Sri Lanka tourist visa

About Sri Lanka

Formerly known as Ceylon, Sri Lanka is an island country in the Indian Ocean. The Palk Strait lies between India and Sri Lanka. The island country is situated around 30 kilometers to the south-east of India.

At a crossroads of maritime routes, Sri Lanka has been exposed to various cultural influences from diverse civilizations. Ceylon officially became Sri Lanka in 1972.

The city of Colombo is the executive and judicial capital. Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital of Sri Lanka.

The currency of the country is Sri Lankan Rupee. While the international currency code for the same is LKR, the most commonly used currency abbreviation is SLR.

Prominent tourist destinations in Sri Lanka include –

·       Galle

·       Yala National Park

·       Ravana Falls

·       Hikkaduwa Beach

·       Pollonnaruwa

·       Tangalle

·       Sigiriya

·       Adam’s Peak

·       Ella

·       The Cultural Triangle, containing the area between the cities of Anuradhapura, Kandy, and Polonnaruwa.

Short Visit to Sri Lanka

An Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) will be needed by a prospective traveler looking to go to Sri Lanka for a short stay as a tourist or for business purposes. Transiting through Sri Lanka, while on way to another destination, will also require an ETA.

As per the Department of Immigration & Emigration (DI&E) of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, “on the basis of reciprocity”, the citizens of Maldives, Singapore, and Seychelles are exempt from the requirement of securing an ETA to visit Sri Lanka.

Points to note

·       30-days’ ETA is usually granted with double-entry facility

·       Date of initial arrival in Sri Lanka is within the allotted 30 days

·       Double entries might be made from the date of initial arrival

·       The balance days of the allotted 30 days (of the initial entry) will be for the second visit to the country

·       Initially the ETA is limited to 30 days validity (from the date of arrival), might be extended for up to six months

Visit categories and types of ETAs issued

[1] Tourist

ETA for Tourist purpose with double entry for 30 (thirty) days

For

–      Sightseeing

–      Holidaying

–      Visiting relatives

–      Visiting friends

–      Medical treatment

–      Participating in sporting events and competitions

–      Taking part in activities related to cultural performance

[2] Business

ETA for Business purposes with double entry for 30 (thirty) days

For

–      Participating in business meetings

–      Taking part in business negotiations

–      Participating in conferences, workshops etc.

–      Take part in short term training program (less than a month in duration)

Business ETA might be for single entry, double, or multiple entries.

[3] Transit

ETA for Transit (up to 2 days)

For transiting through Sri Lanka while on the way to another destination.

A foreign national intending to visit Sri Lanka for the purposes other than a short visit must obtain a relevant Sri Lanka visa prior to their arrival.