Sri Lanka ETA for Indians (Free)

Sri Lanka made itself one of the easiest international trips an Indian passport can take: under the scheme effective 25 May 2026, the Electronic Travel Authorization is FREE for Indian nationals — 30 days, double entry. The only rule that matters is sequencing: apply online BEFORE you travel, on the official portal.

How the free ETA works

• Apply at the official portal, eta.gov.lk — it is the only site you should use; lookalike sites charge for what the government gives free
• Fee for Indians under the current scheme: zero
• Approval usually arrives quickly — often within hours
• Validity: 30 days from first arrival, with double entry permitted, so a hop to the Maldives and back fits inside one ETA

What to prepare

• Passport valid 6+ months from arrival
• The exact passport details entered without typos — the ETA binds to the number
• Confirmed return ticket
• Accommodation details for the application form

Print the ETA confirmation. Sri Lankan immigration works electronically, but a paper copy has settled more than one airline check-in discussion.

The mistakes we actually see

Third-party websites are the big one — professional-looking portals charging USD 25–50 for a free authorization. The second is passport-number typos: one wrong digit and the ETA does not match the traveller. The third is applying with the old passport after a renewal. All three are thirty-second checks; all three have ruined departure days.

Scheme honesty

The free-ETA arrangement covers a specific country list and, like all such schemes, can be revised. The fact panel above carries our last verification date and links the official source. We re-confirm before every departure — if you are planning months ahead, so should you.

Where we fit

We file the ETA on the official portal (keeping it free), verify the confirmation against your passport, and brief you on arrival formalities. Colombo–Kandy–Galle in five days is one of the best-value international itineraries from India right now — ask us for the route.