Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) portal for Sri Lanka officially reopened

Sri Lanka has finally re-launched the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) portal and according to an official government statement, the system is already operating normally and is designed to provide a convenient and understandable application process for foreign travelers.

It may be recalled that Sri Lanka had planned to introduce visa-free travel for citizens of 35 countries from October 1, 2024 .

Unfortunately, this initiative was shelved, including its later announcement of emergency visa waiver for 38 countries starting September 3. However, the Sri Lankan government plans to revisit this program at a later date, as the main concern now is to keep the ETA-permit e-portal working, which has taken a lot of effort and money to rebuild.

Thus, foreign nationals traveling to Sri Lanka will no longer have to obtain a visa on arrival. The online e-entry permit must be issued in advance, at least 7 days prior to arrival in Sri Lanka. ETA e-permit can be issued free of charge to citizens of 7 countries: India, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Russia and Thailand.

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