Sri Lanka ETA 2026: free visa for Europeans, how to apply and extend

Since 25 May 2026, British, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Dutch tourists pay nothing to visit Sri Lanka. The Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), which serves as the tourist visa, is issued free of charge to nationals of 40 countries, for a stay of 30 days with two entries allowed.

Free does not mean optional. The ETA is still mandatory, it must be obtained before you travel, and there is only one place to get it: the official portal, eta.gov.lk. That is where most travellers get caught out.

Sri Lanka's Department of Immigration and Emigration publishes the list of 40 countries. In Europe it includes the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway. British travellers are covered, whatever the type of passport (ordinary, service, official or diplomatic).

Not every European is on the list. Ireland, Portugal, Luxembourg and Greece, for instance, are not: Irish travellers still pay for the tourist ETA, at the rate shown on the fees page of the official portal.

Two useful details:

• Children under 12, of any nationality, get a free tourist ETA for up to 30 days.
• Fees paid before 25 May 2026 are not refunded.

The official notice, read on 23 October 2026, gives no end date for the free scheme. It can still change, so check it before booking.

The free tourist ETA is valid for 30 days from your first arrival in Sri Lanka. It allows two entries within that 30-day window: if you pop over to the Maldives or India and come back, the second entry only gives you what is left of the 30 days, not a fresh count.

Once issued, the ETA must be used within three months of its date of issue, so there is no point applying six months ahead.

It covers tourism. It does not allow any employment, paid or unpaid; the portal's terms say so explicitly. For any other purpose, French consular advice recommends getting the right visa before departure rather than trying to convert a tourist visa locally.

Apply online at eta.gov.lk by filling in the form with your passport and trip details. For nationalities on the list, no payment is requested for the tourist ETA.

After submitting, you receive an acknowledgement. It is not the authorisation: the portal is clear that you may not arrive in Sri Lanka until you have received the ETA Approval Notice. You can check the status of your application on the same site.

Two other routes exist, both marginal:

• A Sri Lankan embassy or high commission, which issues the ETA or a short-stay visa within three business days, together with the immigration department.
• The ETA counter at Colombo airport (BIA), described by the portal as a "limited facility" with additional fees. If your application is referred there, you are refused entry and sent back. Do not rely on it.

According to the UK government, you do not need a visa if you are transiting by air and your connecting flight leaves within 24 hours.

The ETA is limited to 30 days on arrival, but the official portal says it can be extended up to six months. Extensions are charged, including for holders of the free ETA, at the rate set by the immigration department.

Apply online through the immigration portal (eservices.immigration.gov.lk) or at the department's head office in Battaramulla, before your current visa expires. The department also points out that:

• requesting an extension during the first 30 days cancels the second entry;
• an extension lapses as soon as you leave the country, and you need a new visa to come back;
• your stay must end at least two months before your passport expires;
• applications made through websites other than the official portal are not considered.

Overstaying is serious. The UK government lists detention, a fine, deportation at your own expense and a future entry ban.

The ETA is not always enough at the border. The official portal and French consular advice require:

• a passport valid for at least six months from the date of arrival;
• a confirmed return ticket;
• proof of sufficient funds for your stay.

An ETA does not guarantee entry: officers can refuse a traveller found inadmissible. Finally, you need a yellow fever vaccination certificate if you are arriving from a country listed as a transmission risk.

Intermediary websites. Searching for "Sri Lanka ETA" or "Sri Lanka visa" brings up sites that mimic the official portal and charge for the application. For a British, French, German or Spanish traveller the rule is simple: the tourist ETA is free on eta.gov.lk. Any site that charges you for it is not the Sri Lankan government, however official it looks.

Confusing validity and length of stay. The three months are the window to enter after issue; the 30 days are the length of your stay, counted from your first arrival.

Flying without approval. The acknowledgement is not an entry document. Wait for the Approval Notice before you board.

Forgetting the single count. A side trip to the Maldives does not reset the 30 days.

Free scheme, list of 40 countries, length of stay and double entry: Department of Immigration and Emigration notice (immigration.gov.lk) and official portal eta.gov.lk (home page, terms, fees page), read on 23 October 2026. Extensions: "Visit Visa" page on immigration.gov.lk, read on 23 October 2026. Entry requirements: gov.uk Sri Lanka travel advice, read on 23 October 2026, and France Diplomatie, updated 27 September 2026. Rules change: the official source always prevails over this page.