Sri Lanka's ETA is now free for Pakistani passport holders

Sri Lanka stopped charging Pakistanis for a tourist ETA on 25 May 2026. Pakistan is one of 40 countries on the free list.

The ETA is an Electronic Travel Authorization. You apply online on eta.gov.lk before you fly, and show the approval when you land at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo.

The short version

• Fee: free for Pakistani passports since 25 May 2026.
• Stay: 30 days, counted from your first arrival.
• Entries: two.
• Where to apply: eta.gov.lk only.
• Longer stay: a paid extension from the Department of Immigration and Emigration.

What changed, and what it used to cost

Before the waiver, Sri Lanka charged SAARC countries, Pakistan included, for the tourist ETA. The fee chart dated December 2022 shows the difference clearly.

	Before 25 May 2026	Since 25 May 2026
Tourist ETA, applied online	USD 20	Free
Visa bought on arrival	USD 25	Not confirmed
Stay	30 days	30 days
Entries	Double	Double

For a family of four, that’s USD 80 saved before anyone has bought a cup of tea.

Plenty of travel sites and agents still quote the old USD 20. They’re out of date.

How to apply

The whole thing takes a few minutes on a phone.

1. Open eta.gov.lk and choose the tourist ETA.
2. Enter your passport details exactly as they appear on the photo page.
3. Add your travel dates and where you’ll stay in Sri Lanka.
4. Check the fee. For a Pakistani passport it should show zero.
5. Submit, then wait for the approval email.
6. Save the approval on your phone and print a copy for the airport.

If the fee shows anything other than zero, stop. You’re probably on a look-alike site, not the government portal.

The part the official pages don’t answer

Sri Lanka’s pages confirm the free online ETA. They don’t say whether the waiver also covers a visa bought on arrival at the airport.

So apply online before you travel. It’s free and quick, and you won’t be arguing about a fee at the counter after a long flight.

Double entry, explained

Double entry is useful if you’re combining Sri Lanka with the Maldives or southern India.

Say you land in Colombo on 1 March, fly to Malé on 10 March and come back on 16 March. You can re-enter on the same ETA, but your 30 days still end on 30 March. The days you spend away don’t pause the clock.

Mistakes we see most

• Paying a look-alike site. Search “Sri Lanka ETA” and several sites that look official still charge a fee. Only eta.gov.lk is the government’s.
• A typo in the passport number. The approval is linked to your passport. A wrong digit can mean trouble at check-in.
• Planning a 45-day trip on a 30-day ETA. Stays longer than 30 days need a paid extension from the Department of Immigration and Emigration. Arrange it before your 30 days run out.

What hasn’t changed

The free ETA is for tourist trips. Business visits, work and study still have their own visas and fees.

Airlines can also ask for a return ticket and a hotel booking at check-in, whatever the ETA says. Keep both handy.