A Tourist Visa is issued to bona-fide tourists who want to enter Sri Lanka for the following purposes for a short period of time

• Sightseeing, holidaying
• Visiting friends and relatives
• Medical treatment including Ayurveda and Yoga
• Participate in Sporting events, competitions and activities relating to cultural performance.

• Visa can be applied for online for a maximum period of 30 days (Double Entry by default) or can be obtained on arrival at the port of entry in Sri Lanka. If visa is required for more than 30 days, the intended travelers must visit and apply for visa at the Sri Lanka Embassy in Seoul.
• Visa can be obtained at the Embassy for a maximum period of 90 days (Double Entry only) after receiving the approval from the Department of Immigration & Emigration of Sri Lanka.
• Two (02) months extension beyond 30 days shall be granted at the Department of Immigration & Emigration (Head Office). However, further extension shall only be considered with valid reasons. This restriction will not be applicable to ex-Sri Lankan nationals.

For more information including visa fees please visit http://www.eta.gov.lk

A Business Visa is issued to foreign nationals who visit Sri Lanka for the following purposes for short duration. This visa may be issued for single, double or multiple journeys.

• Participate in Business meetings and negotiations
• Participate in Conferences, workshops and seminars
• To take part in Short term training programmes (less than one month)
• Participate in art, music and dance events
• Participating in religious events
• Participate in Symposiums

• Visa can be applied online for a maximum period of 30 days (Multiple Entry) or can be obtained on arrival at the port of entry in Sri Lanka. If visa is required for more than 30 days, the intended traveler/s must visit and apply for visa at the Sri Lanka Embassy in Seoul well in advance (at least 07 working days before the departure) in order to process the visa.
• Visa can be obtained at the Embassy for a maximum period of 90 days (Single/Double/Multiple Entry) after receiving the approval from the Department of Immigration & Emigration of Sri Lanka.
• In case visa is applied for through the Sri Lanka Embassy in Seoul, the applicant must submit the following for issuance of visa
  • A letter of request/recommendation for visa from the company/organization of the applicant.
  • A letter of invitation from the Sri Lankan company/partner
  • Return Air ticket
  • One recent photograph (3.5cm x 4.5cm)
  • Duly filled ETA Application (available at the Embassy)
• Applications for Gratis Visa with relevant documents should be submitted to the Sri Lanka Embassy in Seoul well in advance (at least 14 working days before departure) in order to obtain the approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka.
• The visa can be extended at the Department of Immigration & Emigration of Sri Lanka upon submission of necessary documentary proof by the relevant Sri Lankan company, agency, institution, etc.

For more information including visa fees please visit http://www.eta.gov.lk

• Foreign nationals intending to visit Sri Lanka for Diplomatic or Official purposes should forward their ETA applications to the Department of Immigration & Emigration through relevant Sri Lanka Government Ministries and Agencies or Sri Lanka Overseas Missions.
• Gratis (Free of Charge) basis is applicable only for Diplomatic and Official passport holders
• To obtain Gratis ETA for Diplomatic and official passport holders, their requests for visa should be submitted through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea or the respective diplomatic Missions in Seoul along with an official Note Verbal and return air ticket.
• The Gratis ETA is granted for ordinary passport holders, on the basis of arrangements made between the Government of Sri Lanka and the respective countries.
• Diplomatic & Official passport holders should follow the normal ETA application procedure for their personal visits.
• Diplomatic and official passport holders should not apply for Tourist/Business ETA for their official visits.
• Applicants seeking to engage in temporary special assignments at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Sri Lanka must receive prior approval for such visits from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka / the Embassy of Sri Lanka in the Republic of Korea.
• Applications for Gratis Visa with relevant documents should be submitted to the Sri Lanka Embassy in Seoul, the Republic of Korea, well in advance (at least 14 working days before departure) in order to obtain the approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka.
• Diplomatic & Official/Service passport holders from the following countries are exempt from the ETA processing fee and the ETA procedures for their official and private visits to Sri Lanka. A visit visa will be issued on arrival in Sri Lanka for passport holders of these countries.

Vietnam, Cuba, Indonesia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Brazil, Chile, Seychelles, China, UAE, Thailand, Kenya, Belarus, Iran, Maldives, Singapore, India, Russia

For more information including visa fees please visit http://www.eta.gov.lk

Click here to download Visa Application for Tourist/Business/Gratis Visas

• All media personnel intending to visit Sri Lanka should obtain a visa from the Sri Lanka Embassy in Seoul prior to their arrival in Colombo. Media accreditation will not be recommended, under any circumstance for media personnel who enter the country with tourist visas issued at the port of their entry.
  
  For more information please visit: https://mfa.gov.lk/guidelines-for-foreign-media/
• Individuals not belonging to news/media organizations and tourists are NOT issued journalist visas.
• The applicants (journalists/media personnel from print & electronic media) must submit the following for issuance of Journalist visa:

  For news stories, editorials & interviews;

  • A letter of request/recommendation for visa from the news agency/media organization which includes;
    • the name/s of the journalist/s along with job titles
    • Passport number/s of the journalist/s
  • Scheduled programme
  • List of media equipment
    (The list should be accompanied by a letter of undertaking from the relevant media organization that the equipment would be carried out of the country upon the departure of the media personnel)

  For making documentaries/films/commercials;

  • Application – I & II for approval of film shooting in Sri Lanka
    • Application I –can be obtained from the Embassy or National Film Cooperation of Sri Lanka website
    • Application II–only available at the Embassy
  • Scheduled programme
  • Synopsis/Story Line
  • A letter of request/recommendation for visa from the news agency/media
  • List of media equipment
    (The list should be accompanied by a letter of undertaking from the relevant media organization that the equipment would be carried out of the country upon the departure of the media personnel)

  In addition to the above requirements, all applicants should submit the following as well at the time of applying for visa;

  • Return air ticket
  • One recent photograph (3.5cm x 4.5cm)
  • Original passport
• Prior clearance/approval from the National Film Corporation (NFC) of Sri Lanka is required to issue visa to make documentaries/films/commercials. Therefore, the applications along with the necessary documents should be submitted to the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Seoul at least 14 working days before the date of departure to obtain clearance/approval from the relevant authorities in Sri Lanka.
• The respective media personnel/journalists, on their arrival in Sri Lanka are required to go to the Department of Government Information of Sri Lanka in order to obtain media accreditation.
• Journalists may visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka (Public Communications Division) if they wish to call on the Public Communications Division for courtesy meetings, require Ministry facilitation/coordination to schedule interviews with VVIPs, clearance of media equipment and other assistance, etc.
• For those Journalists visiting on Media Familiarization Tour Groups (FAM Tours) being organized by other Government of Sri Lanka entities, (Tourism Promotion Bureau, Board of Investment, Tea Board, etc.), there is no necessity to obtain Media Passes for each individual, as they are travelling in a group.

For more details on foreign film shoots in Sri Lanka, guidelines and application please visit: National Film Cooperation of Sri Lanka website - http://www.nfc.gov.lk

Click here to download Visa Application for News stories/Editorials/Interviews

Click here to download Visa Application for making Documentaries/Films/Commercials

Note: Please note that Business Visa fee will be charged for the Journalist Visa as well.

Passengers wishing to transit through Sri Lanka may apply for Transit Visa (Single Entry) online OR at the Port of their Entry (free of charge) only for 02 days (48 hours).

To apply, please visit http://www.eta.gov.lk