Sri Lanka visa for Indian citizens

Indian citizens are issued Sri Lanka visa in the form of ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) for tourism purposes. Indians can apply for different types of Sri Lanka visas as per the purpose of their visit. Therefore, in this blog, we will explore the visa process including Sri Lanka visa requirements and Sri Lanka visa fees for Indians.

Sri Lanka visa for Indian

Based on the applicant’s requirements, eligibility criteria, and other factors, the applicant may or may not be approved for a Sri Lanka visa for Indian citizens from India. The Sri Lankan embassy or consulate will assess your application to determine if you qualify for visa approval. Depending on the visa category, you will need to fill out the application form and submit it with the required documents.

Sri Lanka tourist visa

The process to obtain a Sri Lanka tourist visa is quite simple and its completely online. You will need to apply for an online visa, if you are an Indian passport holder. Sri Lanka will issue travellers an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) that allows you to enter the country for 30 days. The Sri Lankan government grants an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) online through the official web-based visa system. Authorities specifically issue an ETA for short visits to Sri Lanka for purposes such as business, tourism, and transit.

You can apply for an extension on your visa for a maximum of 6 months on requesting the Department of Immigration & Emigration in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Upon approval, your ETA Visa will be valid for 180 days starting from the date of application. The ETA Visa also permits you two entries into the country of Sri Lanka.

Applicants to carry out the application for an ETA:

• When applying for a Thailand tourist visa, there are three possible options for the applicant: they can submit the application themselves, use a third-party service, or engage one of the registered agents. Moreover, each option has its own advantages and considerations to take into account.
• 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.

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Sri Lanka visa requirements for Indian 

Following are the Sri Lanka visa requirements for Indian citizens:

1. Travel document– The applicant’s original, signed passport must be valid for a minimum of six months after the intended departure from Sri Lanka. The passport must contain at least two blank pages at the end, and it must have been issued by the passport issuing authority within the last 10 years. The passport should not have any observation regarding the front data page. Amendment pages in the back of the passport are not suitable for Sri Lanka visas.
2. Application form– The applicant must submit a fully completed Sri Lanka visa application form. Applicants must note that any incomplete information or false statement in the Sri Lanka visa application could result in delay in processing or rejection of the application. Applicants have to fill out this Sri Lanka visa application form in the English language only.
3. Photograph– Applicants require two recent original passport-size colour photographs. They must be in colour, front view and with a plain/white background. The photographs should not be more than six months old.
4. Covering letter– The applicant must submit a covering letter to the centre, with details such as the applicant introducing himself/herself, explaining the purpose of visit, duration & itinerary of the visit in brief.
5. Travel Medical Insurance – You must have valid medical insurance during your stay in Sri Lanka. This insurance should cover all possible expenses for health reasons, death, indispensable medical treatment, or acute hospitalization that may arise during your stay and necessitate your return to India.
6. Invitation Letter- An invitation letter describing their relationship to the applicant and the purpose of travel to Sri Lanka must be given to the applicant by the host organization or sponsor in Sri Lanka. In addition, the letter must also indicate the length of stay, place of stay of the applicant, and the host’s name and contact information.
7. Official Business Cover Letter- The applicant’s employer or sponsoring company must give the applicant a cover letter, on the company letterhead. This must name the applicant, indicate the applicant’s employment status and the position they hold in the company in India. It must also clearly state the purpose of travel to Sri Lanka. Additionally, the cover letter must specify who will be financing the applicant’s trip and stay in Sri Lanka, and it should provide detailed contact information.

How to get Sri Lanka visa?

Step 1: Visit the link to access the online ETA application form.

Step 2: Please read the following details carefully on the visa application site before proceeding with the application:

1. All ETA holders should be able to prove:

(i) Only if you are traveling by air, you will require a round trip air ticket to show at the port of entry in Sri Lanka.

(ii) Proof of appropriate funds to cover your expenses for your entire stay in Sri Lanka.

2. Employment: As a holder of an ETA visa, the applicant should not engage in any form of paid or unpaid employment, or in any trade or business other than what is specified in the ETA, during the period of his/her stay in Sri Lanka.
3. Fees and Payments: As an ETA visa holder, you must agree to immediate billing of your credit card upon submitting your application. It must be understood that the requirements and Fees related to processing of your application are subject to change from time to time. You must acknowledge that the ETA processing fee, once paid by you, is non-refundable and non-transferable under any circumstances.
4. Communication: If you use the official ETA visa submission website, you authorize the Department of Immigration & Emigration Sri Lanka to contact you via e-mail, messaging, or any other electronic or non-electronic means of communication, with information regarding your visa application.
5. Accuracy: Upon submitting your application, you are required to certify that the information provided by you is true and accurate.
6. Limitations of use: You may not use this site for any purpose other than the intended purpose.

