Sri Lanka changed a lot for visitors in 2026. Since 25 May, citizens of 40 countries, India among them, pay nothing for a 30-day tourist ETA. What did not change is a short line that appears again and again on eta.gov.lk: at the port of entry, you should hold a confirmed return ticket. That line is the whole reason people search for a dummy ticket for a Sri Lanka visa, and it deserves a straight answer rather than a sales pitch.
Below we set out what the Department of Immigration and Emigration (DI&E) publishes, which situations suit a reservation, and which call for buying the ticket outright. When we say reservation, we mean seats an airline is holding for you, unpaid, findable by a six-character PNR and your surname.
Sri Lanka ETA at a glance (October 2026)
| Question | Official answer |
|---|---|
| Who needs an ETA? | All foreign nationals, with narrow exceptions, including nationals of the 40 free countries and of the Maldives, Seychelles and Singapore.[6] |
| Tourist ETA | Double entry, 30 days from arrival; a second entry gets only the balance of those 30 days.[1][6] |
| Transit ETA | Up to 2 days, free of charge.[1] |
| Window to travel | Entry within three months from the date the ETA is issued.[1] |
| Fee, 40 listed countries | Free for a 30-day tourist ETA since 25 May 2026.[3][4] |
| Fee, everyone else | Tourist ETA online US$20 (South Asian countries) or US$50 (all others).[3] |
| At the port of entry | Passport valid at least six months from arrival, a confirmed return ticket, sufficient funds.[1] |
| Extension | The ETA can be extended up to six months.[1] |
| Refunds | The processing fee is non-refundable and non-transferable.[3][8] |
Four official lines about flights, quoted exactly
Sri Lanka mentions tickets in several places, and the wording shifts slightly from page to page. Here they are side by side.
- ETA application page: all ETA holders should fulfil these requirements at the port of entry, including "A confirmed return ticket."[1]
- ETA terms you accept when applying: holders should be able to show a round trip ticket on arrival, a condition limited to those "travelling by air".[2]
- ETA FAQ: the answer to whether you need a ticket first is that the ETA comes "even before booking your ticket."[8]
- DI&E general visa conditions: you are in possession of "a written assurance (ticket) to return to the country of domicile or a visa to the next country of destination".[5]
Read together, the picture is clear. No flight document is needed to apply. A ticket is expected when you arrive. The general page is slightly wider than the ETA site, because it also accepts a visa for your next destination.
Do you need a flight booked before applying for the ETA?
No. The DI&E answers this directly in its FAQ: the ETA can be obtained before you book.[8] The application steps are to submit the form, receive an acknowledgement, then receive an approval or a referral notice.[1] No upload of a flight booking appears anywhere in them.
That has a practical upside. Because you have three months from issue to enter, you can secure the ETA first and buy flights afterwards with confidence.[1] For nationals of the 40 free countries there is not even a fee at risk. We would not suggest buying anything from us for the ETA form itself.
The free ETA for 40 countries: what changed on 25 May 2026
A DI&E special notice made the tourist ETA free of charge for 30 days for nationals of 40 countries, with double entry.[4] The list includes India, Nepal, Pakistan, China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Turkey, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and fourteen European states.[3]
Points worth knowing from the notice itself:
- It covers diplomatic, official, service and ordinary passports of those 40 countries.[4]
- You still have to obtain the ETA before arrival. It is a waived fee, not visa-free entry.[4]
- Fees paid before 25 May 2026 are not refunded.[4]
- Staying beyond 30 days means an extension, paid at the applicable visa fee.[4]
- Singapore and Seychelles nationals get 30 days free and Maldivians 90 days, under reciprocal arrangements.[3]
So an Indian family planning a week in Kandy and Ella pays no ETA fee in 2026. The return ticket line still applies to them on landing.
ETA fees for everyone else
For nationalities outside the free list, the fees page sets these tourist and business rates.[3] Swipe sideways on a small screen.
| How you apply | South Asian tourist | South Asian business | Other tourist | Other business |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yourself online, at a mission or at the Colombo head office | US$20 | US$30 | US$50 | US$55 |
| On arrival at the port of entry | US$25 | not listed | US$60 | not listed |
| Transit ETA, 2 days | Free of charge | |||
The on-arrival rates are higher, and the on-arrival facility is described as limited.[1] Apply online first unless you have a real reason not to.
