This page is for people who live in Colombo and its suburbs, from Dehiwala to Negombo, and apply for visas from there. Most are Sri Lankan citizens; a fair number are foreign residents working in the city's companies, schools and missions. What each destination's checklist says about flights is compared in our guide for Sri Lankan travellers, and the rules for coming into Sri Lanka are in our Sri Lanka ETA guide. Here we stay with Colombo itself: which counter takes your file, which countries share a desk, what that desk says about flights, and which airlines at Katunayake make sense for a reservation. We work online only and have no office in Sri Lanka.
Colombo at a glance
| Item | Detail for Colombo residents (checked October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Main airport | Bandaranaike International (CMB), Katunayake, run by Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka).[1] |
| Germany (plus Estonia, Hungary, Latvia) | VFS German Visa Application Centre, Colombo; decision by the embassy.[3] |
| Switzerland and the Netherlands | Swiss application centre of VFS Global, in Colombo or Jaffna.[6] |
| Australia | Online through ImmiAccount, or the Australian Visa Application Centre in Colombo run by VFS.[7] |
| United States | US Embassy Colombo; apply where you live or hold nationality.[8] |
| Canada and UK | Canada VAC in Colombo; UK applications through VFS Global.[10][12] |
| Our fee | $9 per passenger; card payment through Razorpay |
Germany: VFS Colombo, and three other countries on the same desk
The German Embassy in Colombo takes Schengen applications from Sri Lankan citizens living in Sri Lanka and from other foreign nationals living here, when their main destination is Germany, Estonia, Hungary or Latvia.[3] So a Colombo couple whose trip is mainly in Budapest apply at the German desk, not a Hungarian one. Files go in only through VFS: the German centre in Colombo, or Malé for residents of the Maldives.[3]
Some practical points from the embassy's page:
- When. Up to six months before the trip, and at least 15 calendar days before it. Standard processing is 15 calendar days and can stretch to 45.[3]
- Appointments. Booked on the VFS site; if none are free, you can join a waiting list there.[3]
- Who decides. VFS handles the paperwork; only the embassy makes the decision.[3]
On flights, the German tourist checklist for Sri Lanka asks for a travel itinerary with arrival and departure flight information, and then says applicants should not submit paid flight tickets, as the embassy will not be liable for the loss if the visa is refused.[4] That is about as clear an invitation to use a reservation as any embassy gives. A held booking with a live PNR shows the arrival and departure flights without putting money at risk.
The one thing to watch is the 45-day possibility. If your file goes into extended review, the PNR will lapse before a decision. That does not make the file wrong; it showed your plan when you applied. Do not reorder every two weeks unless the embassy asks for updated travel details.
The Swiss centre: Switzerland and the Netherlands under one roof
Dutch Schengen visas are not lodged at a Dutch desk in Sri Lanka. The Dutch government sends residents of Sri Lanka to the Swiss application centre of VFS Global, in Colombo or Jaffna.[6] Its page adds that people who do not live in Sri Lanka must apply in their own country of residence.[6]
Switzerland's own Sri Lanka checklist for family members of EU, EEA or Swiss citizens asks for a travel itinerary with arrival and departure flight information, and states: "Do not purchase the tickets before obtaining the visa".[5] That checklist is for one category, but the logic carries over. The Swiss want to see the plan, not your money tied up in it.
Our Switzerland visa guide and Netherlands visa guide go into each country's full list.
VFS appointment booked in Colombo?
Order a CMB reservation for $9 per traveller, a few days before your slot.
Australia: online first, AVAC if needed
The Australian High Commission prefers online applications through ImmiAccount, available to applicants in Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Bangladesh.[7] If you cannot apply online, or your visa type is not offered there, you lodge in person by appointment at the Australian Visa Application Centre in Colombo, which VFS Global runs for the Australian Government and where biometrics are collected.[7] Maldives residents also send enquiries to VFS in Sri Lanka.[7]
For flights, follow the document list your application generates. We found no Australian page for Sri Lanka that requires a flight booking, so we treat a reservation as optional evidence of a planned visit rather than a must.
US, UK and Canada from Colombo
United States. Interviews take place at the US Embassy in Colombo, and the embassy asks applicants to book where they live or where they hold citizenship.[8] There is no flight requirement: Washington's advice is to keep your money until the visa is in hand.[9]
Canada. IRCC lists Colombo as Sri Lanka's visa application centre.[10] Its visitor visa guidance offers flight details as one example of documents that show the length and purpose of a stay.[11] Useful but optional.