7. (1) Application submitting terms:

• • Enter the passport number correctly.
  • Type in your nationality correctly as appears in the travel document or passport.
  • Enter your date of birth correctly.
  • Recheck or crosscheck the above information to ascertain that it has been entered correctly. In case there is any inconstancy in above particulars, you will be required to pay for the visa again on arrival in Sri Lanka.

(2) Please ensure that you use the same travel document for entering Sri Lanka as the one used for applying for the online visa. If you present a different travel document upon arrival, you will be required to pay the visa fee again.

Step 3: After reading the terms outlined above, click on ‘I agree’. You will then be redirected to the main application.

Step 4: On the left panel, you will see a series of choices about which type of visa you are applying for-tourist ETA (for an Individual, for a group or for a third party), business purpose ETA (for an Individual, for a group or for a third party) and Transit ETA. Select which one you will be applying for and proceed to the next part of the application.

Step 5: Fill in the following details in your application:

• Surname/family name (as per passport).
• Date and country of birth
• Gender, occupation and Nationality (your country of nationality is the country in which you have or can obtain a passport).
• Passport number (pay attention about following letters “0,1,O,I,L”).
• Issued  and expiry date of Passport
• If you are travelling with children, enter the child’s information in parent’s passport. Note that children under 16 years of age possessing separate passport(s) should submit individual application(s). Enter the following details about the children:
  • Surname/family name
  • Date of birth, gender and relationship (son/ daughter).
• The enter your travel details like:
  • Intended arrival date
  • Purpose of visit and port of departure
  • Name of the flight or vessel you will be arriving in
  • Flight or vessel number
  • Enter your contact details like: Address, City/state, zip/postal code and country you reside in.
• Contact details:
  • Address in Sri Lanka
  • Please provide the email address of the applicant. We will send the ETA Approval or Acknowledgment letter to this email address.
  • Telephone number : country code, your area or state code, and your local number (if any).
  • Mobile and fax number
• Then you must sign the declaration stating the following:
  • Mention whether you have a valid residence visa to Sri Lanka.
  • State whether you are currently in Sri Lanka with a valid ETA or obtained an extension of visa.
  • Whether you have a multiple entry visa to Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka visa fees for Indian

Sri Lanka visa fees for Indian citizen is different for categories under which  you are going to apply for visa. So, the cost of Sri Lankan visa for Indians is given here:

Applicants under 12 years of age are exempt from paying the Sri Lanka visa fees for Indians. The current exchange rate dictates the Sri Lanka visa fee in Indian rupees and it is subject to change without notice, as per fluctuations in economy. The Sri Lanka visa authority considers all visa fees as non-refundable, regardless of whether the visa is granted or not.

For business visa applicants

Fill in the following details in application form:

• Contact details of the applicant’s company such as:
  • Company name
  • Address line 1 and 2
  • City/ state and zip/postal code
  • Country
  • Telephone/ mobile and fax number
  • Email address
• Contact details of the Sri Lankan company such as:
  • Company name (specify the applicant’s foreign / Sri Lankan company names).
  • Address/city and state
  • Telephone number (country code, your area code, and your local number).
  • Mobile and fax number
  • Email address

Step 6: Then, confirm that all the information you have entered is correct and tick the box to prove that you are not a robot. Subsequently, we will direct you to a page where you need to review all the information you have entered for verification purposes.

Step 7: After reviewing and confirming your details, you will have to make the payment through credit card. Once you make the payment, we will send a confirmation email to your registered email ID, ensuring that you have a record of your transaction.

Step 8: The ETA visa will take around one to two hours to process. Once we process your visa, it will be ready, so you will be able to travel to Sri Lanka.

How to track Sri Lanka visa status?

If you submitted your application using the online submission method, visit the URL to see the status of your Sri Lanka ETA visa status. Additionally, at that point, you will be required to provide the following information.

• Confirmation code
• Passport number
• If you don’t know the confirmation code, enter your nationality instead.

The visa processing status will be displayed on your screen.

Note: Arrival in Sri Lanka is not permitted until you receive the ETA approval notice. Please remember that the ETA Acknowledgement notice generated upon submission will not act as the entry approval upon your arrival to Sri Lanka.

FAQ’s