Six ways to submit, and what each one means for you
The ETA site lists six channels: by the applicant, by a third party such as an airline, travel agent, friend or relative, through an authorised Visitor Service Centre, at a Sri Lankan overseas mission, at the DI&E head office in Battaramulla, and on arrival.[1] A few details stand out.
- Cards: online payment accepts only Visa, Mastercard and American Express.[1]
- Missions: an overseas mission, with DI&E concurrence, issues the ETA or short-stay visa within 3 business days, and can issue visas for up to three months.[1]
- Business ETA: available only from missions, the head office or on arrival, and you should bring proof of the business visit.[1]
- On arrival: if a referral notice is served at the airport, "you will be refused entry and returned".[1]
If a mission asks you for a travel itinerary, that is the moment a verifiable reservation earns its keep. We could not find a published list of the papers each Sri Lankan mission wants, so ask yours.
Mission wants your travel dates?
A Colombo itinerary held in the passenger's name, ready to check on the carrier's website. ₹699 or $9 per person.
"ETA is not a pre-condition to board": what that means at check-in
One FAQ answer surprises people. Asked how the airline knows you have a valid visa, the DI&E replies that the "ETA is not a pre-condition to board a flight/vessel to Sri Lanka."[8] Elsewhere the same site says all foreign nationals must obtain an ETA before arrival.[6]
We read that as an official statement about Sri Lanka's position, not a promise about every airline's check-in policy. Carriers run their own document checks, and some will want to see both an ETA approval and a ticket home. Our advice is simple. Carry a copy of the ETA approval, as the site advises,[1] carry your paid return ticket, and ask your airline ahead of time if you are flying one way.
Going home, or going on to the Maldives?
Plenty of travellers combine Sri Lanka with the Maldives, India or Southeast Asia. The ETA pages speak of a "return" and "round trip" ticket. The DI&E general page accepts either a ticket back to your country of domicile or a visa for the next country.[5] How an officer treats a ticket onward to a third country is not spelt out on the pages we read, so we will not guess.
Say you fly Chennai to Colombo, spend ten days touring, then continue to Malé. The careful approach is a paid Colombo to Malé ticket, plus whatever the Maldives needs from you on arrival; our Maldives guide covers that side. Ask your airline before departure how it treats an onward rather than return flight.
Changing planes in Colombo
The airport operator's transit FAQ says passengers who do not leave the terminal need neither a transit ETA nor the Digital Arrival Card.[7] If you do want to leave the airport, the free transit ETA covers up to 2 days.[1] The DI&E general page adds that a transit visa is needed if you stay more than 24 hours for a connection, and that it is valid only for 48 hours.[5] A transit stay is, by definition, part of a journey elsewhere, so carry the ticket for your next flight.
On arrival, the operator also publishes a Health Declaration Form that all arriving passengers fill in.[9]
When a reservation fits a Sri Lanka trip, and when it does not
Given the official wording, this is where we land:
- A Sri Lankan mission or sponsor asks for your itinerary.
- You are applying for another country's visa and Sri Lanka is one leg of the trip.
- You want to pin down dates before the three-month ETA window opens.
- Arriving at the immigration counter. The ETA rule names a confirmed return. Hold one.
- Check-in with an airline that asks for a paid return. A reservation will not satisfy that.
- A transit stop where you leave the airport. Carry your real onward ticket.
Holds we place last up to 2 weeks; the airline decides the exact period. Reserve two or three days ahead of a mission appointment.
Confirm the booking reference on the airline's own site
Whichever carrier appears on your PDF, go to its website and use the retrieve-booking page with the six-character reference and the lead passenger's surname. Compare the spelling of each name, the flight numbers and the dates. If the airline's page shows something different, or nothing, do not submit that PDF anywhere. Our longer checklist explains each step: check a reservation before you submit it.
Arriving at Bandaranaike International (CMB)
Most international flights land at Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake. The operator is Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited. Its arrival guide asks visitors to observe immigration and customs regulations.[9] The same operator's site also lists Mattala Rajapaksa, Ratmalana, Batticaloa and Jaffna international airports.[9] At the counter you present your passport; keep the ETA approval copy handy, and be ready to show your return ticket and funds if asked.[1]
How much money counts as "sufficient funds"?
