Sri Lanka Waives Tourist ETA Fee for 40 Countries: What You Need to Know Before Your Trip

Sri Lanka, starting May 25, 2026, has allowed citizens of 40 countries to obtain a tourist electronic travel authorization (ETA) without paying a visa fee for trips up to 30 days. For travelers, this does not mean completely informal entry: an ETA application must still be completed before arrival, and extending the stay beyond 30 days remains paid.

The new rule became one of the most noticeable tourist decisions by Sri Lanka at the beginning of the summer season. It directly reduces the cost of a short trip for guests from key markets in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, North America, and Oceania. For the country, this is also an attempt to accelerate the recovery of demand after unstable months, when tourist arrivals grew unevenly, and in March and April, official statistics showed a decline against last year.

According to the Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka, the new procedure applies to holders of ordinary, diplomatic, official, and service passports from the approved list of countries. A tourist receives an ETA without a fee for 30 days with the possibility of double entry within this period. At the same time, the department separately emphasizes: even citizens of countries on the list must obtain an electronic permit before arrival, and fees paid before May 25 are not refundable.

What Exactly Changed on May 25

The main change is not the cancellation of border control, but the cancellation of the fee for the tourist ETA for a specific group of countries. This is an important clarification, because in tourist communications, such decisions are often called "visa-free," although in fact, the traveler continues to undergo electronic authorization before the trip.

For a short vacation, this practically means three things. First, the costs of processing the entry permit are reduced to zero if the passport is included in the list of 40 countries. Second, the application should still be submitted in advance via the official ETA website, rather than through random intermediary pages. Third, the 30-day term does not turn into an automatic right to stay longer: to extend the stay after this period, one must separately apply for an extension and pay the current fee.

The scheme also covers the Maldives, Seychelles, and Singapore in terms of free ETA processing based on bilateral agreements. For citizens of the Maldives, the official notice provides for a 90-day tourist permit via the ETA system. For other countries not on the list, the general rules for the Sri Lankan electronic tourist permit continue to apply.

Which Countries Are on the List

The list of 40 countries includes 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, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the USA.

The list is built around markets that already have or may have significant importance for inbound tourism to Sri Lanka. Among them are the largest long-haul markets, including the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia; regional demand sources, including India, China, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia; as well as Gulf countries, from where trips to South Asia are often planned as short vacations or combined routes.

For Ukrainian readers, it is important to note one detail: Ukraine is not in the official list of 40 countries. This means that holders of Ukrainian passports should not automatically apply this news to their own trips. Before booking, it is necessary to check current requirements on the official ETA website or in consular sources, as rules may vary depending on citizenship, passport type, and purpose of trip.

Why Sri Lanka is Betting on Free ETA

The decision has an obvious economic logic. Tourism remains one of the key sources of foreign currency earnings, employment, and demand for local services for Sri Lanka. The government is effectively giving up part of the direct income from visa fees, calculating that it will recover more through tourist spending on hotels, transport, excursions, tours, and shopping.

According to the local publication Daily FT, during a parliamentary review, Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Vijepala estimated the potential budget loss at approximately 75 million dollars in visa revenues. At the same time, the government expects that the expanded program could bring in about 247,000 additional tourists and provide a more significant net economic effect thanks to visitor spending in the country.

These estimates should be viewed as a forecast, rather than a guaranteed result. The effect will depend on air connectivity, flight prices, security perception of the region, seasonality, marketing, and the quality of service on site. However, the direction of the policy is clear: Sri Lanka is trying to make the first step of the trip easier and cheaper, especially for tourists who compare it with Thailand, Indonesia, Maldives, Vietnam, or other popular destinations in the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia.

Context: Tourism Growing Unevenly

Official statistics from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority show why the authorities are interested in stimulating demand right now. In January 2026, the country welcomed 277,327 tourists, which was 9.7% more than in January 2025. In February, arrivals grew by 16.2% to 279,328. But in March, the figure dropped to 183,979, which is 19.8% less than in March of last year, and in April it was 135,643, which is 22.3% less than in April 2025.

Overall, in the first four months of 2026, Sri Lanka recorded 876,277 tourist arrivals. This is still a significant volume for the island, which is actively returning to the international tourist map, but the dynamics show that high winter rates do not guarantee stable demand throughout the year. Free ETA may become one of the tools that help maintain bookings during periods when demand weakens.

For the market, this is also a signal to airlines, tour operators, and online agencies. When a country reduces administrative costs for the tourist, it is easier to promote in package tours, short city or beach trips, combined routes with the Maldives or South India, as well as independent travels with a flexible itinerary.

What This Means for Travelers

For citizens of countries on the list, the news primarily reduces the entry barrier. If previously a tourist added the electronic permit fee to their budget, now a short trip to Sri Lanka becomes cheaper already at the preparation stage. For family trips, where an ETA is required for several people, the savings can be more noticeable.

At the same time, the traveler should not postpone the ETA application to the last moment. The official notice emphasizes the necessity of obtaining the permit before arrival. This is important for boarding the flight, passing border control, and avoiding situations where a person has tickets and bookings, but lacks confirmed electronic authorization.

If the main point of arrival will be Colombo, it is worth checking practical details in advance via the Bandaranaike Airport (CMB) page. For night or morning flights, it is useful to immediately think about the first stop: there is a separate selection of hotels near Bandaranaike International Airport on the site. Those planning their route around the island independently may need car rental at CMB airport or transfers and taxis from Colombo airport.

What to Note Before Applying

Before arranging the trip, it is worth checking four practical things. First, whether your specific citizenship is included in the list of free ETA, rather than just the country of residence. Second, whether your purpose of trip corresponds to the tourist permit, as work, study, or a longer stay may require other documents. Third, the passport validity period and the correctness of personal data in the application. Fourth, the official nature of the website through which the application is submitted.

Separately, one should remember the wording regarding refunds. If an applicant has already paid for an ETA before the new rule came into effect, the official notice does not provide for the refund of this payment. Therefore, those who are only planning a trip should use the current rules, but those who obtained the permit earlier should not expect automatic compensation.

It is also important not to confuse the 30-day tourist permit with a guarantee of trouble-free entry under any circumstances. The final decision at the border always remains with the immigration service. A tourist should have a return or onward ticket, proof of accommodation, a sufficient budget for the trip, and documents that correspond to the stated itinerary.

Conclusion

The free tourist ETA for 40 countries makes Sri Lanka more competitive in the market of short and medium vacations. This is not a complete cancellation of entry formalities, but a noticeable simplification of the cost part for travelers from important tourist markets. For the country itself, the decision is a bet that a lower entry barrier will bring more guests and compensate for the loss of fees through wider tourist spending.

The best advice for tourists is simple: check your citizenship in the list, apply for an ETA through the official channel before departure, and do not count on the refund of old payments and plan the itinerary considering the 30-day term. If these conditions are met, the new rule can indeed make a trip to Sri Lanka slightly more affordable and accessible already this season.