Sri Lanka — Visa & Airports

Most Western passport holders need an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) applied for online before arrival — the standard 30-day double-entry tourist ETA has cost around USD 50, but Sri Lanka has repeatedly toggled fee waivers for selected nationalities since 2023, so check the official eta.gov.lk portal shortly before travel. Extensions up to several months are processed at the Department of Immigration in Colombo.

Bandaranaike International (CMB) handles virtually all international traffic; Mattala (HRI) in the south sees almost none. Arrivals at CMB are straightforward — duty-free, SIM counters (Dialog and Mobitel kiosks in arrivals) and taxi desks before the exit.