United Kingdom. GOV.UK points Sri Lanka applicants to VFS Global.[12] Its guide to visitor documents puts flight bookings among the items you should not rely on as evidence, unless you are transiting.[13] For a normal UK visit we would leave the reservation out and spend the effort on finances and ties.
Colombo desks compared
| Destination | Where a Colombo resident lodges | Official wording on flights | Our suggestion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia | VFS German centre, Colombo[3] | Flight information; "do not submit paid flight tickets"[4] | Held reservation |
| Switzerland | Swiss VFS centre, Colombo or Jaffna[6] | "Do not purchase the tickets before obtaining the visa" (family category)[5] | Held reservation |
| Netherlands | Swiss VFS centre, Colombo or Jaffna[6] | See the Dutch checklist | Held reservation |
| Australia | ImmiAccount or AVAC Colombo[7] | Follow the online list | Optional |
| USA | US Embassy Colombo[8] | Don't buy tickets before the visa[9] | Nothing required |
| Canada | VAC Colombo[10] | "flight details" as an example[11] | Optional |
| UK | VFS Global[12] | Flight bookings not useful unless transiting[13] | Usually leave out |
Should your checklist demand a confirmed or paid ticket, do what it says. Our held booking might not count, so a refundable fare is the safer route.
Foreign residents in Colombo
Colombo's missions look at where you live. Germany's page names "other third country nationals residing in Sri Lanka" alongside Sri Lankans.[3] The Dutch page sends anyone not living in Sri Lanka back to their own country of residence.[6] The US Embassy uses its residence-or-nationality rule.[8]
That makes your Sri Lankan residence visa as important as your passport. Say an Indian finance manager in Colombo 3 holds a residence visa ending on 30 April and wants a week in Berlin over Easter. His return to CMB should fall comfortably before 30 April, and he should carry proof of the residence visa with his file. If the permit ends during or just after the trip, renew it first. A reservation cannot paper over a lapsing permit, and we would not try.
The booking works the same for every nationality: the name exactly as in the passport you apply with, CMB as origin if that is where you fly from, and dates inside your residence permission.
Jaffna and the north
For northern residents, the Swiss VFS centre in Jaffna is a real saving: Swiss and Dutch Schengen files can go in there instead of in Colombo.[6] For Germany, the embassy names only Colombo (and Malé, for Maldives residents), so a Jaffna family heading mainly to Germany still travels south.[3]
Airport and Aviation Services lists Jaffna International among the airports it runs, along with Mattala Rajapaksa, Ratmalana and Batticaloa.[1] For long-haul trips to Europe or Australia, though, a reservation from Katunayake is the normal choice, since that is where the international carriers are. Start from Jaffna only if a bookable flight from there is really part of your plan.
CMB airport and the airlines that use it
Bandaranaike International at Katunayake is Colombo's international gateway. AASL's list of airlines there includes SriLankan Airlines, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad, Turkish Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, LOT Polish, Edelweiss and Air India, among others.[2] Emirates' route page shows 21 flights a week between Colombo and Dubai.[14]
That variety gives you sensible options for almost any destination. A reservation to Frankfurt via Doha or Dubai, to Zurich via Istanbul, to Warsaw on LOT or to Melbourne via Singapore would all look ordinary, provided the airline sells that routing on your dates. If you are thinking of SriLankan, our SriLankan Airlines page explains how its bookings can be looked up.
AASL also lists a Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment desk among its airport services.[1] If you are leaving for work abroad, read the SLBFE section of our Sri Lankan travellers guide before you fly.
Two Colombo examples
A Nugegoda couple on a Budapest and Vienna holiday. This is an illustration. They plan six nights in Budapest and three in Vienna, so Hungary is the main destination and the German VFS desk in Colombo takes the file.[3] With an appointment on 2 June, they order on 29 May: CMB to Budapest via a Gulf hub, with the return from Vienna, both names on one booking. The hotels and insurance carry the same dates. Germany's list says not to submit paid tickets, so a reservation is the obvious fit.[4]
A Kandy teacher visiting a cousin in Rotterdam. Also an example. She lodges at the Swiss VFS centre in Colombo, since that is where Dutch visas go in Sri Lanka.[6] She orders a reservation three days before the appointment and makes sure her school's leave letter matches the dates.
