Sri Lanka is a country you can easily fall in love with. For nature and animal lovers, this place is no less than a paradise on earth. Contrary to popular belief, Sri Lanka is beyond just its gorgeous beaches. From wildlife safaris, the high mountains, the many tea plantations, the world’s most scenic train ride, and a variety of hiking trails- Sri Lanka is something that’ll top the list for adventure junkies, young honeymoon couples or even just a family looking for a little getaway. Before you go ahead and plan out your trip for the same, let’s guide you through a few things you’ll need for your journey- a valid visa and travel insurance!

Types Of Srilanka Visa

Whether the visit is for tourism, business, studies, transit or any other reason, the qualifying applicant must select the appropriate visa application form to initiate the application process. Currently, Sri Lanka offers few of these most common types of visas:

Visit Visa - This visa category allows the applicants to apply for Tourist Visas and Business Visas under the short-stay non-immigrant visa policy. Indian Passport holders can apply for the ETA prior to their arrival in Sri Lanka. The visa allows the holders to stay up to a maximum of 30 days. Visitors under the Tourist Visa category are not allowed to be employed in Sri Lanka.
Employment Visa - The qualifying factors depend on the applicant's profession, employer's profile, etc. The applicants will need to provide valid travel documents and specified letters to carry out the application process.
Residence Visa - Individuals can apply for a residence visa if they are eligible for a visa under the Student, Investor, Religious, and other specified categories.
Transit Visa - A Transit Visa allows the individual to travel through Sri Lanka to another destination country. The applicant is only required to provide basic travel documents and the copy of his/her travel tickets.

Documents Required for Srilanka Visa

Must have Sri Lanka Visa Documents:

Scanned copy of the first and last page of your Passport. Validity of your passport should be at least 6 months beyond your stay period in Sri Lanka and have minimum of 3 blank pages;
Confirmed return air ticket;
Indian company and Sri Lankan company address. (For Business Visa)

Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA)

Applicants are provided with the following options to carry out the application for an ETA:

By the applicant itself
By a third party
By one of the registered agents
Applying at the Sri Lanka Missions
Applying at the Department of Immigration and Emigration (DI&E)
While arriving at the port of entry in Sri Lanka

The ETA application requires the applicants to visit the website - https://eta.gov.lk for ETA related services.

How to apply for the Srilanka ETA?

Indians travelling to Sri Lanka for purposes including tourism, transit, the business should have an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) to travel to and within the country.

Electronic Travel Authorization

Applicants can obtain a valid Electronic Travel Authorization for Sri Lanka by completing an ETA online application available online on www.eta.gov.lk or the Sri Lankan Missions abroad. The online Sri Lanka ETA application is simple. You are required to complete an online application form to receive the approved ETA for Sri Lanka.

ETA Procedure

Submit the application through www.eta.gov.lk and receive the acknowledgement.
Receive ETA approval in the email given by you in the application.
Take a printout of the approval received in the email and submit it to the Immigration officers at the Airport when required.

Sri Lanka Tourist visa processing time

Once you fill in the form, the ETA will be emailed to you within 3 days.