Sri Lanka Announces Free Tourist ETA for UAE, India, Pakistan and 37 Other Countries
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:
- Australia
- Austria
- Bahrain
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Canada
- China
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Kuwait
- Malaysia
- Nepal
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Poland
- Qatar
- Russia
- Saudi Arabia
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Turkey
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- 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.
