Visa Facilitation
How to obtain visa to Sri Lanka
Important Notice
With effect from 1 st January 2012, all Holiday or Business travelers to Sri Lanka must have Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) for entering in to Sri Lanka. Please visit http://www.eta.gov.lk for more information.
When applying ETA by third parties payments are to be made through the arrangement made in our website www.eta.gov.lk and obtain acknowledgement of ETA application. Any payments made to other websites or agencies are not valid to process a valid ETA. Therefore, always ensure that the payments made by accessing to Sri Lanka ETA website and avoid making repayment at the port of entry to Sri Lanka.
What is a Sri Lankan Visa?
A Sri Lankan visa is an endorsement on a passport or a similar document to facilitate the legal entry of non Sri Lankans into the country and to regulate the period of their stay and the conditions governing such stay.
What are the Types of Sri Lankan Visas?
There are four kinds of visas which permit a person to enter and/or stay in Sri Lanka.
Visit Visa
A Visit Visa is an entry permit signifying the consent of the Sri Lankan Government for the admission of a foreign national to the country. The Visa contains details of the period of time and the condition/s of the stay.
There are two sub-categories which come under visit visas
A Tourist Visa is issued to bona-fide tourists who want to enter Sri Lanka for sightseeing, excursions, relaxation, visit relatives or yoga training for a short period of time.
A Business Visa is issued to foreign nationals who visit Sri Lanka for business purposes for short periods of time. This visa may be issued for single, double or multiple journeys.
Residence Visa
A Residence Visa is a permit for a non-Sri Lankan to obtain residence facilities for special purposes. It is issued to persons of non-Sri Lankan nationality to whom it has been decided to extend residence facilities for the purpose of investment or otherwise, in circumstances where the prescribed authority is satisfied that their stay in Sri Lanka and the pursuit of their vocations are not prejudicial to the best interests of the population.
Important
To obtain a Residence Visa, it is necessary to arrive in Sri Lanka on an Entry Visa issued by a Sri Lankan Mission abroad with the concurrence of the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration. The fact that you wish to apply for Sri Lankan Residence Visa has to be mentioned when obtaining the entry visa and necessary supporting documents has to be submitted.
Visit Visas can’t be considered for conversion into Residence.
The visa will be issued within 24 hours, upon submitting the following documents to the Embassy;
- Valid Passport
- Duly completed Form “B” obtained from Sri Lanka Mission or can be downloaded from the website www.immigration.gov.lk
- Two Passport Size Photographs (35 mm x 45 mm)
- Relevant Visa Fee
- Copy of the Approval of the Controller of Immigration & Emigration of Sri Lanka
Please follow the link below for more information.