Sri Lanka visa for UK citizens: free ETA and how to apply

The Sri Lanka visa for a British passport holder is an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), and it has been free since 25 May 2026. You still need it before you travel, and the United Kingdom is on the list of 40 countries whose tourists receive a 30-day ETA free of charge, with double entry allowed.

This guide is for travellers leaving the UK on a British passport. It explains what the ETA is, how to get it, how long it lets you stay, what GOV.UK says about passports, health and local laws, and what the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is warning about now. It does not sell a visa and files nothing for you: Sri Lanka's Department of Immigration and Emigration issues the ETA and decides every application.

From 25 May 2026 the Sri Lankan authorities issue a free tourist ETA to nationals of 40 countries, and the United Kingdom is one of them. The notice on the official ETA portal says the free ETA is valid for 30 days and allows double entry.

The same notice says that ETA fees paid before 25 May 2026 are non-refundable, so an application made and paid for earlier does not earn money back. It gives no end date for the scheme. We cannot say how long it will last, which is a good reason to read the portal on the day you apply rather than rely on any guide, ours included.

Free does not mean no application. GOV.UK still says a British citizen needs an ETA, describes it as a form of visa, and says it is issued free of charge. Anyone travelling on another passport should check their own position, because nationalities outside the list follow the general ETA rules and pay for the authorisation.

You can stay for 30 days. GOV.UK gives the ETA a 30-day validity for British citizens, and the portal allows double entry from the date of first arrival, as long as the second entry falls within that 30-day period.

On the second entry you receive only the balance of the 30 days, not a fresh 30. The pages we read do not spell out whether that balance is counted in days spent in the country or in calendar days since you first landed, so if you plan a side trip to another country, our suggestion is to work from the calendar days since first arrival.

A longer stay needs an extension, and an extension costs money. GOV.UK says longer stays require an extension through Sri Lanka's official immigration portal, and the ETA notice says holders who want to stay beyond 30 days may apply on payment of the applicable visa fee. Neither page gave the amount or the processing time, so we leave both out rather than guess.

Plan the arithmetic before you book. A four-week trip fits inside the free 30 days. A five-week trip does not, and you should not assume you can solve it on arrival: the ETA FAQ says a fresh ETA cannot be obtained while you are in Sri Lanka, whether your current one is valid or expired.

Overstaying carries real consequences. GOV.UK lists temporary detention, a fine, deportation at your own expense, a travel ban and refusal of entry on a future visit.

Apply online, on the official portal only. Have your passport to hand and allow time to check each detail, because the ETA FAQ says mistakes found after confirmation cannot be reimbursed and a corrected application means starting again.

1. Open the official portal. Go to the Sri Lanka ETA portal from a link you trust, not from an advert, and start a tourist application.
2. Enter your passport details exactly as printed. The ETA is tied to the passport, so the number and name must match the one you fly on.
3. Check what the screen asks you to pay. For a British tourist ETA the notice says nothing is due. If a payment page appears for a different amount, stop and check that you are on the official site.
4. Note your reference number. The portal's status check needs it, and it is the first thing a helpline will ask for.
5. Keep the approval with your passport. Carry it with you when you travel.

If you are stuck, the portal lists a 24-hour ETA call centre on 0094 71 99 67 888. If an application is not approved, the FAQ says it is referred to the nearest Sri Lankan overseas mission. The FAQ also says an ETA can be obtained before you book a flight.

Apply once your dates are settled, and leave a couple of weeks before you fly. The portal pages we read give no processing time, so we cannot promise a speed, and that gap is the reason for the margin.

Two details deserve care. The FAQ describes an ETA as valid for six months and says a fresh one cannot be obtained on the same passport until it expires, while the home page notice gives the free tourist ETA 30 days. The two pages are not reconciled, so read the dates on your own approval. The FAQ also says an ETA is not a pre-condition to board a flight or vessel, but GOV.UK says you need one to enter, so treat it as compulsory.

