickname, dropping a middle name, or reversing surname and given names. Copy the passport exactly.
Wrong passport number
Confusing 0 with O, or 1 with I. The authorization is tied to the number — a typo makes it invalid.
Passport expiring too soon
Less than six months of validity beyond departure. Renew before applying, not after.
Wrong visa category
Applying as a tourist when the trip is for business. Categories cannot be switched later.
Unreachable email
A typo in the email address means the approval never arrives. Check spam folders too.
Applying too late
Leaving it to the day before. Allow a week so there is room to fix anything.
After you submit
Most approvals arrive by email within 24 to 72 hours. If nothing has come after 72 hours, check your spam folder, then check your status on the portal with your reference number. Print the approval and keep a copy on your phone — you will be asked for it at check-in and again at immigration on arrival.