Sri Lanka

The ETA is the entry document for Sri Lanka for nationals of countries already exempt from a traditional consular visa. It is essentially the minimum formality replacing a straightforward exemption, enabling the Sri Lankan authorities to check arrivals in advance.

The ETA covers three travel purposes:

• Tourism and family visits: stay up to 30 days with the possibility of entering twice during the authorisation's validity period;
• Business: stay up to 30 days with multiple entries permitted during the 6-month validity;
• Transit: stay up to 2 days (48 h) for travellers with an onward connecting flight to a third country — single entry only. This transit visa is issued free of charge.

If you plan an international transit without leaving the airport terminal, check with your airline whether an ETA is required in your specific case.

Are minors included?

Yes. Every traveller, regardless of age, must have their own ETA. Minors cannot be included on a parent's ETA. The application must be made individually for each member of the family group. A French child travelling without both parents must also carry an exit authorisation (autorisation de sortie du territoire — AST).

Do you need to have booked flights before applying for the ETA?

No. Flight tickets are not mandatory when submitting the ETA application. However, you will need to present a return ticket to immigration upon arrival.

The Sri Lanka ETA application is entirely paperless. It is completed online from any country, before your departure. Here are the items to gather before you begin:

• The biographical page of your passport (valid for at least 6 months after your intended arrival date in Sri Lanka);
• For a Business ETA: the name, address and phone number of the inviting Sri Lankan company;
• Your detailed address in Sri Lanka (hotel, family, etc.).

Flight tickets and hotel reservations are not mandatory for the online application, but may be requested by immigration on arrival.

Obtaining the ETA is not enough: on arrival in Sri Lanka, you will need to present yourself at immigration with a set of documents. The immigration officer has the final say on whether you are actually admitted to the territory, even if your ETA has been approved.

Vaccinations and health

No vaccinations are mandatory to enter Sri Lanka, with one exception: yellow fever vaccination is required for nationals arriving from countries where the disease is endemic (Angola, Argentina, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, French Guiana, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mayotte, Niger, Panama, Peru, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Venezuela, Democratic Republic of the Congo).

Although not mandatory, several vaccinations are strongly recommended by health authorities for travel to Sri Lanka: tuberculosis, typhoid fever, hepatitis A and B, Japanese encephalitis and rabies. Consult your doctor or an international vaccination centre before departure.

It is also advisable to take out travel insurance covering hospitalisation costs abroad and medical evacuation. Health conditions and risks can change: check the current recommendations from your country's health authorities before departure.

Sri Lanka ETA fees vary depending on the type of document chosen and the applicant's nationality. For a Tourism or Business ETA, consular fees are approximately 43 € to 47 € (based on 50 to 55 USD depending on the applicable exchange rate).

From 25 May 2026, under a regulation approved by the Sri Lankan Parliament on 7 May 2026, nationals of 40 countries benefit from a waiver of tourist ETA fees (30-day stay, double entry). This measure applies notably to citizens of several European countries (including France), the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, but also China, India, Russia and several Gulf states. The ETA remains mandatory for these nationalities: only the consular fee is waived, and any service fees charged by the chosen provider remain payable.

The Transit ETA, intended for travellers with an onward connecting flight to a third country (maximum stay of 48 hours), is issued free of charge.

Extension of stay

The tourist stay can be extended several times: a first extension takes the stay to 90 days, and further extensions can bring it up to around 270 days in total. This is now done online via the immigration e-services portal (eservices.immigration.gov.lk) or, in person, at the Department of Immigration and Emigration (in Battaramulla, within the Colombo area). Apply before your authorised stay expires; the exact conditions and fees should be confirmed with immigration, as they may change.

If your travel dates change before departure and your ETA has already been issued, please note that it is not possible to amend an ETA once issued. In that case, a new ETA application is required.

Nicknamed the 'Pearl of the Indian Ocean', the island of Sri Lanka is a territory of extraordinary cultural and natural density. Nestled to the south-east of India, at the tip of the subcontinent, it covers approximately 65,000 km² — barely larger than Ireland — yet concentrates a biodiversity and heritage that rival those of far larger countries.

Sri Lanka's history is both ancient and complex. The earliest traces of human civilisation date back more than 30,000 years. The Kingdom of Sinhala, founded in the 5th century BCE according to Buddhist chronicles, makes Sri Lanka one of the cradles of Theravada Buddhism, the religion still practised by the majority on the island today. European colonisation began in the 16th century with the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch in the 17th century, then the British who renamed the island Ceylon and made it a Crown possession until independence in 1948. It was not until 1972 that the country reclaimed its ancestral name: Sri Lanka.

This layering of cultures — Sinhalese, Tamil, Malabar, Malay, Burgher (of European descent) and Muslim — gives Sri Lanka a unique culinary, architectural and linguistic richness. Sinhala and Tamil are the two official languages, while English remains widely used in tourism and business.

Getting around and logistics

Sri Lanka is served from Europe via Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo (CMB), the country's main air entry point. Direct or connecting flights are available from major European cities.

On the ground, transport options are varied: scenic train journeys (notably the Kandy–Ella route, reputed to be one of the most beautiful in Asia), tuk-tuks, buses and car hire with driver. The road network is generally reasonable, but distances can feel long due to the terrain and traffic density on certain routes. Allowing more travel time than expected is advisable.

The local currency is the Sri Lankan rupee (LKR). Bank cards are accepted in hotels and tourist restaurants in major cities, but it is advisable to carry cash for rural areas and local markets. ATMs are available in all main towns.