Sri Lanka Visa for UAE Residents: The Free ETA, Who Still Pays, Fees and Visa on Arrival

The short answer: almost every UAE resident needs an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before flying to Sri Lanka, applied for online at eta.gov.lk, the only official portal. Since 25 May 2026, Sri Lanka has made the ETA free for nationals of 40 countries, including the UAE, India, Pakistan and most Western passports such as the UK and the US. Filipino, Egyptian and Bangladeshi nationals are not on that list and still pay the standard fee: USD 50 for most nationalities, or USD 20 for Bangladeshis under the South Asian regional rate. The ETA allows a stay of 30 days with double entry. Sri Lankan nationals living in the UAE need no visa at all to go home.

Colombo is about four hours from Dubai, which makes Sri Lanka's beaches, hill-country tea estates, wildlife parks and Buddhist and Hindu heritage sites an easy short break from the UAE. The rules on how to get in have changed more than once in the last two years, so what matters is what applies today, not what a guide from 2024 or late 2025 says.

Sri Lanka visa for UAE residents at a glance

Passport or question	Answer (October 2026)
Emirati passport	Free ETA, 30 days, double entry
India, Pakistan	Free ETA, 30 days, double entry (on the 40-country list)
United Kingdom and most Western passports	Free ETA, 30 days, double entry (on the 40-country list)
Philippines, Egypt	ETA required, fee USD 50, 30 days, double entry
Bangladesh	ETA required, fee USD 20 (South Asian rate), 30 days, double entry
Sri Lanka	No visa: travel on your Sri Lankan passport
Where to apply	Online only, at eta.gov.lk
Visa on arrival	Don't rely on it; get the ETA before you fly
Children under 12	Free, but still need their own ETA

Who gets the free ETA, and who still pays

Sri Lanka's Department of Immigration and Emigration waived the ETA fee for nationals of 40 countries from 25 May 2026. The ETA itself is still required: the fee is the only thing that changes. The 40 countries, as published on eta.gov.lk, are:

Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.

• Emiratis, Indians, Pakistanis and holders of most Western passports: free ETA.
• Filipino, Egyptian and Bangladeshi nationals are not on the list and pay the standard fee below.
• Maldivian, Seychelles and Singapore nationals also get a free ETA; Maldivians get 90 days rather than 30.
• Sri Lankan nationals, wherever they live, travel home on their own passport. They do not need an ETA or any other visa to enter Sri Lanka.

Everyone on the list, including these exempt-fee nationalities, must still apply for the ETA before travelling: the waiver removes the cost, not the paperwork.

How to apply for the ETA

1. Apply only at eta.gov.lk, run by Sri Lanka's Department of Immigration and Emigration. The site itself warns travellers to check the address ends in .gov.lk before entering any details or paying, because look-alike agent sites charge far more for the same ETA.
2. Choose the Tourist ETA category and enter your passport details: name as it appears in the passport, passport number, nationality, date of birth and expiry date.
3. Upload a photo of your passport's data page, which the Department's Tourist Visa page lists as the document required for the application.
4. Pay online if your nationality is not on the free list; free-list nationalities complete the application at no charge.
5. Wait for approval by email and carry a copy, printed or on your phone, when you fly. You can check your application status at the link eta.gov.lk provides once you have your reference number.

Apply before you travel. Airlines can refuse boarding to a passenger without the right travel documents, so have your approval before you go to the airport.

Fees and processing time

• Free-list nationalities (including UAE, India, Pakistan, UK, US and the rest of the 40 above): no fee for the 30-day tourist ETA.
• SAARC passports not on the free list, including Bangladesh: USD 20 for a double-entry, 30-day tourist ETA, the Department's rate for South Asian (SAARC) countries.
• All other nationalities, including the Philippines and Egypt: USD 50 for the same double-entry, 30-day tourist ETA.
• Children under 12: no fee, for any nationality, though each child still needs a separate ETA.
• Processing time: the Department does not publish a turnaround, so apply with time to spare.

These fees are the Department's own published tourist-visa rates, in US dollars.

Can you still get a visa on arrival?

Officially, no, and this is the point where Sri Lanka's own pages do not fully agree. The Department's published fee schedule still lists an on-arrival tourist fee, USD 25 for South Asian passports and USD 60 for others, alongside the ETA rates. But the ETA portal's current notice says all foreign nationals must obtain their ETA before arriving in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka Embassy in Abu Dhabi's own visa page states plainly that holiday or business travellers to Sri Lanka must hold a valid ETA.

