How to Get a Sri Lanka Visa for Indians Easily

Important Note:

The Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka has announced that, following an interim suspension order from the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka on August 2, 2024, the online visa portal (www.srilankaevisa.lk) has been deactivated until further notice.

Key Information:

Tourists can obtain visas through Sri Lankan diplomatic missions or upon arrival at the port of entry.
On-arrival visas are not available for nationals of Afghanistan, Syria, Ghana, Nigeria, Pakistan, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, North Korea, and Myanmar. Citizens of these countries must apply for visas through a representative at the Head Office of the Department of Immigration & Emigration.
Visa fees remain unchanged. Nationals from China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan, who are eligible for free visas, can also obtain them on arrival at no charge.
These provisions will remain in effect until further notice.

Issued by the High Commission of Sri Lanka, New Delhi.

We know Sri Lanka has offered free visa approval for India with effect from 28.11.2023 until 31.03.2024. Why you can’t use this opportunity to explore the beauty of the Tear Drop of the Indian Ocean, the majestic Sri Lanka? Yes, you can try for an island trip to Sri Lanka. For your hassle-free process of getting a Sri Lanka Visa for Indians, this guide will clear all your doubts at a glance. Let’s get into the details of how to apply, fees, validity extensions, requirements, and all.

Table of Contents

What is a free visa?

We heard that Sri Lanka offering free visas for Indians. What it means is we can travel to Sri Lanka without any visa for a permitted time by the country. It is a mutual agreement between both countries governments.

How and where to apply for the Sri Lanka visa:

Those who want to visit Sri Lanka have to apply for a visa on its official website ETA. The ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) is an official website for a short visit to Sri Lanka and it is issued electronically. We can apply for a Sri Lanka Visa through different options.

By the Applicant.
By Third party.
At Sri Lanka Overseas Missions.
On arrival at the port of entry in Sri Lanka.

By the Applicant:

On our own, we can apply for the visa on the ETA official site for Sri Lanka’s short visa.

Requirements:

A valid passport for not less than 6 months from the date of arrival.
A confirmed return ticket.
Financial proof for the stay in Sri Lanka.
Required documents for the trip to Sri Lanka, in case of business trips.
The visa will be approved for 30 days but we can extend it up to six months.

By the Third-party:

Through this process, we can apply for the visa from travel agents or airlines and not on our own.

Requirements:

A valid passport for not less than 6 months from the date of arrival.
A confirmed return ticket.
Financial proof for the stay in Sri Lanka.
Required documents for the trip to Sri Lanka, in case of business trips.
The visa will be approved for 30 days but we can extend it up to six months.

At the Sri Lanka Embassy:

You can also apply for a visa through the Sri Lanka Embassy near you.

Requirements:

A valid passport for not less than 6 months from the date of arrival.
A confirmed return ticket.
Financial proof for the stay in Sri Lanka.
Required documents for the trip to Sri Lanka, in case of business trips.
The visa will be approved for 30 days but we can extend it up to three months.

Read also: Visa at Your Doorstep: A Growing Trend Among UK Travellers to India

On arrival at the port of Entry:

For Indians, an arrival visa opportunity is available in Sri Lanka. So without a prior visa, we can directly visit Sri Lanka but at the entry, we have to go through the process. But extra fee charges will be applicable for this.

Requirements:

A valid passport for not less than 6 months from the date of arrival.
A confirmed return ticket.
Financial proof for the stay in Sri Lanka.
Required documents for the trip to Sri Lanka, in case of business trips.
The visa will be approved for 30 days but we can extend it up to six months.

Processing time for the visa:

After applying through any one of the processes we have to wait for 4 to 5 working days to get our ETA approval. Through the official website of ETA, we can track our progress of visa.

If ETA not approved our visa we will get a referral notice. Then we have to contact the Department of Immigration and Emigration for the reasons of denial and we can correct them. In this case, processing time will be taken more. So before applying, we have to provide accurate information so as not to mismatch any field with submitted documents.

Types of Visa that Sri Lanka offers:

Sri Lanka approves different visas based on our purpose to visit the country. Mentioned below are the different types of visas provided.

Tourist visa.
Business visa.
Transit visa.
Student visa.
Visa on arrival.

Tourist Visa:

For those who want to travel to Sri Lanka for tourism, this visa will be approved. We can extend this visa up to 6 months from the date of arrival.

Eligibility:

A valid passport for not less than 6 months from the date of arrival.
A confirmed return ticket.
A proof accommodation.
Tourist visa documentation.
Financial proof.
First and last pages of the passport.
Passport-size photo.

Business Visa:

For people who want to visit the country for business purposes, this visa will be approved. Based on single, double, or multiple entries visa will be approved. This visa can be extended up to six months.

Eligibility:

A valid passport for not less than 6 months from the date of arrival.
A confirmed return ticket.
A proof accommodation.
An invitation letter from the company for the business visit.
Financial proof.
First and last pages of the passport.
Passport-size photo.

Transit Visa:

For the people who want to stay for a short while for an onward journey. This visa is valid for two to seven days if you want to extend it more you have to convert it into either a tourist or business visa.

Eligibility:

A confirmed onward flight ticket.
A valid passport for not less than 6 months from the date of arrival.
Proof of sufficient funds.
First and last pages of the passport.
Passport-size photo.

Student Visa:

For the students who want to pursue education in Sri Lanka, this visa will be approved. However, the process of application will be done in Colombo by the Department of Immigration and Emigration. The period will be decided based on course duration.

Eligibility:

A valid passport for not less than 6 months from the date of arrival.
Invitation letter from the University.
Payment proof for the course.
First and Last pages of the passport.
Passport-size photo.
Financial proof.

On arrival Visa:

This visa will be provided after you check in Sri Lanka without a prior visa. You can get the visa for 30 days and can extend it up to six months.

Eligibility:

A valid passport for not less than 6 months from the date of arrival.
A confirmed return ticket.
Financial proof for the stay in Sri Lanka.
Required documents for the trip to Sri Lanka.
First and last pages of the passport.
Passport-size photo.

How to extend the visa for up to 6 months:

Initially, ETA approves visa for 30 days only but we can extend it up to 3 months or 6 months. Here is the detailed process for it.

You have to apply at the Immigration Services Center in Colombo to extend your short visa. But before ending the current visa you have to apply for an extension.

Required documents:

Original passport of the applicant.
An extension application form.
Financial proof for the extension of the trip.
A confirmed return ticket.
A colour passport-size photo (size: 3.5 * 4.5 cm).
Supporting documents for the extension of the trip.

How visa fees are charged differently:

Tourist Visa Double entry for 30 days – USD 20.

Business Multientry Visa for 30 days – USD 30.

Transit Single Visa for 2 days – Free.

Transit Double Visa for 2 days – Free.

On arrival Tourist Visa Double entry for 30 days – USD 25.

If you want to extend the trip to 3 months or 6 months extra fee will have to be paid.

Never forget to have travel insurance:

It is an important thing to remember to have travel insurance while travelling to other countries. If we have travel insurance we can claim it if any unfortunate things or difficulties we may face. From the risk of financial losses or health issues, this travel insurance will help us.

These are all the important things to check before applying for a visa to Sri Lanka. Hope you got all the necessary information about the Sri Lankan Visa. So what next? plan a trip to the beautiful island and enjoy the tourist attractions of Sri Lanka.

Additional Reading:

How to get a Sri Lanka visa for Indians: Everything you need to know

What is a free visa?