PassportSouth Africa

Trip checklist: Sri Lanka

For South African passport holders. Last checked 5 October 2026.

Visa requirement

South Africans need an online travel authorisation before flying to Sri Lanka.

Permitted stay

You can stay up to 30 days per visit, and you can apply to extend.

Before you go

  • Purpose of visit

    Tourist ETA covers tourism, visiting friends and relatives, and similar short visits. A separate business ETA (30 days, multiple entry) covers business visits. Transit visas cover stopovers of up to 2 days.

  • Passport validity

    At least 6 months from the date of arrival. When extending, your stay should end at least two months before your passport expires.

  • How to apply

    Apply online at the official site eta.gov.lk (www.eta.gov.lk/slvisa/) and pay by card. Fee for South Africans (all other countries, non-SAARC): tourist ETA US$ 50 for 30 days double entry; business ETA US$ 55 for 30 days multiple entry. Children under 12 get a free tourist ETA for up to 30 days. Other options: a travel agent, airline or relative can lodge it for you; a Sri Lankan mission can issue it (decision within 3 business days); or the Immigration Head Office in Battaramulla. ETA on arrival at BIA is a limited facility and costs extra. Pay only on the official site to avoid paying twice at the port of entry.

  • Where South Africans apply

    Online at eta.gov.lk. In South Africa, the High Commission of Sri Lanka, 410 Alexander Street, Brooklyn, Pretoria (tel +27 12 460 7679, consular.pretoria@mfa.gov.lk, Monday to Friday 08:30 to 16:30) issues visas by appointment.

  • Travel insurance

    Not mandatory for a tourist ETA. No insurance requirement appears on eta.gov.lk or immigration.gov.lk.

  • Return or onward ticket

    Required. ETA holders must present a confirmed return ticket.

  • Proof of funds

    Required. ETA holders must have sufficient funds for the stay. No minimum amount is published.

  • Accommodation or invitation

    Not required at entry for ordinary tourists. An accommodation address and phone number are needed when applying for an extension.

  • Vaccinations, including yellow fever on return to South Africa

    Sri Lanka requires a yellow fever vaccination certificate if you arrive from a yellow fever transmission-risk country. Arriving directly from South Africa, none is needed. Return to South Africa: Sri Lanka is not a yellow fever risk country, so no certificate is needed for the return, unless you transited through a risk country (more than 12 hours in the airport of a risk country).

  • Arrival forms

    Since 1 January 2023 the Department of Immigration and Emigration lets foreigners complete the arrival card online up to 3 days before travel at eservices.immigration.gov.lk (eEmbarkation). We could not confirm on an official page whether online completion is mandatory; paper cards have historically been available at the airport.

  • Extending your stay and overstaying

    Tourist ETAs can be extended online or at the Head Office in Battaramulla, up to 6 months in total. Extension fees for non-SAARC nationals: US$ 60 for 31 to 90 days, US$ 150 for 91 to 180 days, US$ 200 for 181 to 270 days. Overstay penalties (Gazette 2337/10): departing within 7 days of expiry, you pay only the visa fee; 7 to 14 days over, US$ 250 penalty; more than 14 days, US$ 500 penalty.

  • Transit

    Transit visa, single entry for up to 2 days, is free. Apply through the ETA system.

  • Travelling with children

    Children of any nationality under 12 get a free tourist ETA for up to 30 days, but still need an ETA and must extend if staying beyond 30 days. No special consent letter requirement was found on Sri Lankan official pages. South Africa's own exit rules for minors apply when leaving South Africa.

  • Confirm with the embassy

    Rules change. Check the official source before you book.

Where to apply

Research sources

  1. 1. Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka (official ETA portal) (Official, eta.gov.lk) https://www.eta.gov.lk/slvisa/
  2. 2. Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka (official ETA portal) (Official, eta.gov.lk) https://www.eta.gov.lk/slvisa/visainfo/fees.jsp?locale=en_US
  3. 3. Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka (official ETA portal) (Official, eta.gov.lk) https://www.eta.gov.lk/slvisa/visainfo/apply.jsp?locale=en_US
  4. 4. Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka (official ETA portal) (Official, eta.gov.lk) https://www.eta.gov.lk/slvisa/visainfo/center.jsp?locale=en_US
  5. 5. Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka (Official, immigration.gov.lk) https://www.immigration.gov.lk/pages_e.php?id=14
  6. 6. Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka (Official, immigration.gov.lk) https://www.immigration.gov.lk/pages_e.php?id=15
  7. 7. High Commission of Sri Lanka in Pretoria (Official, hc-pretoria.gov.lk) https://www.hc-pretoria.gov.lk/en
  8. 8. High Commission of Sri Lanka in Australia (Official, slhcaust.org) https://www.slhcaust.org/digitalization-of-arrival-and-departure-facilities/
  9. 9. Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka (Official, immigration.gov.lk) https://www.immigration.gov.lk/pages_e.php?id=45
  10. 10. UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Other government, gov.uk) https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/sri-lanka/entry-requirements
  11. 11. US Department of State (Other government, travel.state.gov) https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/SriLanka.html
  12. 12. GlobeEnjoy (News and guides, globeenjoy.com) https://globeenjoy.com/news/sri-lanka-immigration-arrival-and-departure-cards-online/

From doineedavisa.co.za/sri-lanka. Always confirm with the embassy before you travel.