# Sri Lanka ETA Fees for Indians: The Tourist ETA Is Free, and Only One Site Issues It

> Sri Lanka issues the 30-day tourist ETA free of charge to nationals of 40 countries including India. Business ETAs keep their fees.

- Published: 2026-08-22
- Author: VisaGyan (VisaGyan)
- Canonical: https://visagyan.in/sri-lanka-eta-fees-for-indians
- Official sources:
  - https://www.immigration.gov.lk/pages_e.php?id=60
  - https://eta.gov.lk/

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Sri Lanka is the cheapest international trip an Indian passport can plan, because the entry authorisation costs nothing — provided you get it from the right place.

## What the Department publishes

The Department of Immigration and Emigration's notice to short-term visitors reads: "With effect from 25.05.2026, nationals of the following 40 countries are eligible to obtain tourist visa (ETA) free-of-charge for a period of 30 days."

India appears on that list, alongside the UK, the US, the UAE, Australia, Japan, China and 33 others. The waiver is specific to the **tourist** category; business ETAs and other visa classes keep their fees.

## Where the money goes if you are careless

A free document with a well-known name is exactly what the agent market monetises. Searches for "Sri Lanka ETA" surface commercial pages that reproduce the official form, charge a few thousand rupees as a "processing fee", and in the worst cases collect passport scans and card details for a submission that may never be made.

There is no legitimate reason for an Indian tourist to pay anyone for this ETA. The test is the domain: **eta.gov.lk** and nothing else. The wider pattern of how this market works is documented in [how visa agent fraud works in India](/visa-agent-fraud-how-it-works-india).

## Free is not unconditional

The ETA authorises travel; it does not guarantee entry. Sri Lankan immigration still checks passport validity, an onward or return ticket, and where you are staying. Arriving without those is the ordinary way a free authorisation stops being useful at the counter.

The document set, the 30-day extension route and what changes for a longer stay are in [Sri Lanka visa for Indians](/sri-lanka-visa-for-indians). How this sits against the rest of the map for an Indian passport is in [visa-free countries for Indians](/visa-free-countries-for-indians), and the wider cost comparison in [visa fees for Indians in 2026](/visa-fees-for-indians-2026).

*VisaGyan is an independent journal, not affiliated with the Sri Lankan government. Apply only at eta.gov.lk; details checked 22 August 2026.*