Travelling the world can be done on even the tightest of meticulously planned budgets, but news that the cost of a visa to visit Sri Lanka has been slashed entirely will be music to everybody’s ears.
That’s right – now’s the time to travel to this paradisiacal island nation, as Sri Lanka has officially made it free to enter for citizens from 40 very lucky countries.
You’ll still need to apply for your Electronic Travel Authorisation ahead of arrival, but that will now get you entry to the country without any fees for up to 30 days.
This comes not long after Thailand clamped down on its entry rules, and travellers from a long list of countries have now had to wave goodbye to the 60-day visa-exemption window.
The new rules for Sri Lanka came into effect on Monday May 25, but unfortunately for travellers who had already paid, there isn’t an opportunity to get refunded.
But hey, let’s focus on the good news. Below is the list of all the countries now exempt from paying for entry to Sri Lanka for up to 30 days, according to the Khaleej Times.
- Australia
- Austria
- Bahrain
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Canada
- China
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Kuwait
- Malaysia
- Nepal
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Poland
- Qatar
- Russia
- Saudi Arabia
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Türkiye
- UAE
- UK
- USA
Visitors from these countries join travellers from the Maldives, Seychelles and Singapore, who already had their ETA fees waived.
Why travel to Sri Lanka?
Land here and you’ll immediately understand how this place earned the nickname of the pearl of the Indian Ocean – the island boasts around 1,300km of coastline, ranging from resort-packed stretches to untouched sandy beaches, and it’s a world-renowned destination for surfing and snorkelling.
Wildlife lovers are blessed with options here. Yala National Park is the place to head to spot leopards and Udawalawe National Park is a haven for elephants. They’re both nestled in the south corner of the island.
There are also plenty of historical sites to explore (many of which have UNESCO-listed status). Fancy visiting structures dating all the way back to the fifth century? Head to the Ancient City of Sigiriya.
Oh, and if you’re keen to stretch those legs, Sri Lanka is primed for some seriously glorious hikes – the Pekoe Trail is a sprawling, 300km gander through the island’s central highlands, which passes verdant forests, tea plantations, and plenty of other cool historical sites.
For more travel inspiration, have a read of our list of the best hotels in Sri Lanka.
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