Tourism

Sri Lanka has announced a free tourist visa scheme through its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system for nationals of 40 countries, including the United Arab Emirates, India, and Pakistan.

The new policy came into effect on May 25 and applies to holders of:

• Diplomatic passports
• Official passports
• Service passports
• Ordinary passports

According to Sri Lanka’s official ETA platform, eligible travellers must still obtain an ETA approval before arriving in the country, even though the visa itself is now free of charge.

The free tourist ETA allows visitors to stay in Sri Lanka for up to 30 days, with double-entry access permitted during the validity period from the date of first arrival.

Authorities clarified that travellers who paid ETA fees before May 25 will not receive refunds under the revised scheme.

Visitors wishing to remain in Sri Lanka beyond the initial 30-day period must apply separately for a visa extension and pay the applicable extension fees.

The announcement also confirmed that nationals of Maldives will continue receiving a 90-day tourist visa under a reciprocal bilateral agreement between the two countries.

Other countries with reciprocal agreements, including Seychelles and Singapore, are also covered under existing arrangements.

Full List of Countries Eligible for Free Sri Lanka Tourist ETA

The 40 eligible countries are:

1. Australia
2. Austria
3. Bahrain
4. Belarus
5. Belgium
6. Canada
7. China
8. Czech Republic
9. Denmark
10. Finland
11. France
12. Germany
13. India
14. Indonesia
15. Iran
16. Israel
17. Italy
18. Japan
19. Kazakhstan
20. Kuwait
21. Malaysia
22. Nepal
23. Netherlands
24. New Zealand
25. Norway
26. Oman
27. Pakistan
28. Poland
29. Qatar
30. Russia
31. Saudi Arabia
32. South Korea
33. Spain
34. Sweden
35. Switzerland
36. Thailand
37. Turkey
38. United Arab Emirates
39. United Kingdom
40. United States

The move is expected to support Sri Lanka’s tourism recovery efforts by making travel more accessible for visitors from key international markets.

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