A land of myth, legend, history, and one of the richest cultures, Sri Lanka is one of the hottest travel destinations and lures adventurers of all kinds. Perhaps you’re someone who loves the solitude of nature and steady walks through trails. Maybe you love relaxing by the sea with the sun warming your face and a cool breeze caressing your skin. Or, maybe it’s nightlife you crave and a little game of chance at a casino – whatever your thrill is,with the best tourist places to visit in Sri Lanka, this island nation has it all.

Book your tickets and travel to Sri Lanka in very easy steps. American citizens require a valid Sri Lanka ETA. That can be obtained online by filling in an online application form and providing some details of the applicant. Let’s see all the steps one by one.

 

• Tourist Sri Lanka ETA – this is for spending some quality time in Sri Lanka. Valid for 6 months with double entry. American travelers can stay for 30 days in the country using ETA for Sri Lanka.

• Business Sri Lanka ETA - this is for business-related work. Valid for 6 months from the date of issue. Using Sri Lanka online visa American citizens can stay for 30 days in the country. It grants multiple entries in Sri Lanka.

• Transit ETA – this is applied when you have a connecting route visa to Sri Lanka. If you have a layover for more than 8 hours you can apply for this. It is valid for 2 days.

 

Knowing all the requirements beforehand is better as it makes easy to fill in the application form. So let us learn what are all those requirements for the American citizens for ETA of Sri Lanka.

• A valid American passport. Its validity should be of 6 months minimum from the date of arrival in Sri Lanka. Get it renewed if it seems to get expired.
• A valid debit or credit card to make the payment for Sri Lanka ETA.
• A valid Email ID, to receive the updates for visa approval.

 

• Applicant’s full name
• DOB
• Nationality
• Gender
• Email ID
• Passport number
• Passport issue date
• Passport expiry date
• Purpose of traveling to Sri Lanka
• Intended date of travel

After filling in all these details, American travelers must re-check the application form, there should be no errors or mistakes. If any mistake is found, the visa approval may get delayed or the application can get rejected. After this, American citizens are required to make the payment using a debit or credit card for the Sri Lanka ETA.

If any minor (under 16) is traveling along with their parents then their application can be filled in on behalf of their parent’s application. But every individual must have their passport and visa with them. But those who are 16 and above must apply separately for their visa.

 

The application form for the eta of Sri Lanka takes about 2 days for the analysis. After that, American travelers receive a mail or SMS for their approval of ETA.

When you receive the ETA, take a printout of it and carry it along with you while traveling in Sri Lanka. It might be asked the immigration office in Sri Lanka.

It is also advisable to apply at least a week before their intended date of travel to receive their Sri Lanka ETA at the usual time without any hustle.

** The online procedure does not involve visiting the embassy, it saves you a lot of your time and you do not have to do the paperwork manually. It prevents you from all the mess of paperwork.

 

American travelers having ETA for Sri Lanka will be issued visas on arrival automatically. You must have your passport with you, sufficient funds proof, a return or onward ticket, and a copy of ETA if asked. After all the verification the officer will grant you the visa on arrival using which you can enter Sri Lanka.

It is possible to apply for a visa on arrival without an ETA at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo only. This is not recommended as it means waiting in a different queue to fill out the paperwork and then joining the main queue to clear immigration.

But certainly, this process takes a lot of time, as travelers have to stand in queues and wait for long hours. It is better to apply online to save you from all the mess and tiring process.