The expiry date must be at least six months after the day you arrive. GOV.UK adds that you will be denied entry without a valid travel document, or if the passport has been reported lost or stolen. If you land on 1 December 2026, the passport needs an expiry date no earlier than 1 June 2027.

Check this when you book, not when you pack. The ETA is linked to the passport it was issued for, which is why the FAQ lets a traveller who loses that passport apply for a fresh ETA and mentions paying the relevant fee again, while the notice on the same portal says the British tourist ETA is free, so read the fee shown on the screen. Dual nationals should carry a valid British passport or a certificate of entitlement for the journey home, GOV.UK says.

Because the tourist ETA costs British applicants nothing, any site that charges you is charging for its own service, not the government's. Reach the portal through the GOV.UK advice or the portal itself rather than through a search advert.

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  A fee for a British tourist ETA: The official notice says the ETA is free for the United Kingdom, so a price on the screen is somebody's service charge.
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  A web address that is not eta.gov.lk: The official portal sits on a gov.lk address. A lookalike with a different ending is not the Department's site.
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  A promise of guaranteed approval or urgent processing: The pages we read describe no paid fast track.

No, if the connecting flight leaves within 24 hours of your arrival. GOV.UK says no visa is needed for air transit on that condition, and it tells travellers to check transit times with their airline. A delayed or re-routed onward flight can change the arithmetic, so confirm the timing before you rely on the rule.

Transit passengers are not exempt from local drug laws either: GOV.UK says airport scanners check transiting baggage for illegal items, and that penalties apply to people in transit.

Only in one case. GOV.UK says you must show a certificate of yellow fever vaccination if you arrive from a country listed as a yellow fever transmission risk. A traveller whose route passes through such a country should check the list and the connection before flying.

GOV.UK sends travellers to TravelHealthPro for the full medical requirements, so read the destination page there for routine vaccinations and health risks at least a few weeks before you travel.

Declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty. GOV.UK says strict rules apply to goods taken into or out of Sri Lanka. The page gives no specific cash or allowance figures, so we give none either; the customs rules of Sri Lanka are the place to check a particular item.

Several rules that British visitors take lightly are enforced seriously. The FCDO safety and security advice lists these.

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  Posing in front of a Buddha statue: GOV.UK says not to pose for photographs standing in front of one, and that disrespecting Buddhist images or artefacts is a serious offence that can lead to arrest.
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  Visible Buddha tattoos: You can be refused entry or face deportation, according to GOV.UK.
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  Bare shoulders and legs at a temple: Cover your legs and shoulders and remove your shoes and hats. Nude or topless sunbathing is banned.
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  Drinking or smoking where it is banned: Police can fine you for ignoring alcohol bans in some public areas and for ignoring no-smoking signs. Alcohol is usually unavailable on religious holidays.
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  Illegal drugs, cannabis included: Expect a long jail term and heavy fines. Under the Prevention of Terrorism Act a person can be held without charge until a trial date is set.
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  Flying a drone near sensitive sites: Keep it away from military bases, government buildings and VIP vehicles, and do not photograph them. Drone rules come from the Civil Aviation Authority.

Carry your passport. A copy is usually accepted, but you may be asked to show the original at a police station within a set time. GOV.UK also notes that same-sex sexual activity is illegal, though the FCDO knew of no prosecutions. Drinks are often stronger than in the UK because bars and hotels rarely use measures.

To drive a hire vehicle you need a 1949 international driving permit and a Sri Lankan recognition permit. GOV.UK says you cannot get the permit outside the UK, so arrange it before you leave; the GOV.UK guide to international driving permits explains how.

Check that the hire company is registered with the Sri Lanka Tourist Board and holds a Safe & Secure certificate. Driving is erratic, accidents are frequent, especially at night, and motorbikes are particularly dangerous. Security forces have opened fire on vehicles that failed to stop at checkpoints, so follow officers' instructions.

Public buses are often fast and poorly maintained, and tourist buses are generally safer. On trains, stay inside the carriage while it moves: fatal accidents have happened when passengers hung out of doors or windows.

