Sri Lanka Visa for Indians: The Free ETA Explained (2026)
The fee is gone, the paperwork is not. Indians still need an approved Electronic Travel Authorisation before flying to Colombo. Here is how to get it in ten minutes, and the few things that still cost money.
Is there a Sri Lanka visa for Indians, and is it really free? As of October 2026, yes on both counts, with one condition people miss. Since 25 May 2026 Sri Lanka has issued its tourist Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) free of charge to Indian passport holders, as one of 40 countries in a scheme approved by its government. The ETA still has to be applied for and approved before you arrive. It gives you 30 days in the country and allows a second entry within that period, which matters if you add the Maldives in the middle of your trip.
So "visa-free" is not quite right; "fee-free" is. This guide covers what that means in practice: the exact screens on the official portal, what Colombo immigration actually checks, how the rules changed between October 2025 and May 2026 and why that confused so many travellers, the look-alike websites still charging for a free document, extensions beyond 30 days, customs and currency limits, and the non-stop flight from Ahmedabad. Information is as of October 2026; rules change — we check before you book. We prepare and submit ETAs for our travellers, but approval is always the decision of Sri Lanka's Department of Immigration and Emigration.
Updated October 2026 by the Vibrant Holidays team, Ahmedabad.
Holiday packages for the places in this guide
Our latest matching packages on Vibrant Holidays — 2 to 10 nights. Every package can be customised for departure from your city.
Sri Lanka entry rules for Indian passports, October 2026
| Question | Answer for an Indian tourist | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Do I need a visa? | Yes, a tourist ETA | Apply online; there is no sticker in the passport and no embassy visit |
| What does it cost? | Free since 25 May 2026 | Any site asking USD 20–50 for a tourist ETA is not the government |
| How long can I stay? | 30 days from first arrival | Enough for any normal holiday; longer needs a paid extension |
| Single or double entry? | Double entry within the 30 days | Colombo → Maldives → Colombo works on one ETA |
| Before or on arrival? | Before arrival, per the immigration department | Do not plan on the airport counter; it is limited and charges extra |
| Passport validity | At least six months from arrival | Check children's passports too; they expire after five years |
| Documents uploaded? | None for the tourist ETA | You type in details; you carry proof at the airport |
| Arrival card | Online arrival card facility available | Free; fill it or the paper card if one is handed out |
The free scheme applies to all Indian passport types — ordinary, official, service and diplomatic. Fees paid for ETAs before 25 May 2026 are not refunded. No end date for the scheme has been announced, which is one more reason to check the position again before you travel.
What "free" covers, and what still costs money
The government fee for a 30-day tourist ETA is nil for Indians. A few things around it are not:
- Extensions beyond 30 days: charged at the rate set by the Department of Immigration and Emigration. Extensions are granted in stages, and the total stay can be extended up to about 270 days. Express same-day processing carries an extra charge.
- The airport facility: the official portal mentions a limited facility to obtain an ETA at Bandaranaike International Airport, with additional fees on arrival. It exists for genuine emergencies, not as a plan.
- Overstaying: staying beyond your permitted date without a valid visa attracts a heavy penalty on top of the visa fee — USD 500 under rules announced in 2021 — and can affect future entry. Count your days carefully if your flight home is close to day 30.
- Agents: a travel company may charge for its time. With us, filing the ETA is part of the trip we plan; there is no government fee to pass on and we do not invent one.
- Business visits: the free scheme is for the tourist ETA. Business ETAs and other visa categories follow their own rules and fees.
In rupees, a family of four now saves about ₹7,000 compared with the old USD 20 SAARC fee per person. That is real money on a short trip, and it is why fake sites are working so hard to keep charging it.
How to apply for the Sri Lanka ETA on eta.gov.lk
The government address is eta.gov.lk, run by the Department of Immigration and Emigration. Type it directly; do not click advertisements. Keep the passport in front of you while you fill it in.
- Choose the individual tourist ETA. Families apply person by person, including infants. Group options exist but individual files are easier to correct if one name is wrong.
- Read the eligibility screen. Select India as nationality; the page should show that no fee applies.
