How to get Sri Lanka ETA – An easy step-by-step guide

Sri Lanka ETA is quite easy to obtain. The application is simple and takes about 10 minutes to complete. No documentation is needed to upload. Processing takes about 24 hours but in most cases, the ETAs are approved almost instantly. 

Sri Lanka ETA is also sometimes referred to as Sri Lanka online visa, Sri Lanka e-Visa or Sri Lanka electronic visa. In actuality, Sri Lanka Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) is not a visa, it’s just an authorization necessary to travel to Sri Lanka. 

I have listed out all sections and questions from the application in this step-by-step guide. For each question, there is a comment explaining what exactly needs to be entered. Just follow along with the steps. If you get stuck anywhere, leave a comment below. I will jump in and help you.

IMPORTANT
There is no option to save your progress and return to the saved application at a later point. Therefore, you must complete the entire application in one go, which would take about 10 minutes.

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Documents needed before starting the application

Before you start your Sri Lanka ETA, have these documents ready. You don’t need to upload any documents. These documents are only needed for reference so you enter the information correctly in your ETA application. 

• Passport
• Credit or debit card

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Steps for filling Sri Lanka ETA application

Step 1: Start

• Go to Sri Lanka ETA portal
• If you see an “Emergency Alert” popup, read through it and click on the “OK” button
• The “Emergency Alert” popup will close revealing the Sri Lanka ETA portal main screen

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Step 2: Language

• Under “Select Language”, click on the “English” button

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Step 3: Apply

• Click on the “Apply” tab
• A terms and conditions page will open in a new tab.

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Step 4: ETA terms and conditions

• Read through the terms and conditions and then select “I agree”.

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Step 5: ETA application type

On the next page, under “Tourist ETA”, you have the option to apply as an individual or as a group.

1. Apply for an Individual: Use this option if you are just one person traveling to Sri Lanka [jump to Individual application]
2. Apply for a Group: Use this option if you are a couple, family or a group traveling to Sri Lanka together [jump to Group application]

Depending on whether you are traveling alone or in a group, select one of the above options. 

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Step 6: Apply for an Individual

Under “Tourist ETA”, click on “Apply for an Individual”. 

You will be taken to the “1. Submit Application” page.

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1. Submit Application

Enter the following in “Applicant Information – Tourist – Individual”.

• Surname/Family Name [Comment: Enter your surname or last name as it appears in your passport]
• Other/Given Names [Comment: Enter your given name or first name + middle name combination as it appears in your passport]
• Title [Comment: Select your title from the options based on your gender, marital status and profession]
• Date of Birth [Comment: Select your date of birth as it appears in your passport from the date calendar]
• Gender [Comment: Select your gender]
• Nationality [Comment: Select your nationality as per your passport]
• Are you fully vaccinated for COVID-19 [Comment: Select Yes or No depending on whether you are fully vaccinated or not]
• Country of Birth [Comment: Enter your country of birth as it appears in your passport]
• Occupation [Comment: This is not a mandatory field, so enter your occupation only if you feel comfortable mentioning it]
• Passport Number [Comment: Enter the passport number that you will use for entering Sri Lanka]
• Passport Issued Date [Comment: Enter your passport issued date]
• Passport Expiry Date [Comment: Enter your passport expiry date]

NOTE: Fully vaccinated
You must have had all recommended doses of vaccine at least 14 days before arrival in Sri Lanka (or) recovered from covid and had one dose of vaccine. You must hold a fully vaccinated certificate. 

Enter the following in “Child information in parent’s passport”.

This section is only applicable if you have a child traveling with you and your child is on your passport. If the child has their own passport, this section is not applicable.

Enter the following in “Travel Information”.

