Sri Lanka ETA for Transit Purposes

Depending on how much time is spent in Sri Lanka before moving on to an onward destination, travelers passing through the country may require a Sri Lanka ETA for transit.

Passengers in transit who do require a visa should apply in advance for the Sri Lanka transit ETA. Travellers are issued with the single-entry transit visa on arrival when they present their approved ETA and passport. Foreigners are not permitted to leave the airport with a Sri Lanka transit visa.

What is the Sri Lankan ETA for transit?

The Sri Lanka ETA for Transit is an online Electronic Travel Authorization introduced in 2012, it allows eligible citizens to pre-register a visa waiver application for short stays for tourism, transit, or business purposes.

The majority of foreign passport holders are able to apply for a Sri Lanka transit visa or online ETA to pass through the country. This excludes 3 visa-exempt countries (Seychelles, the Maldives, and Singapore), as well as citizens of 21 countries who are required to get a visa from a Sri Lanka Diplomatic Mission in their own country before traveling.

How does transit ETA for Sri Lanka work

The transit eTA for Sri Lanka can be obtained through the simple Electronic Travel Authorization application online. Eligible citizens are required to fill in some personal information and passport details, as well as to select ‘transit’ as the purpose of the stay.

Applicants will need to meet the Sri Lanka eTA requirements for transit in order for the eTA approval to be successful. It’s necessary to have:

A passport from a Sri Lanka ETA transit-eligible country valid for 6 months upon arrival
A valid debit or credit card to pay the Sri Lanka transit authorization fee
A current email address at which to receive the transit eTA for Sri Lanka

The following should be presented upon arrival at the border:

A printed copy of the transit ETA for Sri Lanka
A confirmed ticket to the traveler’s onward destination
A visa or other travel document for the onward destination, if applicable.

Before submitting the application, it’s essential to double-check all the information provided in order to correctly receive the Sri Lanka transit ETA. Applications are usually processed within 24 hours, with the Sri Lanka ETA for transit sent by email on approval.

Do I need a Sri Lanka transit visa or ETA for transit?

The Sri Lanka transit ETA is only available for the purposes of transiting through Sri Lanka on the way to an onward destination. So, if the traveler want to travel through Sri Lanka to change the airport or mode of transport on their way to a third destination, the traveler will require a transit visa or ETA for transit.

The ETA transit for Sri Lanka is not required for passengers in transit who:

Will leave the country within 8 hours
Have a ticket or evidence of their onward travel

Eligible countries for Sri Lanka transit ETA

United Kingdom
Germany
Japan
France
Bangladesh
India
United States
Norway
Denmark
United Arab Emirates
Italy
Pakistan
Netherlands
Australia
Canada
China
Russian Federation
Afghanistan
Aland Islands
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bonaire, St Eustatius & Saba
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
British Indian Ocean Territory
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cuba
Curacao
Czech Republic
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Faroe Islands
Federated States of Micronesia
Fiji
Finland
French Guiana
French Polynesia
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Indonesia
Iraq
Ireland
Iran
Isle of Man
Israel
Jamaica
Jersey
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Niue
Norfolk Island
Northern Mariana Islands
Oman
Palau
Palestinian Territory
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn Islands
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Cyprus
South Korea
Republic of Moldova
Reunion
Romania
Rwanda
Saint Barthelemy
Saint Helena
St Kitts & Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
St Pierre & Miquelon
St Vincent & the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome & Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Sint Maarten (Dutch part)
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands
South Sudan
Spain
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard & Jan Mayen
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Thailand
The Democratic Republic of the Congo
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad & Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Turks & Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Republic of Tanzania
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Islands, British
Wallis & Futuna
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

How long you can stay in Sri Lanka with transit ETA

The Sri Lanka ETA for transit allows a stay of up to 2 days in the country.

However, if the ETA holder wishes to stay for longer and/or for purposes other than to pass through, then the transit ETA for Sri Lanka is not eligible, and another Sri Lankan visa type will be required.

Access to Transit eTA Application