- Enter passport details exactly as printed: surname, given names, passport number, date of birth, date of issue and expiry, place of issue. Single-name passports need care; follow the portal's guidance and do not invent a surname.
- Enter travel details: expected date of arrival, port of arrival (Colombo Bandaranaike for almost everyone), flight number if known, and the address of your first hotel.
- Answer the declaration questions on previous visits, refusals and health honestly. A previous overstay is the kind of history that delays an application.
- Review and submit. Note the reference number on the confirmation screen.
- Watch your email. Approval usually arrives within 24 to 48 hours. If nothing comes in three days, check the status on the portal with the reference number.
- Save and print the approval for every traveller. Airline staff at Ahmedabad, Mumbai or Chennai may ask to see it, and immigration in Colombo matches it to your passport.
The tourist ETA does not ask you to upload a photo, bank statement or ticket. That simplicity is exactly why mistakes in typing are the main risk: a single wrong digit in the passport number means the approval does not belong to your passport.
Why the rules confused travellers: 2025 to 2026 in brief
Many Indian travellers are unsure whether the ETA is needed at all, because Sri Lanka changed its position several times in a short period. The short history, as reported by Sri Lankan authorities and the press:
| When | What changed |
|---|---|
| 2024 | A disputed outsourced visa system was halted, and the government ETA portal resumed processing |
| Mid-October 2025 | A rule requiring every visitor to obtain the ETA before departure was introduced, then suspended within days |
| 25 May 2026 | Free 30-day tourist ETA for nationals of 40 countries, including India; ETA still to be obtained before arrival |
| August 2026 | Sri Lankan missions reminded travellers to obtain and verify the ETA before starting the journey, warning of possible denied boarding |
The portal itself is not fully consistent: one section says the ETA must be obtained before arrival, another still describes the limited airport facility, and an older FAQ says an ETA is not a condition of boarding. Our advice is simple: because it is free and quick, apply at least a week before you fly and carry the approval. That removes every version of the risk.
Fake Sri Lanka visa websites: how to recognise them
Search "Sri Lanka visa for Indians" and you will still see paid results from private websites with lion flags, words like "official" and "e-visa", and checkout pages asking USD 30–80. Some file the free ETA for you and keep the money; some only send a receipt; a few have sent nothing.
- Check the address: the government portal ends in .gov.lk. Domains ending .com, .org, .online or .in are not the Sri Lankan government, whatever the logo says.
- Check the price: for an Indian tourist ETA the official checkout shows no fee. A payment screen is the clearest sign you are in the wrong place.
- Check the email: genuine approvals come with a reference that you can look up on eta.gov.lk. If the "approval" cannot be found there, it is not an approval.
- "Express" offers: sites promising "approval in one hour for USD 49" have no faster access than you; they use the same portal.
- Data risk: these sites collect passport scans and card numbers. If you have already paid one, ask your bank about a chargeback and check eta.gov.lk directly for a real application under your passport number.
What Colombo immigration may check, by traveller type
The ETA is approval to travel; the immigration officer at Bandaranaike airport makes the final decision on entry. For a normal holiday the check is quick. Keep these ready, on paper or on the phone:
Every traveller
- Passport valid six months beyond arrival, with blank pages.
- ETA approval matching the passport number.
- Return or onward ticket within your permitted stay.
- Hotel confirmations or your itinerary with hotel names.
- Some evidence of funds: an international card and a little US dollar cash are usually enough.
Families with children
- A separate ETA for each child and infant.
- If a child travels with only one parent or with grandparents, carry a signed consent letter from the absent parent with a copy of their passport. It is rarely asked for but useful if it is.
Senior citizens
- Prescriptions for regular medicines, kept in hand baggage in original packaging.
- Travel insurance with medical cover; private hospitals in Colombo and Kandy are good but charge in full.
Self-employed, students and retired travellers
- No ITR, salary slip or bank letter is needed for the tourist ETA. If questioned, a business card, college ID or pension document answers the "what do you do" question calmly.
Double entry, the Maldives hop and staying longer
The double entry built into the free ETA is useful for Indian travellers because Colombo is the natural hub for a Maldives add-on. A route like Ahmedabad → Colombo → five nights in Sri Lanka → Malé for three nights → back through Colombo → Ahmedabad uses both entries within 30 days on a single approval.