• Where have you been during last 14 days before this travel [Comment: Select the country you are currently in]
• Visa Required Days [Comment: Nothing needs to be changed here. ETA is only for 30 days, so 30 days will be selected by default]
• Intended Arrival Date [Comment: Select your tentative date of arrival from the calendar]
• Purpose of Visit [Comment: Select “Sightseeing or Holidaying” from the options. If other, select the appropriate purpose]
  • Medical treatment including Ayurvedic (herbal)
  • Participate in sporting events, competitions and activities relating to cultural performance
  • Sightseeing or Holidaying
  • Visiting friends and relatives
• Port of Departure [Comment: Leave this field blank. Enter only if you know your departure country/airport]
• Airline/Vessel [Comment: Leave this field blank. Enter only if you have already booked your tickets]
• Flight/Vessel Number [Comment: Leave this field blank. Enter only if you have already booked your tickets]

NOTE: Where have you been during the last 14 days?
Sri Lanka does not have any restrictions on any country, so you can safely enter the country you are currently in. But things are changing quickly each day due to the pandemic, so keep an eye on any changes to entry requirements. 

Enter the following in “Contact Details”.

• Address Line 1 [Comment: Enter your current address line 1 here]
• Address Line 2 [Comment: Enter your current address line 2 if you have, if not leave it blank]
• City [Comment: Enter your current city]
• State [Comment: Enter your current state or province]
• Zip/Postal Code [Comment: Enter your current address zip or postal code]
• Country [Comment: Enter your current country]
• Address in Sri Lanka [Comment: Enter the hotel address where you plan to stay in Sri Lanka]
• Email Address [Comment: Enter the email address where you would like to receive your ETA approval]
• Telephone Number [Comment: Enter your mobile or fixed-line phone number here]
• Mobile Number [Comment: Leave this field blank]
• Fax Number [Comment: Leave this field blank]

NOTE: Address in Sri Lanka
Book a refundable hotel for at least 5 days in Colombo or Negombo and use that address as the address in Sri Lanka. You can cancel this booking after your ETA is approved.

Enter the following in “Declaration”.

• Do you have a valid residence visa to Sri Lanka? [Comment: Select “No”. In most cases the answer would be “No” if not select the appropriate option]
• Are you currently in Sri Lanka with a valid ETA or obtained an extension of visa? [Comment: Select “No”. In most cases the answer would be “No” if not select the appropriate option]
• Do you have a multiple entry visa to Sri Lanka? [Comment: Select “No”. In most cases the answer would be “No” if not select the appropriate option]

Review your answers one more time and check the box for “I would like to confirm the above information is correct”.

Click on the “Next” button. You will be taken to the “2. Review Information” screen.

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2. Review Information

Review all the information you have entered in “1. Submit Application”.

Pay attention to your name, date of birth and passport details. 

If you notice any discrepancies or errors, click on the “Change” button to go back to page “1. Submit Application” and fix the errors. 

If everything is correct, click on the “Confirm” button. You will be taken to the “3. Payment Options” page.

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3. Payment Options

Even though the visa fee is only $20, a service charge of 4.17% for MasterCard/Visa and 2.5% for American Express will be charged on top of the visa fee.

If you will be using a MasterCard or Visa, click on the MasterCard/Visa logos. If you will be using American Express, click on the American Express logo. You will then be taken to the credit card form.

Enter the following details in the credit card form.

• Name on Card [Comment: Enter your name as it appears on your credit or debit card]
• Card Number [Comment: Enter your credit or debit card number]
• Expiry Date [Comment: Enter the expiry date as it appears on your credit or debit card]
• CVV [Comment: Enter the CVV as it appears on your credit or debit card]
• Mobile Number [Comment: Enter the mobile number associated with your card account]
• E-Mail [Comment: Enter the email associated with your card account]

Click on the “PROCEED TO PAYMENT” button. 

Your card will be charged and then you will be taken to the “4. ETA Confirmation” page.

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4. ETA Confirmation

On this page, an acknowledgment of your ETA application submission is displayed along with the reference number. Make a note of this reference number as you will need it to track your ETA application status.

Check your email inbox. You will also receive an email notification with the acknowledgment. If you don’t see it, then check your spam folder.

