Sri Lanka is a beautiful island nation that lies in the Indian Ocean close to south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. If you are planning a visit to this country, you need to apply for a tourist visa that authorizes you to stay in Sri Lanka for a period of 30 days. If you do not know how to get Sri Lanka tourist visa from India, this article attempts to make it easy for you.
How to get Sri Lanka Tourist Visa from India
Option 01 – You can get a visa on arrival
India is a country that is mentioned in schedule A of the Sri Lanka visit visa. Indian tourists are provided the facility of visa on arrival that you can get at the port where you get down if you are going there on a ship. You are required to have a valid passport and supporting documents to get permission to stay in Sri Lanka for a period of 30 days with provision of extension of two more months if you have a valid reason. Visa fee is only INR 150 per person.
Option 02- Apply for visa online
If you do not want to apply for Sri Lankan visa through its embassy, you can easily get it online. Sri Lanka government has introduced a feature called Electronic Travel Authority or ETA since January 2012 for all those who have a desire to visit this island nation for the purpose of tourism. You can apply for ETA online if you have a passport valid for at least another six months. Fill the application online and provide the details of your passport and credit card. The information you provide is forwarded to an agent who starts to process and completes processing in 2 days’ time. Once you get ETA, you become eligible to visit Sri Lanka as a tourist. This permit is valid for a period of three months only.
How to get a visa stamp on my passport?
You will be pleasantly surprised to know that no visa stamp is necessary for a visit to Sri Lanka as the electronically generated visa called ETA is enough for you to go there as a tourist.
What is the maximum duration of visit to Sri Lanka?
The validity of the ETA is three months and it allows you to come into Sri Lanka as a tourist for a maximum period of one month. You can come back to Sri Lanka on the same ETA for another month if you so desire.
Should I get ETA for all my family members?
Yes, ETA is a must for any individual coming over to Sri Lanka as a tourist. Thus, you need to apply for all those who are desirous of going to Sri Lanka with you. If you do not have a passport for your kids, you can apply for their ETA using your own passport details. However, you have to give their names, ages, and other details to obtain ETA.
Photos By: Potier Jean-Louis (CC BY-ND 2.0)
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