- Transit only: if you only change planes at Colombo and stay airside, you do not pass immigration. If the connection requires you to collect bags or stay overnight in a city hotel, you are entering Sri Lanka and should hold an ETA.
- The 30 days count from first arrival, not from approval. Approve early without worry, but make sure the second entry also falls inside those 30 days.
- Longer stays: long Ramayana pilgrimages, Ayurveda programmes of three to four weeks or slow trips with relatives can approach the limit. Apply for an extension at the Department of Immigration and Emigration (head office in Battaramulla, near Colombo) before day 30, and allow two to three working days in the December–March peak.
- Change of passport: if you renew your passport after approval, apply again with the new number; the old ETA does not transfer.
See our Maldives packages for resorts that pair well with a Sri Lanka week.
Arrival card, customs and money rules
- Arrival card: Sri Lanka has offered an online arrival and departure card on the immigration department's website since 2023, which can be filled up to three days before you land. It is free and is not a visa. If the crew hands out a paper card on the flight, fill that instead.
- Currency declaration: as per Sri Lanka Customs, declare foreign currency above USD 15,000 or equivalent when you arrive, and above USD 10,000 when you leave. Most holidaymakers carry far less.
- Indian rupees: not accepted for everyday payments in Sri Lanka. India's own rules limit how much Indian currency you can take out of India, so carry only a little for the return journey home.
- What to carry instead: a forex card or an international debit card, plus clean US dollar notes for emergencies. Draw Sri Lankan rupees at the airport ATM. One Indian rupee buys roughly 3.4–3.6 Sri Lankan rupees at present.
- Duty-free: foreigners may bring 1.5 litres of liquor. Cigarettes, cigars and beedis are not allowed as personal baggage at all, so leave them at home.
- Religious items and souvenirs: images of the Buddha are treated with great respect; do not buy Buddha-head decor to pack in a suitcase, and never pose with your back to a statue for a photo.
Flights to Colombo from Ahmedabad and other Indian cities
FitsAir, a Sri Lankan private airline, started flying Ahmedabad–Colombo non-stop on 19 June 2026, about three times a week on narrow-body Airbus aircraft. Timings at launch were an early-morning departure from SVPI at 03:40, landing 06:50, and a late-morning departure at 10:45, landing 13:55; return flights left Colombo at 23:25 and 06:30. Schedules change by season, so treat these as a guide and let us confirm the days for your dates.
| Departure city | Typical option | Total journey |
|---|---|---|
| Ahmedabad | FitsAir non-stop on its operating days; otherwise one stop via Mumbai, Chennai or Bengaluru | About 3 hours non-stop; 6–9 hours with a connection |
| Chennai | Several daily non-stops | About 1 hour 15 minutes |
| Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad | Daily non-stops on Indian and Sri Lankan carriers | About 2–3½ hours |
| Kochi, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai | Short non-stops on some days | About 1–1½ hours |
Whichever airline you choose, fill the ETA with the arrival date on your ticket. If your flight is rescheduled to the next day, the ETA still works, since validity runs from first arrival. A move to an earlier date is also fine as long as you have the approval in hand.
Who the free ETA suits, and trips worth planning
- First trip abroad: no fee, no documents to upload, no biometrics and the same clock as India. Few countries are easier to start with.
- Senior citizens and pilgrims: the Ramayana trail — Sita Amman temple at Seetha Eliya, Munneswaram, Divurumpola, Kelaniya — fits comfortably inside 30 days at a gentle pace.
- Honeymooners: Kandy, the hill-country train to Ella and a south-coast beach in five or six nights, with the Maldives on the second entry if the budget allows.
- Long weekends: from Ahmedabad, the non-stop makes even a four-night trip worthwhile.
Our Sri Lanka tour packages from Ahmedabad page has prices, itineraries and an honest note on vegetarian and Jain food. Comparing other easy destinations? Read visa-free countries for Indians and international trips under ₹1 lakh, or see all Sri Lanka packages.
How Vibrant Holidays handles your Sri Lanka ETA
- Filed on eta.gov.lk only, for every traveller including infants, once flights are issued; we forward the official approval emails. The decision rests with Sri Lanka's Department of Immigration and Emigration.
