Sri Lanka entry requirements for British passport holders (2026): visa and passport validity
Passport validity (FCDO rule): At least 6 months after the day you arrive
Visa (FCDO): Read the official visa text below
Official source: GOV.UK – Sri Lanka travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO) · page last updated 21 September 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Whether you need a visa and how long your British passport must be valid to enter Sri Lanka, as published by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), quoted word for word, with a checker for your dates.
Other passports: Canadian passport · Australian passport · Italian citizens: documenti per italiani
Driving in Sri Lanka, do you need an international driving permit? Canadian licence · Australian licence
Do I need a visa for Sri Lanka with a British passport?
We quote the FCDO text word for word and do not summarise it: its first sentence has conditions or a wording we do not turn into a one-line answer.
To enter Sri Lanka, you need to apply for an ‘Electronic Travel Authorization’ (ETA) which is a form of visa.
Applying for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA)
Apply for a Sri Lanka ‘Electronic Travel Authorization’ (ETA) online. You should do this before travelling. ETAs are issued free of charge and will be valid for 30 days.
If you plan to stay longer, you can apply for an extension online through Sri Lankas official Immigration portal. You do not need a visa if you are transiting through Sri Lanka by air, if the connecting flight is within 24 hours of your arrival. Check with your airlines about transit times.
For more information on Sri Lankan visas, please visit Department of Immigration and Emigration.
More from the FCDO visa section (extensions, border checks and other cases)
Overstaying your visa
If you overstay the period of your ETA (30 days), you risk being subject to immigration procedures that may include temporary detention, a fine, deportation at your own expense, a travel ban or refusal of entry to Sri Lanka in the future.
Official source: GOV.UK – Sri Lanka travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO), section “Visa requirements” · page last updated 21 September 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Passport validity: official text “Passport validity requirements”
To enter Sri Lanka, your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the day you arrive.
Official source: GOV.UK – Sri Lanka travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO) · page last updated 21 September 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Check your passport for Sri Lanka
Schengen rules count your whole trip in the Schengen area: if you visit several Schengen countries, enter the day you first enter the area and the day you leave the last Schengen country.
The check runs in your browser: your dates are not sent anywhere. It applies the FCDO sentence literally (for example “6 months” is counted as the same day of the month 6 months later).
For British passport holders only. These are the rules published by the UK government (FCDO) for British citizens. If you hold another passport, check your own government's advice. The airline and the border officials of the destination decide whether you can travel or enter: this site is information, not legal advice.
Recent FCDO updates to the entry requirements
- 26 May 2026: “New information about Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) which will now be issued free of charge as of 25 May 2026 ('Entry requirements' page).”
- 19 February 2026: “New information about the Sri Lankan Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) (‘Entry requirements’ page).”
- 10 December 2025: “New information about dual nationals returning to the UK (‘Entry requirements’ page).”
- 5 November 2025: “Updated information about applying for a Sri Lanka ‘Electronic Travel Authorisation’(‘Entry requirements’ page).”
- 14 October 2025: “New information on overstaying your visa and information that visitors must have an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before travelling to Sri Lanka ('Entry requirements’ page).”
Read the full FCDO travel advice for Sri Lanka (safety, visas, health) before you travel.
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Same FCDO rule (6 months after arrival)
and 79 more destinations with the same rule: see all
Passport validity rules for all destinations · Liquids rules by airport · EES and ETIAS status