GOV.UK says terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka cannot be ruled out, and names hotels, places of worship, beaches and large public gatherings as possible targets. It recalls the Easter Sunday attacks of 2019, which killed more than 250 people, including 8 British nationals. Stay alert in crowded places and follow the local authorities.

Protests can start anywhere on the island at short notice and turn violent, and the authorities may use water cannon and tear gas. Avoid demonstrations and follow local media.

• Bag snatchers on mopeds. Carry your bag on the side away from the road and keep your passport and money in a body belt.
• Drink spiking. It has been reported, so never leave a drink unattended or accept one from a stranger.
• Hotel theft. GOV.UK says it has increased, so store valuables securely.

The FCDO travel advice for Sri Lanka carries four warnings as of our check. It was last updated on 21 September 2026, and was still current on 30 October 2026.

• Flooding and landslides. Heavy rainfall in the inter-monsoon season has raised the risk, and transport and other services can be disrupted. Monsoon rains and tropical cyclones are a wider risk on the island.
• Flight disruption. Airspace closures linked to the Middle East escalation may delay, postpone or re-route some Colombo to UK flights that go through Middle Eastern hubs.
• Fuel limits. The government is limiting fuel purchases, with a weekly quota for each vehicle. Special arrangements exist for tour operators and hotels, which matters if you hire a car.
• Hotline. Sri Lanka Tourism runs a 24-hour hotline on 1912.

Our entry requirements hub for British passport holders lists the rules destination by destination. If you are building a wider Asian itinerary, read the India visa guide for another online authorisation with a different fee system and the Thailand entry guide for the digital arrival card. The Australian visa guide covers another ETA that British passport holders obtain online.

Every rule above was read on 30 October 2026 on the official ETA portal (home page notice effective 25 May 2026, and the FAQ) and in the GOV.UK entry requirements, safety and security and main advice pages for Sri Lanka. GOV.UK shows no update date on its entry requirements page; its main page was updated on 21 September 2026.

We could not find the extension fee, the processing time or the list of airports and seaports on the pages we read, so none is given here. Rules can change without notice, so look at the portal on the day you apply.

In short: a British passport holder needs an ETA for Sri Lanka, it is free, it lasts 30 days with double entry, and the passport must run at least six months beyond arrival.

• Do British citizens need a visa for Sri Lanka?

  Yes, they need an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), which GOV.UK describes as a form of visa. It is applied for online before travel.

• How much is the Sri Lanka ETA for a British passport?

  Nothing. From 25 May 2026 the United Kingdom is one of 40 countries whose tourists receive the 30-day ETA free of charge, according to the official portal.

• How long can I stay in Sri Lanka on the ETA?

  30 days. Double entry is allowed within that period, and the second entry gets the balance of the 30 days.

• Can I extend my stay beyond 30 days?

  Yes, through Sri Lanka’s official immigration portal, on payment of a fee. The pages we read did not give the amount.

• Can I apply for the ETA after I arrive?

  No. The ETA FAQ says a fresh ETA cannot be obtained while you are in Sri Lanka, whether the current one is valid or expired.

• How valid must my passport be?

  Its expiry date must be at least six months after the day you arrive, GOV.UK says.

• Do I need an ETA to change planes in Sri Lanka?

  No visa is needed for air transit if the connecting flight is within 24 hours of your arrival. Check the timing with your airline.

• Do I need a yellow fever certificate?

  Only if you arrive from a country listed as a yellow fever transmission risk.

• What if a website asks me to pay for the ETA?

  That charge is the website’s own. The official notice says the British tourist ETA is free, so check that you are on the eta.gov.lk portal.

• Can I hire a car with my UK licence alone?

  No. GOV.UK says you need a 1949 international driving permit and a Sri Lankan recognition permit, and the permit must be bought in the UK.

• Can I get into trouble for a Buddha tattoo?

  GOV.UK says visible Buddha tattoos can lead to refusal of entry or deportation.