Sri Lanka’s Free ETA for 33 Countries Not Active Yet: Travellers Must Still Pay

On July 25, Sri Lanka announced plans to waive Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) visa fees for travellers from 33 more countries. Sounds great, right? But here’s the thing: it hasn’t actually started.

Despite the buzz online and in the media, the ETA fee waiver is not in effect yet. You still need to apply and pay the usual $50 if you’re heading to Sri Lanka anytime soon.

What was announced?

During an event in Colombo, Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath said Sri Lanka plans to extend its current ETA fee waiver from 7 countries to 40. The goal? To attract more tourists and give the travel industry a boost.

Why There’s Confusion

This is not the first time such an announcement has caused uncertainty. A similar situation occurred in 2024, when Sri Lanka signalled plans to expand visa exemptions but delayed the actual rollout.

As of today:

• No official decree has been published.
• The Sri Lankan immigration website (eta.gov.lk) has not yet been updated.
• No start date has been confirmed.

Until these steps are taken, travellers must continue to follow the existing ETA process and pay the fee.

So what’s the rule for now?

Until something changes officially:

• You must apply for an ETA before travelling.
• The fee is still USD 50.
• ETA is valid for 6 months, allows 2 entries, and gives a 30-day stay (extendable up to 90 days, twice).

Who gets the free ETA right now?

Only these 7 countries currently qualify for a free ETA:

• China
• India
• Indonesia
• Japan
• Malaysia
• Russia
• Thailand

This includes holders of ordinary, diplomatic, official, or service passports from these countries.

What are the 33 countries that might be added?

If the policy takes effect, these are the 33 countries being considered:

Region	Countries Listed
Asia	Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, United Arab Emirates
Europe	Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom
Oceania	Australia, New Zealand
Americas	Canada, United States
Other	Bahrain

*Malaysia and Japan are already included in the current 7.

Why this matters for travellers

Tourism is a huge part of Sri Lanka’s economy. In 2024, the country welcomed over 2 million visitors and wants to cross 3 million this year. Waiving visa fees could help with that, even though the government expects a revenue drop of $66 million from the change.

Still, officials believe that the increased tourist numbers will compensate for the loss. But none of this changes what travellers need to do right now.

Bottom line

The ETA visa fee waiver for 33 new countries is not yet in effect. It’s just a plan for now. So if you’re travelling to Sri Lanka, play it safe:

• Don’t assume your country is covered.
• Apply for your ETA as usual.
• Pay the required fee.

For updates on the official announcement, join our WhatsApp channel and keep checking the Sri Lanka immigration site at eta.gov.lk.

We’ll keep you posted if anything changes.