Given that conflict, do not plan around a visa on arrival. Apply for the ETA before you fly, and treat the fee page's on-arrival listing as something that may not reflect current practice at the airport.

Arrival requirements

• Passport validity: Sri Lankan missions abroad advise a passport valid for at least six months from your arrival date. The ETA application itself does not state a validity rule on the pages we could read, so treat six months as the safer figure to carry.
• Return or onward ticket: expected at the port of entry.
• Sufficient funds for your stay: expected, though no official page we read states an amount.
• Health declaration or travel insurance: not currently required. The mandatory COVID-era health declaration and insurance scheme were withdrawn in 2022, and we found no 2026 notice reinstating either. Some old embassy pages still display the withdrawn notice; ignore it.
• Yellow fever certificate: only required if you arrive from, or have transited, a country with yellow fever risk. A direct flight from the UAE does not trigger this.

An approved ETA lets you travel; it does not guarantee entry. The immigration officer at Bandaranaike International Airport decides, so carry your return ticket and hotel booking as well as your ETA approval.

Extending your stay

The ETA and any on-arrival visa are valid for up to 30 days. To stay longer, apply for a tourist visa extension before the 30 days run out, either online through the Department's e-services system or at its Battaramulla head office. Extension fees depend on your nationality and how many extra days you want: the Department's published fee schedule sets different rates for 31 to 90 days, 91 to 180 days and 181 to 270 days, with lower or free rates for a handful of countries including Singapore and the Maldives. Check the current fee for your passport on immigration.gov.lk before you apply, since it is not the same figure for every nationality.

Flights from the UAE

• Dubai to Colombo: Emirates and flydubai fly non-stop, in about four hours. SriLankan Airlines flies the route too.
• Abu Dhabi and Sharjah: Etihad and Air Arabia have flown to Colombo from their home airports.

Sri Lanka is one hour and thirty minutes ahead of the UAE. From Abu Dhabi or Sharjah, check the current timetables: UAE flights were disrupted for much of 2026, so confirm your flight with the airline before you book.

Frequently asked questions

Do UAE residents need a visa for Sri Lanka?

Not a visa in the usual sense, but almost everyone needs an ETA before flying. Emiratis, Indians and Pakistanis get it free; Filipino, Egyptian and Bangladeshi nationals pay the standard fee. Sri Lankan nationals need neither a visa nor an ETA to enter their own country.

How much is the Sri Lanka ETA fee?

Free for nationals of the UAE, India, Pakistan, the UK, the US and 36 other listed countries, since 25 May 2026. Other South Asian passports, including Bangladesh, pay USD 20. All other nationalities, including the Philippines and Egypt, pay USD 50.

Is the Sri Lanka ETA free for Indians and Pakistanis in the UAE?

Yes. India and Pakistan are both on the 40-country free list that took effect on 25 May 2026. Your UAE residence does not change this; it is your passport that qualifies you.

Can I get a Sri Lanka visa on arrival?

Officially, no. Sri Lanka's immigration authorities say all travellers need an ETA before they arrive. The Department's own fee schedule still lists on-arrival rates, but do not rely on getting a visa at the airport.

Do Sri Lankan nationals living in the UAE need a visa to visit Sri Lanka?

No. Sri Lankan citizens travel home on their own passport. They need no visa and no ETA, regardless of how long they have lived in the UAE.

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

Up to 30 days, with double entry from the date you first arrive. Maldivian nationals get 90 days under a separate agreement. To stay longer, apply for a visa extension before your 30 days end.

Planning a trip to Sri Lanka

Ten days covers Colombo, the hill country around Kandy and Nuwara Eliya, the cultural triangle at Sigiriya and Anuradhapura, and a few nights on the south coast at Galle or Mirissa. See visa services for help with your ETA, browse holiday packages, or talk to us about flights, hotels and itineraries.

Related guides

• Maldives visa for UAE residents
• Thailand visa for UAE residents
• Malaysia visa for UAE residents
• Visa-free countries for UAE residents

Last checked 9 October 2026 against Sri Lanka's official ETA portal (eta.gov.lk), the Department of Immigration and Emigration's visa fee, tourist visa and free visa pages, the Department's notices on the 2025 and 2026 ETA rule changes, the Sri Lanka Embassy in Abu Dhabi, and airline schedules. This guide is general information, not immigration advice. Confirm the current requirements on eta.gov.lk before you apply or travel.