Indian passport holders need a Sri Lanka Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), and as of September 2026 it is free of charge: since 25 May 2026 India has been one of 40 countries whose nationals get a 30-day tourist ETA without a fee. Free does not mean optional. You still apply online before you arrive, and the passport, ticket and date rules still apply. This guide covers the application, the fee that would apply if the scheme ended, timing, validity, what to carry and the mistakes that cause trouble. The official source throughout is Sri Lanka's Department of Immigration and Emigration and its ETA site, eta.gov.lk.
The rule in one table, September 2026
| Item | For Indian passport holders |
|---|---|
| Type | Tourist ETA (short visit) |
| Fee | Free since 25 May 2026 |
| Stay | 30 days from arrival |
| Entries | Double entry within the 30 days |
| Where to apply | eta.gov.lk, before arrival |
| Passport | Valid 6 months from arrival |
| Enter by | Within 3 months of issue |
| Longer stays | Paid extension, up to 6 months |
The 25 May notice gives no end date, and free-visa rules for Sri Lanka have changed before at short notice, so check eta.gov.lk again in the week before you fly.
How to apply on eta.gov.lk
- Go to www.eta.gov.lk, the Department of Immigration and Emigration's site, and start a tourist ETA application. Use this site only: look-alike websites charge a fee for an ETA that is free for Indians.
- Enter your details exactly as they appear in your passport. The official site says no passport copies, documents or photographs are required.
- Submit. You receive an acknowledgement, then either an approval notice or a referral notice if the application needs more checks.
- Save the approval notice on your phone and print a copy for immigration in Colombo.
You do not have to do it yourself. The official site allows a travel agent, an airline, a friend or a relative to lodge the application for you, and most of our Sri Lanka trip pages list ETA guidance, so a planner can walk you through it. You do not need a flight ticket to apply, although immigration will want to see a return ticket when you land. To check the status, enter your reference number on the ETA site or call the 24-hour ETA call centre on 0094 71 99 67 888.
Fee: free for Indians, and the fallback
As of September 2026 the tourist ETA costs Indian nationals nothing, whether they hold an ordinary, official or diplomatic passport. Children under 12 of any nationality also get a free 30-day tourist ETA. For reference, the same official fee table lists the South Asian (SAARC) tourist ETA at US$20 when applied for online or through a mission, and US$25 on arrival, about ₹1,900 and ₹2,400 at September 2026 rates; that is what Indians would pay if the free scheme ended. Staying beyond 30 days is charged as an extension. The costs of the rest of the trip are in Sri Lanka trip cost from India.
Processing time and when to apply
The official site does not publish a processing time for online applications. Approvals commonly arrive by email within a day or two, but that is travellers' experience, not an official figure. Applications made through a Sri Lankan mission are issued within three business days, according to eta.gov.lk. Two rules set the window:
- Apply at least a week before you fly, to leave room for a referral.
- Do not apply months ahead. The official apply page says you must enter Sri Lanka within three months of the ETA being issued; the site's FAQ mentions six months, so staying inside three months is the safe reading.
Validity, double entry and extensions
The free ETA allows 30 days in Sri Lanka from the day you arrive, with a double entry inside those 30 days, so you can leave and come back once before the period ends. Our Sri Lanka trips run from five to eight days, from the 5 Days Sri Lanka Kandy Bentota Bliss to the 8 Days Sri Lanka Grand Island Escape, well inside the limit.
To stay longer, apply for an extension before day 30, through the online visit visa extension portal at eservices.immigration.gov.lk or at the Department's head office in Battaramulla. Extensions are charged and can take a short visit up to six months. You cannot get a fresh ETA while you are inside Sri Lanka, and overstaying can mean a fine, detention or deportation.
Documents to carry
- Passport valid for at least six months from the day you land.
- The ETA approval notice, printed or on your phone.
- A confirmed return or onward ticket.
- Proof of funds for the stay, such as a forex card or a recent bank statement.
- Hotel bookings or your tour itinerary, in case immigration asks.
The passport, the return ticket and sufficient funds are the official port-of-entry requirements on eta.gov.lk. The itinerary is not on that list, but it answers the question of where you are staying in one screen.
At Colombo airport, and the arrival card question
Flights from India land at Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake, north of Colombo; the non-stop options from each city are on the Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai pages. At the immigration counter you hand over your passport and the officer issues the 30-day short-visit visa against your ETA; the official site advises carrying a copy of the approval notice. Keep the return ticket and proof of funds ready.
The arrival card is a separate step from the ETA. Since January 2023 foreign visitors have been able to fill it in online up to three days before they fly, through the Department of Immigration and Emigration's website, according to a notice from Sri Lanka's High Commission in London. We could not confirm on an official page how the card works in September 2026, so check immigration.gov.lk before you travel, use only the government's own sites, and keep your first hotel's address handy. After immigration, declare at customs anything that may be prohibited or subject to duty.
Common mistakes
- Paying an unofficial website for an ETA that is free for Indians on eta.gov.lk.
- Travelling on a passport with less than six months left from the day you land.
- A typing error in the name or passport number. A submitted application cannot be edited and a fresh one is needed, so check every field before you confirm.
- Leaving it to the airport. The official site describes the airport ETA counter as a limited facility where additional fees apply, payable in US dollars or by card, and says a referral there means being refused entry and sent back.
- Applying too early and landing more than three months after the ETA was issued.
- Not having the return ticket to hand when the officer asks for it.
- Staying past day 30 without an extension.
- Visible Buddha tattoos, which can get a visitor refused entry. Posing for photos standing in front of a Buddha statue is also treated as disrespect, which is a serious offence.
Questions we are asked most
Is the Sri Lanka ETA free for Indians?
Yes, as of September 2026. Since 25 May 2026 India is one of 40 countries whose nationals get a free 30-day tourist ETA. It is still compulsory: apply on the official eta.gov.lk site before you arrive, and check again close to travel.
How long does a Sri Lanka ETA take for Indians?
The official site publishes no processing time for online applications. Approvals often arrive by email within a day or two, but that is experience, not an official figure, so apply at least a week before you fly.
How long can Indians stay in Sri Lanka on an ETA?
30 days from the date of arrival, with a double entry allowed inside those 30 days. Longer stays need a paid extension from the Department of Immigration and Emigration, up to six months, applied for before the 30 days run out.
With the ETA sorted, choose a season from the best months to go, see how the days fit together in a 6-day itinerary, or weigh up Sri Lanka or Kerala; the routes themselves are on the Sri Lanka tour packages page. When you enquire, give us your travel dates and home city; flights are quoted separately on request.
