General Information |
IMPORTANT NOTICE With effect from 1st January 2012, all Holiday or Business travelers to Sri Lanka must have Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) for entering in to Sri Lanka. Please visit http://www.eta.gov.lk for more information. The facility for applying Business Purpose Visa is at present available only at the Head Office of the Department of Immigration & Emigration and the Sri Lankan Overseas Missions. When applying ETA by third parties payments are to be made through the arrangement made in our website www.eta.gov.lk and obtain acknowledgement of ETA application. Any payments made to other websites or agencies are not valid to process a valid ETA. Therefore, always ensure that the payments made by accessing to Sri Lanka ETA website and avoid making repayment at the port of entry to Sri Lanka. What are the Working Hours ?
What is a Sri Lankan Visa? A Sri Lankan visa is an endorsement on a passport or a similar document to facilitate the legal entry of non Sri Lankans into the country and to regulate the period of their stay and the conditions governing such stay. There are four kinds of visas which permit a person to enter and/or stay in Sri Lanka. Visit Visa A Visit Visa is an entry permit signifying the consent of the Sri Lankan Government for the admission of a foreign national to the country. The Visa contains details of the period of time and the condition/s of the stay. There are two sub-categories which come under visit visas :- A Tourist Visa is issued to bona-fide tourists who want to enter Sri Lanka for sightseeing, excursions, relaxation, visit relatives or yoga training for a short period of time. A Business Purpose Visa is issued to foreign nationals who visit Sri Lanka for business purposes for short period of time. This visa may be issued for single or double journeys.
Residence Visa A residence visa is a permit for a non-Sri Lankan to obtain residence facilities for special purposes.There are eight sub-categories which come under residence visas - What Eligibility category do I belong? 1. Employment Category
2. Investor Category
3. Religious Category
4. Student Category
5. Registered Indians covered by the 1954 Indo-Lanka Agreement. 6. Ex- Sri Lankans and their dependants 7. Family Members of a Sri Lankan
8. Diplomatic and Official visa
A Transit Visa is an entry permit granted to a foreign national for admission into Sri Lanka for a brief period which is incidential and in the course of his journey to another destination.
The holder of a Diplomatic or Official Passport or a passport with a valid Diplomatic or Official endorsement will not be required to pay any fees for the visa. Who are eligible for Visa Exemptions?
What are the general eligibility requirements for Sri Lankan Visas? Sri Lanka Immigration and Emigration may grant or issue a visa to you if -
What are the general conditions of a Visit Visa?
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