Sri Lanka Tourist Visa UK Check Cost & Requirement and How To Apply Online 2026

Booked your flights to Colombo, picked out your hotel in Galle, and then suddenly realised you’ve got no idea whether you need a visa? You’re not alone. Every year thousands of British holidaymakers leave this until the last minute, and the rules around the Sri Lanka tourist visa UK travellers need have actually changed quite recently — which means a lot of the advice floating around online is now out of date.

The good news: getting sorted is genuinely quick, and as of May 2026 it’s also cheaper than it’s ever been for UK passport holders. This guide walks you through exactly what a sri lanka tourist visa uk citizen needs, what it costs, how to apply, and where the real official application sites are (because there are a lot of fake ones).

Yes. Every British citizen travelling to Sri Lanka for holidays, visiting family, or short business trips needs to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before they fly. This is Sri Lanka’s official version of a tourist visa, and UK government guidance confirms that to enter Sri Lanka, you need to apply for an ‘Electronic Travel Authorization’ which is a form of visa, and you should do this before travelling. GOV.UK

There’s one small exception: if you’re simply passing through Sri Lanka by air on your way to another country, you do not need a visa if you are transiting through Sri Lanka by air, provided the connecting flight is within 24 hours of your arrival — though it’s worth checking transit times with your airline directly. GOV.UK

For everyone else, the ETA is non-negotiable. It’s a digital authorisation linked to your passport, checked electronically when you land — there’s no sticker or stamp to collect in advance.

Here’s the headline news for British travellers: as of 25 May 2026, Sri Lanka scrapped ETA fees entirely for UK citizens. According to the official ETA portal, nationals of 40 countries, including the UK, are now eligible to obtain a tourist ETA free-of-charge for a stay of up to 30 days. Sri Lanka Visa. This is backed up by UK Government travel advice, which confirms ETAs are issued free of charge and will be valid for 30 days for British travellers. GOV.UK

So if you’ve been searching for the sri lanka tourist visa price, e tourist visa sri lanka fees uk, or uk tourist visa fees from sri lanka, the honest answer right now is: £0 for the standard 30-day tourist ETA, applied for in advance online.

A few important caveats:

This makes Sri Lanka one of the most accessible long-haul destinations currently available to UK passport holders — no consulate visit, no visa fee, and a fast turnaround.

Applying for your eta sri lanka authorisation is designed to be done entirely from your sofa. Here’s exactly how to do it.

Step 1: Go to the Official Sri Lanka Visa Application Website

This is the step where most people get caught out. There are dozens of third-party websites that mimic the official portal and charge inflated “service fees” for something that’s now free. The sri lanka tourist visa official website is run by Sri Lanka’s Department of Immigration and Emigration, and UK Government guidance directs travellers to apply through the official channel rather than unofficial agents.

Always check the URL carefully before entering any passport or payment details, and be wary of paid search adverts that lead to copycat sites.

Step 2: Choose Your Visa Category

When you land on the sri lanka visa online application form, you’ll be asked to select a category. For most UK travellers, this is straightforward:

You’ll also choose single or double entry. Note that the standard free tourist ETA already includes double entry within the 30-day window, so if you’re planning a side trip to the Maldives or India and back, you may not need to apply twice.

Step 3: Complete the Sri Lanka ETA Application Form

This is the core of the sri lanka eta application process. You’ll need:

Take your time filling this in. Typos in your name or passport number are one of the most common reasons applications get flagged for manual review, which can add days to your approval time.

Step 4: Submit and Pay (If Applicable)

If you’re applying for the standard 30-day tourist ETA as a UK citizen, you shouldn’t be charged anything under the current waiver. If a fee is shown, double-check you’re on the genuine government portal and haven’t landed on a third-party reseller site.

Step 5: Receive and Save Your Approval

Most approvals land in your inbox within a few hours, though it can occasionally take up to a few working days during busy periods. Download or print the approval notice — border staff may ask to see it on arrival, even though it’s an electronic system.

Technically, a sri lanka visa on arrival facility exists at Bandaranaike International Airport for travellers who haven’t pre-applied. However, this isn’t recommended. It typically involves longer queues, manual processing, and the possibility of a fee where your nationality wouldn’t otherwise be charged for an advance application. Given the online process is now free and usually approved within hours, there’s very little reason for a UK traveller to risk arriving without an ETA already confirmed.

The standard tourist ETA gives you 30 days from your date of arrival. If you want to stay longer — for an extended trip around the country, or to combine tourism with volunteering or family visits — UK Government advice confirms if you plan to stay longer, you can apply for an extension online through Sri Lanka’s official Immigration portal. GOV.UK

Extensions are generally granted in stages, allowing tourists to build up to a much longer total stay, though each extension requires a fresh application and may involve its own fee. Always apply for an extension before your current ETA expires.

What Happens If You Overstay?

Don’t let your 30 days run out without sorting an extension. UK Government guidance is direct on this point: if you overstay the period of your ETA, you risk being subject to immigration procedures that may include temporary detention, a fine, deportation at your own expense, a travel ban or refusal of entry on a future visit. It’s a serious consequence for what’s usually a simple admin fix — set a phone reminder the day you arrive. GOV.UK

Beyond the ETA itself, Sri Lankan immigration authorities expect travellers to meet some general entry conditions. According to the Department of Immigration and Emigration, visitors are expected to hold a passport valid for a minimum of six months from the date of arrival, have adequate funds for their stay, and hold proof of onward or return travel.

In practice, for most UK tourists this simply means:

It’s also worth checking the gov uk sri lanka visa travel advice page shortly before you travel, since entry requirements and any local health or security guidance can be updated.

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Before you fly, run through this:

If you’ve been putting off sorting your how to apply uk tourist visa from sri lanka search results (which usually mix up Sri Lanka-to-UK and UK-to-Sri Lanka guidance — always double check which direction you’re researching), the actual process for British tourists heading to Sri Lanka is now simpler and cheaper than ever. Apply for your ETA online, through the official government portal, well before you fly, and you’ll have your approval in hand within hours, often for free.