When should a Colombo applicant order?
A few days before the appointment. Your booking will stay live for up to 2 weeks, though the airline sets the actual length and may cut it shorter. Book after the VFS slot is confirmed, not when you start collecting documents. If the appointment moves, order a new reservation near the new date.
How to order from Colombo
- Match your destination to a desk in the comparison table, then fetch that desk's latest checklist.
- Read the flight line word for word.
- Complete our booking form with CMB as origin, the destination and dates, and names as printed in each passport.
- Settle $9 for each person on the booking with a card through Razorpay (multi-city: per pair of legs).
- Check the PDF, which normally arrives in about 10 minutes.
- Retrieve it on the airline's site using the PNR and surname, as our verification guide explains.
Order status: track your order. Hotel proof: hotel reservations. Other currencies: price page.
Colombo FAQ
Is there a DummyTicketPrice office in Colombo?
No. We are an online service with no counter in Colombo or elsewhere in Sri Lanka. Orders, card payments via Razorpay ($9 per traveller) and delivery are all online; the PDF typically arrives about ten minutes after you pay. Print it wherever suits you before the VFS visit.
Where do I apply for a Dutch visa in Sri Lanka?
At the Swiss application centre of VFS Global, in Colombo or Jaffna. The Dutch government's page says this applies to residents of Sri Lanka; if you live elsewhere, apply in your own country of residence. One exception it mentions: visa facilitation to live with a Dutch child under 18 cannot be requested there.
Does Germany accept a reservation from Colombo?
The German Embassy's tourist checklist for Sri Lanka asks for an itinerary with arrival and departure flight information and tells applicants not to submit paid flight tickets, because the embassy is not liable for losses after a refusal. A held reservation with a live PNR fits that request well.
My trip is mainly to Hungary. Which desk do I use?
The German one. The German Embassy in Colombo handles Schengen applications from Sri Lanka residents whose main destination is Germany, Estonia, Hungary or Latvia, through the VFS German centre in Colombo. Your main destination is normally where you spend the longest time.
Do I need a flight booking for a US interview in Colombo?
No. US guidance says to wait for the visa before paying for flights, and the DS-160 records only the dates you intend to travel. Bringing a reservation is up to you. If you carry one, describe it as a reservation and never as a paid ticket.
Can I start the reservation from Jaffna?
Only if you will genuinely fly from there and the route is bookable on your dates. Jaffna International is one of the airports AASL operates, but international carriers for Europe, Australia and North America use Katunayake. Most northern applicants are better served by a CMB itinerary that matches their visa form.
How long does the reservation last?
Up to 2 weeks, and the airline sets the exact period, which can be less. Order a few days before the appointment. If German processing runs to 45 days, the hold will lapse before the decision; that is expected, and you only need a new one if the embassy asks.
Order from Colombo
CMB departures, $9 per traveller, verifiable on the carrier's site.
Please note: what we send is a reservation on hold. It is not a purchased ticket and it decides nothing; the embassy does.
Our home page explains the service in brief. Destination guides: Germany, Switzerland, Australia, USA, Canada, UK and the Schengen overview. Nearby: Maldives visa and Chennai. More context: reservations explained, the by-country requirements list and our onward ticket page.
Sources
All sources last checked: October 2026.
- Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka), Bandaranaike International Airport (airports operated, airport services).
- Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka), List of airlines.
- German Embassy Colombo, Visa: short-term / Schengen for stays up to 90 days.
- German Embassy Colombo, Checklist visitor: tourist.
- Switzerland, via VFS Global, Checklist for family members of EU/EEA/Swiss citizens, Sri Lanka (PDF).
- Netherlands Worldwide, Applying for a Schengen visa in Sri Lanka.
- Australian High Commission, Sri Lanka, How to lodge an application.
- U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka, Visas.
- U.S. Department of State, Visitor visa.
- Government of Canada (IRCC), Find a visa application centre.
- Government of Canada (IRCC), Apply for a visitor visa.
- GOV.UK, Find a visa application centre.
- GOV.UK, Guide to supporting documents: visiting the UK.
- Emirates, Flights from Colombo to Dubai.