- Two-person check of names, passport numbers and dates against the passport copy before submission.
- Route advice: non-stop from Ahmedabad or a connection, and whether a Maldives add-on fits within the 30 days.
- One PDF pack: ETA approvals, tickets, hotel vouchers and a day-wise plan, ready for the airline counter and immigration.
- Private trips with 24×7 support: your own car and chauffeur-guide on your own dates; planned by our team on C G Road, Ahmedabad, on WhatsApp or phone wherever you live. In business since 2015; IATA-accredited; member of TAAI, TAFI, ADTOI and IATO; recognised by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.
Plan your trip with Vibrant Holidays
Tell us your dates, budget and who is travelling. We reply with a day-wise plan and a clear price, usually the same day.
Get a Free Quote WhatsApp 9089090790Sri Lanka Visa: FAQs
Is Sri Lanka visa free for Indians in 2026?
The fee is free, but you still need permission. Since 25 May 2026 Indian passport holders receive the tourist ETA at no cost, as of October 2026. You must apply online on eta.gov.lk and have the approval before you arrive. It allows 30 days with a second entry. Approval remains with Sri Lanka immigration.
How do I apply for a Sri Lanka ETA from India?
Go to eta.gov.lk, choose the individual tourist ETA, select India, and enter your passport details, arrival date and first hotel address. Submit and note the reference number. No documents are uploaded and no fee is charged for Indians. Approval usually arrives by email within 24 to 48 hours.
How many days can Indians stay in Sri Lanka?
The free tourist ETA allows 30 days, counted from your first arrival, with a second entry permitted inside that period. If you need longer, apply for a paid extension at the Department of Immigration and Emigration before day 30. Staying beyond your permitted date without a visa attracts a heavy penalty.
Can Indians get a visa on arrival in Sri Lanka?
The official portal mentions a limited facility at Colombo airport with extra fees, but since May 2026 the immigration department says the ETA must be obtained before arrival, and missions have warned of denied boarding. Because the online ETA is free and quick, apply at least a week before you fly.
Is the Sri Lanka ETA really free or are there hidden charges?
For a 30-day tourist ETA, Indians pay nothing on the official portal. Charges apply to extensions, the airport facility and other visa categories such as business. Private websites that ask USD 30 to 80 are resellers or scams. If a payment screen appears, you are not on eta.gov.lk.
What documents are needed for a Sri Lanka visa for Indians?
For the application, only passport details and your first hotel address. At Colombo immigration, carry a passport valid six months beyond arrival, the printed ETA approval, a return ticket, hotel bookings and a card or some cash as evidence of funds. Bank statements and ITR are not usually requested.
How long does the Sri Lanka ETA take to approve?
Most approvals arrive by email within 24 to 48 hours. Occasionally a file takes longer or the portal asks for a correction. Apply as soon as your flights are booked, at least a week before travel, so there is time to fix a typing error. The 30 days only start when you land.
Do children need a separate Sri Lanka ETA?
Yes. Every traveller, including infants, needs an individual ETA linked to their own passport, and each is free for Indian nationals. A child travelling with only one parent or with grandparents should carry a consent letter from the absent parent with a copy of that parent's passport.
Can I visit the Maldives and return to Sri Lanka on the same ETA?
Yes, if both entries fall within 30 days of your first arrival. The free tourist ETA permits double entry, so a route like Colombo, then Malé for three nights, then back to Colombo for the flight home works on one approval. Plan the dates so the second entry is inside the window.
Is there a direct flight from Ahmedabad to Colombo?
Yes. FitsAir has flown Ahmedabad to Colombo non-stop since 19 June 2026, about three times a week, in roughly three hours. On other days, connect via Mumbai, Chennai or Bengaluru. Schedules change by season, so we confirm operating days for your dates before booking, as of October 2026.
How much cash can I carry to Sri Lanka from India?
Sri Lanka Customs asks you to declare foreign currency above USD 15,000 or equivalent on arrival, and above USD 10,000 when leaving. Indian rupees are not used for daily payments there, and Indian rules limit how much rupee cash you take out. Carry a forex card and some US dollars instead.