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Step 6: Apply for a Group

Under “Tourist ETA”, click on “Apply for a Group”. 

You will be taken to the “1. Submit Application” page.

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1. Submit Application

Enter the following in “Travel Information – Tourist – Group”.

• Where have you been during last 14 days before this travel [Comment: Select the country you are currently in]
• Visa Required Days [Comment: Nothing needs to be changed here. ETA is only for 30 days, so 30 days will be selected by default]
• Intended Arrival Date [Comment: Select your tentative date of arrival from the calendar]
• Purpose of Visit [Comment: Select “Sightseeing or Holidaying” from the options. If other, select the appropriate purpose]
  • Medical treatment including Ayurvedic (herbal)
  • Participate in sporting events, competitions and activities relating to cultural performance
  • Sightseeing or Holidaying
  • Visiting friends and relatives
• Port of Departure [Comment: Leave this field blank. Enter only if you know your departure country/airport]
• Airline/Vessel [Comment: Leave this field blank. Enter only if you have already booked your tickets]
• Flight/Vessel Number [Comment: Leave this field blank. Enter only if you have already booked your tickets]

NOTE: Where have you been during the last 14 days?
Sri Lanka does not have any restrictions on any country, so you can safely enter the country you are currently in. But things are changing quickly each day due to the pandemic, so keep an eye on any changes to entry requirements. 

Enter the following in “Contact Details”.

• Address Line 1 [Comment: Enter your current address line 1 here]
• Address Line 2 [Comment: Enter your current address line 2 if you have, if not leave it blank]
• City [Comment: Enter your current city]
• State [Comment: Enter your current state or province]
• Zip/Postal Code [Comment: Enter your current address zip or postal code]
• Country [Comment: Enter the country where you currently live]
• Telephone Number [Comment: Enter your mobile or fixed-line phone number here]
• Mobile Number [Comment: Leave this field blank]
• Fax Number [Comment: Leave this field blank]
• Email Address [Comment: Enter your email where you would like to receive your ETA confirmation]
• Address in Sri Lanka [Comment: Leave this field blank. Enter only if you know the hotel address where you plan to stay in Sri Lanka]

Click on the “Next” button.

Enter the following in “Member Information – Tourist – Group”.

• Surname/Family Name [Comment: Enter your surname or last name as it appears in your passport]
• Other/Given Names [Comment: Enter your given name or first name + middle name combination as it appears in your passport]
• Title [Comment: Select your title from the options based on your gender, marital status and profession]
• Date of Birth [Comment: Select your date of birth as it appears in your passport from the date calendar]
• Gender [Comment: Select your gender]
• Nationality [Comment: Select your nationality as per your passport]
• Are you fully vaccinated for COVID-19 [Comment: Select Yes or No depending on whether you are fully vaccinated or not]
• Country of Birth [Comment: Enter your country of birth as it appears in your passport]
• Country of Address [Comment: Enter the country where you currently live]
• Occupation [Comment: This is not a mandatory field, so enter your occupation only if you feel comfortable mentioning it]
• Passport Number [Comment: Enter the passport number that you will use for entering Sri Lanka]
• Passport Issued Date [Comment: Enter your passport issued date]
• Passport Expiry Date [Comment: Enter your passport expiry date]

NOTE: Fully vaccinated
You must have had all recommended doses of vaccine at least 14 days before arrival in Sri Lanka (or) recovered from covid and had one dose of vaccine. You must hold a fully vaccinated certificate. 

Enter the following in “Child information in parent’s passport”.

This section is only applicable if you have a child traveling with you and your child is on your passport. If the child has their own passport, this section is not applicable.

Enter the following in “Declaration”. 

• Do you have a valid residence visa to Sri Lanka? [Comment: Select “No”. In most cases the answer would be “No” if not select the appropriate option]
• Are you currently in Sri Lanka with a valid ETA or obtained an extension of visa? [Comment: Select “No”. In most cases the answer would be “No” if not select the appropriate option]
• Do you have a multiple entry visa to Sri Lanka? [Comment: Select “No”. In most cases the answer would be “No” if not select the appropriate option]

Review your answers one more time and check the box for “I would like to confirm the above information is correct”.

