Do you want to apply for a visa for Sri Lanka on arrival or for an extension of your current visa? Here is the procedure.
The eTA tourist visa for Sri Lanka is an electronic visa that can be obtained directly online and allows you to stay in the country for 30 consecutive days for tourism, medical or business purposes. But it is also possible to extend the duration of this visa in order to stay longer in Sri Lanka. On this page we will look at this visa extension for Sri Lanka on the spot as well as the possibility of obtaining this eTA visa directly once you have arrived in the country.
For some years now, it has been possible to apply for an extension of your eTA for Sri Lanka directly online for various nationalities including the UK.
To do this, you will need to go to the official Sri Lankan government website with your current visa number. Of course, it will be necessary to pay an additional fee to extend your visa, and you will receive this extension directly by email a few days later. You will then only need to print this visa extension to have it with you when you travel.
The eTA visa extension for Sri Lanka will cost you an average of US$100.
It is also possible to apply for an extension of your eTA for Sri Lanka once you are in Sri Lanka. You will need to go to the immigration office in Colombo with your current visa. This office is open every day from 8am to 2pm only.
To apply for a visa extension on the spot, you will need your passport, a passport photo and your return flight ticket. Again, the fee is US$100, which is equivalent to 7,449 Sri Lankan rupees.
To apply for an extension of your eTA visa for Sri Lanka, you will have the possibility to stay in the country for a total of up to 3 months, i.e. an extension of two more months.
Note that it is also possible to get a Sri Lankan visa extension for up to 6 months. However, this procedure is a little more complex as you will need to go to the immigration office in Colombo with the same documents as well as a bank statement. You will also need to justify the reason for extending your stay in the country. There is no guarantee that you will be granted a further extension and this will depend largely on the reason given at the time of your application.
If you have applied for an extension of your eTA visa to stay longer in Sri Lanka and your application has been refused, then you will need to leave the country for a minimum of 24 hours before reapplying for a full eTA online.
Remember also that for extended tourist stays and in order for your airline to allow you to board your return flight, you will also need to present a Sri Lankan exit permit for a period of 180 days or less from your departure date.
It is of course possible to obtain an official visa for Sri Lanka directly on arrival at the airport. However, we strongly advise against this procedure as it may cause you some problems.
Indeed, unlike the eTA procedure, which you can obtain directly online, the visa on arrival will cost you much more than if you apply directly from the UK. Despite the official fee, immigration officials do not hesitate to ask some travellers to pay more than they should to obtain this famous visa.
It is also worth remembering that if your visa is refused on arrival, you will have to find your own way back to your country of origin at your own expense.
Currently, obtaining an eTA visa for Sri Lanka online takes only a few hours to a few days at most, with a procedure of only a few minutes. The fees for obtaining this eTA are much lower than if you apply directly in person. You will not be required to provide any supporting documents, such as a copy of your passport or a passport photo, to make this application.
For this reason, we recommend that you apply for your Sri Lanka eTA visa before your trip, through a service provider such as the one we recommend on this page. This will avoid wasting time or having your trip cancelled.
It is possible to obtain an eTA for a long stay in Sri Lanka by applying for a tourist visa. This type of visa is valid for a maximum of 30 days, but can be extended once for up to 90 additional days by applying for an extension from the relevant authorities. It is important to note that in order to obtain a visa extension, you will need to provide evidence of your means of support and accommodation for the duration of your extended stay. It is advisable to check the entry requirements before travelling, as these may vary depending on the health situation. It is also advisable to check with the relevant consular authorities to see if any additional restrictions apply for an extended stay in Sri Lanka.
If you already know that your stay in Sri Lanka will last longer than 90 days, we recommend that you apply for a long-stay visa.
To obtain a visa for a long stay in Sri Lanka, you will need to apply for a tourist visa from the relevant consular authorities, usually the Sri Lankan embassy or consulate in your country of residence. You will need to complete a visa application form and provide the necessary information and documents, including
Adeline HARMANT
As a web writer and globetrotter with a passion for travel and tourism, I have acquired in-depth knowledge of the procedures that are essential for travellers. I help travellers to complete all the formalities required for a successful trip, particularly when it comes to obtaining a visa online. With several years' experience in this field, I'd like to offer you some valuable advice to help you discover the world with complete peace of mind.
The online eTA visa application procedure for Sri Lanka is a procedure that will only take you a few minutes and only requires the completion of a simple form. It takes a few days on average to obtain the travel document directly by email. So, if you are planning a trip to Sri Lanka in the near future, you have plenty of time to complete this process beforehand.
The Sri Lanka Tourist Visa can be renewed once at the Immigration Department in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The extension will then be for a period of 2 months in addition to the first month authorised by your initial visa. In certain cases and upon personal study of your file, it will be possible for you to apply for a second extension of your eTA visa.
If you have obtained a business or transit visa for Sri Lanka online, you should be aware that you will not be able to engage in paid employment in the country or settle there permanently. It is still possible to work in Sri Lanka, but in this case you will need to apply for a specific work visa at the Sri Lankan embassy or consulate in your country of residence.
