Sri Lanka to Drop ETA Visa Fee for 40 Countries

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Affairs and Tourism Minister, Vijitha Herath, announced plans to waive visa fees for travelers from 40 countries.

Citizens of countries such as the US, UK, Canada, Germany, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Australia, and several EU member states will no longer have to pay the standard $50 ETA visa fee. However, they will still be required to complete the online ETA process.

Sri Lanka had previously introduced a similar visa-fee waiver in October 2024 for 35 countries (running until April 2025) as part of its recovery from the 2022 economic crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new waiver still requires legal clearance from the Attorney General’s office. The rollout is expected in fall 2025.

While Sri Lanka is lowering entry costs to attract tourism, the US is raising travel barriers by adding a $250 surcharge on top of existing fees, bringing the total cost to $435 or more.

Cover photo by Oliver Sjöström on Unsplash