Click on the “Add Member” button. 

You will then be shown a blank member information form again for your second member in the group. 

Repeat the above steps to add more members to your group application. 

At the bottom of the form, you will see all the members you have entered. If you need to fix anything, you can use the “Edit” or “Remove” links for each member. 

When you are finished adding all members to your application, click on the “Next” button. 

You will then be taken to the “2. Review Information” page.

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2. Review Information

Review travel and member information. 

If you need to change your travel information, click on the “Change Travel Info” button to edit your travel information. 

If you need to change any member information, click on the “Change Member Info” button to edit your member information.

If everything is looking correct, click on the “Confirm” button.

You will be taken to the “3. Payment Options” page.

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3. Payment Options

A service charge of 4.17% for MasterCard/Visa and 2.5% for American Express will be charged on top of the visa fee.

If you will be using a MasterCard or Visa, click on the MasterCard/Visa logos. If you will be using American Express, click on the American Express logo. You will then be taken to the credit card form.

Enter the following details in the credit card form.

• Name on Card [Comment: Enter your name as it appears on your credit or debit card]
• Card Number [Comment: Enter your credit or debit card number]
• Expiry Date [Comment: Enter the expiry date as it appears on your credit or debit card]
• CVV [Comment: Enter the CVV as it appears on your credit or debit card]
• Mobile Number [Comment: Enter the mobile number associated with your card account]
• E-Mail [Comment: Enter the email associated with your card account]

Click on the “PROCEED TO PAYMENT” button. 

Your card will be charged and then you will be taken to the “4. ETA Confirmation” page.

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4. ETA Confirmation

On this page, an acknowledgment of your ETA application submission is displayed along with the reference number. Make a note of this reference number as you will need it to track your ETA application status.

Check your email inbox. You will also receive an email notification with the acknowledgment. If you don’t see it, then check your spam folder.

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ETA processing time

Sri Lanka ETA processing time is 24 hours. In most cases, you will get ETA approval instantly. In certain instances, ETAs have taken more than 10 working days, so make sure to apply at least 2 weeks before your arrival date. 

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
My ETA was approved almost instantly. Within a minute of submitting the application, I received my approval notice email. 

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ETA status tracking

To track your Sri Lanka ETA status, go to the Sri Lanka ETA Check Status page and enter the following information.

• Enter Confirmation Code [Comment: Enter your ETA reference number that you’ve noted earlier or from your email confirmation]
• Please tick the check box if the Confirmation code is not known [Comment: Check this box only if you do not remember your ETA reference number. Otherwise, leave it unchecked]
• Enter Passport Number [Comment: Enter your passport number only if you do not remember your ETA reference number. Otherwise, leave this blank]
• Select Nationality [Comment: Select your passport country only if you do not remember your ETA reference number. Otherwise, leave it unselected]

Click on the “Check Status” button. The status of your Sri Lanka ETA application will be displayed. 

If you haven’t received your ETA approval notice for more than 24 hours, contact the ETA office at the Sri Lanka Immigration and Emigration Department. Details below.

ETA OFFICE CONTACT IN COLOMBO
Phone: +94 719967888
Email: eta@immigration.gov.lk

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ETA approval notice

Once your Sri Lanka ETA is approved, you will receive your approval notice to the email you have entered in your ETA application form.

It would be a simple email mentioning that your ETA is approved. There won’t be any PDF attachments. Take a print of the email itself and carry it with you when you travel. If you are flying on a one-way ticket, make sure to carry proof of onward ticket.

You need to show your ETA approval notice to check in for your flight and also at the immigration when you arrive in Sri Lanka. 

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Conclusion

That’s it, folks! Make sure to carry a print of your Sri Lanka ETA when you travel.

If you are having any troubles with your Sri Lanka ETA application, comment below. I will see what I can do for you.