Sri Lanka visa requirements for Indian passport holders

Check your circumstances

Read these conditions alongside the entry rule. Where official guidance does not state a condition, that is not confirmation that no condition applies.

Passport type Confirmed for this scope

Ordinary Indian passports are included in the free tourist ETA scheme. The passport must be valid for at least six months from arrival.

Official sources: Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka.

Trip purpose Confirmed for this scope

This route covers a short tourism or family/friend visit. Business, employment, media and other activities need their own permission assessment.

Official sources: Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka.

Age Conditions to check

The free Indian-nationality scheme does not state an adult-only restriction. The separate under-12 fee exemption does not mean a child can travel without permission.

Official sources: Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka.

Residence Conditions to check

If you hold a valid Sri Lankan Residence Visa, the ETA FAQ says you cannot obtain a fresh ETA until that visa expires or is canceled. Check your existing permission first.

Official sources: Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka.

Other visas or residence permits Conditions to check

A valid Sri Lankan Multiple Entry Visa also changes the application route. The reviewed Indian tourist scheme does not make a US or Schengen visa a condition.

Official sources: Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka.

Carrier and arrival route Not stated in the cited guidance

No named-airline restriction is stated for this tourist ETA route. Obtain approval before departure under the current notice; transit and airline document checks are separate.

Official sources: High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Delhi.

Stay and visa validity Confirmed for this scope

The initial tourist permission is 30 days from first arrival with double entry. A second entry uses only the remaining balance; an extension requires a separate application.

Official sources: Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka.

Free ETA still requires an application

Indian nationals are listed in the free tourist ETA scheme that took effect on 25 May 2026. Free refers to the initial ETA fee; it does not mean you can skip the application. Obtain approval before departure through the official ETA site.

Choose the tourist purpose for a holiday or a visit to friends or family. Do not use this guide for paid work, business activity, media work or transit. Those purposes require their own check.

Official sources: High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Delhi; Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka; Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka.

Prepare your passport and arrival evidence

Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the date you arrive. The ETA instructions also require a confirmed return ticket and enough money to support your stay. Enter the passport details carefully and use the same travel document for the journey.

An application acknowledgment is not the approval. Check the actual result. If the application is referred, follow the instructions from immigration or the Sri Lankan mission rather than assuming the reference number lets you travel.

Official sources: Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka.

Children and existing Sri Lankan permission

Check each traveler's permission, including children. The fee page separately exempts children under 12 from a short tourist ETA fee; that is not an exemption from immigration permission. Indian nationals are already covered by the nationality-based free scheme.

If you already hold a valid Sri Lankan Residence Visa or Multiple Entry Visa, the official FAQ says a fresh ETA cannot be issued until it expires or is canceled. Ask immigration which existing conditions cover the trip before applying or changing anything. Residence in another country is not listed as a condition of the Indian free-ETA scheme.

Official sources: Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka; Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka; High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Delhi.

Count the stay from the first arrival

The initial tourist stay is 30 days with double entry. If you leave and return during that period, the second entry gives only the days left from the original 30-day allowance. It does not restart the clock.

For a longer visit, apply to immigration for an extension and pay the applicable extension fee. Approval is not automatic. Read the dates and conditions on the permission you receive and leave before the authorized stay ends.

Official sources: Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka; High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Delhi.

Check the final travel documents

Keep your ETA approval available with your passport, return booking and evidence of funds. Follow the current immigration arrival instructions and any document checks from your carrier. A visa or ETA decision does not remove border checks.

Use the dates printed on your approval for the period in which you may travel. Do not confuse that travel window with the 30-day stay beginning on arrival. Recheck the official notice before departure, especially if your passport, purpose or existing immigration status changes.

Official sources: Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka; Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka; Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka.