All you need to know about a Sri Lanka Visa.

Have a trip to Sri Lanka on your mind? Well, you’ll first need to sort out a Sri Lanka Visa before you can think any further. Thankfully, getting one is super easy and this article will attempt to make easier for you by detailing all you need to know before you apply for one.

To begin with, you should know that a visit visa can be availed to travel for business or tourism under the short-stay non-immigrant policy. It can be availed before departing to Sri Lanka and holds a validity of 30 days maximum. It can also be extended by visiting the Department of Immigration & Emigration in Colombo. One cannot accept employment under this category of visa.

Tourism purpose refers to visit made for sightseeing, to visit friends and relatives, for medical treatment including Ayurveda and yoga or to participate in sporting events, competitions and activities relating to cultural performance. On the other hand, business purpose refers to visits made for meetings, negotiations, conferences, workshops, seminars, etc.

You can apply for a Sri Lanka Visa through the Electronic Travel Authorization facility made available by the Sri Lankan Department of Immigration & Emigration. All you have to do is visit the website, fill in the application form, make the payment and your approved visa should reach you at the earliest.

On the site, you can apply individual, for a group or for a third party. You will need to prove that you will return before the visa expires by providing your return air tickets. You will also have to show a proof of funds to avail the visa. Lastly, and most importantly, you will need a valid passport with at least 6 months before expiry.

Since India is a SAARC nation, you will enjoy a lowered application fee on your Sri Lanka Visa. So where visitors from other countries would have to pay around USD35, you will only have to pay USD20. If you are travelling on business, the visa application would cost you around USD30, as opposed to the USD40 you’d have to pay if you were a citizen of a non SAARC country.

Once you’ve applied, the ETA website will also allow you to check the status of your application. For this, you will have to simply find the ‘Check Status’ tab that’s located in the center of the page, click on it and input the required details. You could also contact the call center that’s open to your queries 24*7.

As you can see, the ETA website makes light work a Sri Lanka Visa. You can apply and have the printed visa without stepping foot outside your home or running to embassies, you won’t even have to queue-up! So if you have a trip to Sri Lanka in mind, you can look forward to a smooth Visa process preceding a revitalizing trip to Sri Lanka.

We hope this article has been helpful. Good luck and all the best. Bon voyage and travel safe!