Sri Lanka ETA validity and permitted stay

The deadline to enter Sri Lanka

The official application guidance currently states that an ETA may be used to enter within three months of issue. The approval notice includes a specific use-by date: check that date against your arrival, rather than relying on a general guide or an old application.

If a flight change moves your arrival beyond that deadline, seek official advice before travelling. Changing an airline booking does not automatically change an immigration permission.

How the stay is different

The current tourist exemption generally provides 30 days; the bilateral Maldives arrangement differs. The period permitted at entry is the one you must follow. Keep a record of the entry date and the stay recorded by immigration.

For example, an ETA issued well before your holiday does not mean your holiday starts on the issue date. Equally, an ETA use-by date is not permission to remain until that date after entering.

Leaving and returning during the trip

Under the current 30-day tourist scheme, a second entry uses the remainder of the original period. Do not assume a side trip gives you another 30 days. Check the entry type on the approval before planning any return to Sri Lanka.

Write down both arrival dates and the final departure when asking immigration about a multi-country itinerary. A simple calendar is more useful than describing the trip as “about a month”.

If you want to stay longer

Use the extension guide and the official extension service before the existing permission expires. An application for more time and a granted extension are separate events.

A replacement passport, an incorrect document number or a different travel purpose also needs its own review. See application mistakes and business travel guidance.