The ETA pages do not put a figure on it, and neither does the DI&E general visa page. That page frames it as enough for your maintenance while in Sri Lanka and for your return passage to the country that issued your passport.[5] We could not find an official minimum amount, so we will not quote one. In practice, a recent bank statement or card, your hotel bookings and the paid ticket home together tell the story an officer is looking for.
Applying for another country's visa from Sri Lanka?
If you live in Sri Lanka and need flights shown for a Schengen, UK or Gulf application, start with dummy ticket for visa in Colombo and our guide for Sri Lankan passport holders. Heading to Europe? The Schengen visa guide has the checklist wording.
Ordering a reservation for a Sri Lanka route
Choose your Colombo flights, add travellers as their passports spell them, and pay with UPI, netbanking or a card through Razorpay. The reservation usually lands in about 10 minutes, and tracking works if you are waiting.
- Choose the cities and dates, for example Mumbai to Colombo and back.
- Add each traveller, checking spellings against the passport.
- Pay, then watch your inbox.
- Retrieve the booking on the airline's site before using it.
For costs in pounds, dirhams and riyals see dummy ticket price. The gap between holding seats and buying them gets a full page: flight reservation for visa. Need a stay on paper too? See dummy hotel booking. Country-by-country rules live on flight reservation requirements by country, and exit-flight checks on onward ticket. Our home page has the overview.
Settle your Colombo dates
Booking reference that the airline's site will show, with your names. ₹699 or $9 per traveller.
Sri Lanka ETA and return tickets: your questions
Is the Sri Lanka ETA free for Indians in 2026?
Yes. Since 25 May 2026 Indian nationals are on the list of 40 countries that receive a 30-day double-entry tourist ETA free of charge. You still have to apply and obtain it before arriving, and staying past 30 days requires a paid extension. Fees paid before that date are not refunded.
Do I have to upload a flight ticket with my ETA application?
No. The DI&E FAQ says the ETA can be obtained even before you book a ticket, and the listed steps are simply application, acknowledgement and approval or referral. The ticket requirement applies later, at the port of entry, where the site asks ETA holders to have a confirmed return ticket.
Will a flight reservation be accepted at Colombo immigration?
We cannot say it will. Colombo's rule, as worded on eta.gov.lk, is a "confirmed" return, and nobody has paid for a held booking. For arrival, carry the ticket you actually bought. Use a reservation for planning, or for a mission or sponsor that asks for an itinerary.
How long can I stay on a Sri Lanka tourist ETA?
Initially up to 30 days from arrival, with double entry; on a second entry you get the balance of those 30 days. It can be extended up to six months. You must enter within three months of the ETA being issued.
Do I need an ETA to change planes in Colombo?
Not if you stay in the terminal. Bandaranaike airport's transit FAQ says passengers who do not leave the terminal need neither a transit ETA nor the Digital Arrival Card. To leave the airport, the transit ETA for up to 2 days is free of charge.
Can a travel agent or airline apply for my ETA?
Yes. The ETA site lists third-party submission by travel agents, airlines, friends or relatives, who pay and submit for you, plus authorised Visitor Service Centres that may charge an extra service fee. Make sure payment goes through the official eta.gov.lk system, as the DI&E advises.
How long does your reservation last for a Sri Lanka application?
Up to 2 weeks; the airline decides the exact period. If a mission appointment or sponsor's deadline is weeks away, wait and book closer to it. That way the booking is still live when someone checks it.
Straight talk: reserve only the route you mean to fly and describe it honestly as a reservation. Sri Lanka's officers and your airline decide on entry and boarding; no document from us decides that.
Sources
All official pages. Last checked: October 2026.
- Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka, ETA site, How to submit an ETA application.
- Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka, ETA site, Terms and Conditions.
- Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka, ETA site, Fees.
- Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka, Special Notice to the Short Term Visitors to Sri Lanka (PDF).
- Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka, General Information on Visa.
- Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka, ETA site, Online Visa Application: home.
- Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited, Transit FAQ.
- Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka, ETA site, FAQ.
- Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited, Arrival Info and Health Declaration Form.
Related: onward ticket · flight reservation for visa · dummy ticket price · requirements by country · dummy hotel booking.