Sri Lanka's '15 October ETA Rule' in 2026: Do You Still Need an ETA With a Free Visa? (And Is the Free Visa Ending?)

In early October 2025, travel-trade publications reported that Sri Lanka's Department of Immigration and Emigration would require tourists to obtain an ETA before arrival, with the rule taking effect on 15 October 2025.

A few weeks later, some outlets reported that the requirement had been paused for Indian travellers following feedback from travellers and tourism operators. We could not find an official Sri Lankan government statement confirming that pause, so treat it as unverified.

Whatever happened in late 2025, it has been overtaken by the Department's current published position, which is clear: an ETA must be obtained before arrival.

If you see a post in October 2026 announcing a new 15 October rule, check its date. In most cases, it is last year's news without a year attached.

The practical takeaway is the same either way: apply for your ETA before you travel.

Yes. This is the most common misunderstanding about Sri Lanka's free visa.

The Department of Immigration's special notice for short-term visitors says that all foreign nationals, including the nationals of the 40 listed countries and those covered by bilateral reciprocal arrangements, must obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization before arriving in Sri Lanka.

The free visa means the ETA is issued at no charge. It does not mean you can arrive without one.

In practice, applying is the same process as before: you complete the application on the official ETA website, but you are not charged a visa fee if your nationality is on the list.

Apply once your travel dates are fixed, and keep a copy of the approval on your phone and on paper.

Since 25 May 2026, nationals of these 40 countries can get a free 30-day tourist ETA, according to the Department of Immigration and Emigration: Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Seven of these countries, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Russia and Thailand, already had a free-visa arrangement before the expansion.

Nationals of the Maldives, Seychelles and Singapore also receive free ETA processing under bilateral reciprocal arrangements. Maldivian nationals receive a 90-day tourist ETA.

The free visa applies to holders of diplomatic, official, service and ordinary passports from the listed countries.

Eligibility is based on the passport you travel on, not where you live. A UK resident travelling on a passport from a country not on the list will pay the standard fee.

Several countries that send many visitors to Sri Lanka are not on the free list. Examples include Ireland, Portugal, Greece and Hungary in Europe, as well as Brazil, South Africa, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Two SAARC neighbours, Bangladesh and Bhutan, are also not on the list, although SAARC nationals pay a lower fee.

According to the Department's visa fee table, a 30-day, double-entry tourist ETA costs USD 50 for most nationalities and USD 20 for SAARC nationals when applied for in advance. Children under 12 are listed as free.

The fee table also lists higher prices for a visa obtained on arrival at the port of entry. However, the Department's current notice says an ETA must be obtained before arrival, and its general visa page advises against paying at the port of entry. Do not plan on getting a visa at the airport.

Fees can change. Check the amount shown on the official ETA website when you apply.

This is the real open question for anyone travelling in the December to March season.

When the plan was announced on 1 April 2026, Cabinet spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa described it as a six-month programme. Six months from the 25 May 2026 start date would point to late November 2026.

Other reports described it differently. One report on the parliamentary approval in May 2026 described a one-year programme with an assessment after six months, while noting that earlier statements had referred to six months.

The Department of Immigration's published notice gives no end date at all. As of 14 October 2026, its website still lists the 40 free-visa countries, and we found no official announcement that the scheme will end, or that it has been extended.

Our honest assessment is that nobody can say for certain yet. If you are travelling after late November 2026, check the official ETA website when you apply. If the scheme is still running when you apply, the ETA will be issued free; if it has ended, you will see the fee at checkout.

We will update this post as soon as the Department publishes a decision.

Apply only through the official ETA website, eta.gov.lk, which the Department of Immigration and Emigration links to from its own site.

Choose the tourist ETA, enter your passport details exactly as they appear in your passport, and give your expected arrival date and address in Sri Lanka.

If your nationality is on the free list, no visa fee should be charged. If it is not, pay the fee shown on the official site.

Keep a digital and paper copy of your approval. Airlines and immigration officers may ask to see it.

The airport operator also notes that air passengers can complete their arrival card online up to three days before travel through the Department of Immigration's website.

At immigration, officers may ask for proof that you can fund your stay and an onward or return ticket.

Search results for 'Sri Lanka ETA' are full of websites that look official but are run by private agents.

Some charge a service fee on top of the visa fee. For free-visa nationalities, that can mean paying for something the government issues at no cost.

The Department of Immigration says that when a third party applies on your behalf, payment must still go through the arrangement on the official ETA site.

Look for the address eta.gov.lk before entering passport or card details. If a site asks for payment and your country is on the free list, stop and check.

Agents can be useful for complex cases, but for a normal tourist trip, applying yourself on the official site is quick and free for eligible nationalities.

The free ETA covers up to 30 days, with double entry permitted within that period from your first arrival.

If you want to stay longer, you must apply for an extension and pay the applicable fee. The free scheme does not cover extensions.

The Department's fee table lists extension charges by nationality group and length of stay. For example, for 31 to 90 days it lists USD 100 for nationals of the UK, the US, Australia, Canada, Japan and much of Western Europe, and USD 60 for nationals in the 'all other countries' group.

Check the current fee for your nationality before you apply, and apply before your 30 days run out.

Digital nomads planning a long stay should look at the separate digital nomad visa rather than repeated tourist extensions.

India has been on Sri Lanka's free-visa list since before the May 2026 expansion and remains on it.

Indian travellers still need to obtain an ETA before arrival under the current official notice, even though no fee is charged.

Some Indian outlets reported in late 2025 that the pre-arrival requirement had been paused for Indians. That report was not confirmed by an official Sri Lankan statement, and the Department's current notice says the requirement applies to all foreign nationals.

Apply on eta.gov.lk before you fly. If you are travelling for pilgrimage, our Ramayana trail guide covers routes, sites and festival dates.

Indian visitors can also pay for many purchases using UPI through merchants accepting LankaQR, which reduces the need to carry large amounts of cash.

Arriving without an ETA because you assumed the free visa meant no application was needed.

Paying a third-party website for an ETA that would have been free on the official site.

Entering a passport number or name that does not match your passport exactly.

Overstaying 30 days without applying for an extension.

Relying on a social media post about a 'new' rule without checking its date and the official source.