This is a new page (as at early October 2026) for both visitors to Serendipity and general visitors to Sri Lanka. We’ll be adding further useful information in the coming weeks.
Visa Application Information:
Free 30-day visas are now available for citizens of 40 countries, including the UK, most of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.
You can apply for your visa up to 6 months prior to your expected arrival date. It normally takes no more than a few minutes or hours to be processed, but you should certainly receive it within 24 hours. You will need to give an address in Sri Lanka for where you are staying. As many visitors travel around the country and stay in various locations, you should use the address of your first hotel/accommodation, if known, or the place you will be spending the most time. However, this information is rarely ever checked or used.
The confirmation email you receive will state that, upon arrival, you may be asked to show details of your outbound flight and proof that you have adequate funds to sustain you for the duration of your stay. This virtually never happens.
There’s no need to print off your ETA as the details will automatically be added to your passport number. If you’ve visited Sri Lanka before and had to complete an additional Arrivals Card, please note that this is no longer required.
The initial free visa will last for 30 days from the date of your arrival. If you wish to stay longer you can apply for an extension only once you’ve arrived in the country and your first visa is activated. This extension is for a period of a further 60 days (US$100 plus admin fee). It takes at least 2-3 *working* days to process, so make sure you allow plenty of time. A further extension can then be made online or in person (or via an agent) at the Immigration Office in Battaramula (near Colombo) for an additional 90 days, and then a further 90 days after that up to a maximum of 270 days in total (approximately 9 months).
Make sure that you use the official government websites for visa applications. There are many fake sites that will charge extra fees for your visa or not actually give you one at all.
For your convenience, here are the links to the relevant official sites:
First ETA Application: https://eta.gov.lk/slvisa/
ETA Extension: https://eservices.immigration.gov.lk/vs/home.php
We aim to keep this information as up-to-date as possible, but please be aware that Sri Lanka has a record of changing prices and requirements at quite short notice and without much publicity.
Getting Around:
Many visitors to Sri Lanka will book a tour with a driver to take them around the country and be available for use when needed. A search online or using social media will come up with many such agencies or individual drivers who can do this for you. Make sure you check out any relevant ratings or reviews before booking anyone, and don’t pay the full amount up front. The vast majority of drivers will ensure you get a great holiday, but there are, of course, a few bad apples around.
For taxis, Uber does operate in Sri Lanka, but most people use the similar local ‘Pick Me’ app. This can be used to book cars, tuk tuks or motor bikes for your journey. Do be aware, however, that in some popular tourist areas of Sri Lanka (in Galle, for example) the local tuk tuk drivers don’t always take kindly to having their business ‘stolen’ by Pick Me drivers. They are commonly known as the ‘tuk tuk mafia’ and can cause confrontations on occasions. As a result, your Pick Me driver may ask you to meet them away from popular sites where other drivers congregate.
There are many bus services around Sri Lanka (the dark red government buses and the more colourful private buses) and these often run on very long routes. Getting in and out of Colombo is usually pretty easy, but many routes run via hubs in places like Galle and Matara (in the south) and you may need 2 or 3 buses to reach your final destination if visiting certain less busy locations.
There are many train services out of Colombo, too, with both express services to many larger towns and slower services serving smaller towns. If you’re planning to travel on one of the popular scenic routes (such as between Kandy and Ella) you really need to book in advance – especially if you’re visiting in the high season (November to April). The best site to use for such journeys is:
seatreservation.railway.gov.lk
Poya Day Holidays (Full Moon):
Sri Lanka has more public holidays than any other country in the world. These generally only affect people in professional or official jobs such as government, banking, the courts etc. Most other businesses and shops will remain open.
The most significant of these holidays are Poya Days – marking the day of a full moon.
Every Poya Day is a holiday (on whatever day of the week it falls). The most significant thing you will notice is that all shops selling alcohol will be closed and hotels and bars are also not allowed to sell alcohol.
This rule will be ignored in many busy tourist areas, and the authorities often turn a blind eye to alcohol being sold to foreigners. Don’t always bank on this, however, and check in advance if you’re going somewhere fancy or to celebrate a special occasion and wish to be able to partake.
The same rules apply on holidays such as Christmas Day and Good Friday.
Different town and villages will occasionally hold a Perahera festival on or close to a particular Poya Day, involving lots of fancy costumes, music and dancing. They’re great fun!
Check with the locals to find out if one is being held near you during your stay.
These are the forthcoming Poya Days for the next few months:
Sun Oct 25th – Vap Poya
Tues Nov 24th – Ill Poya
Weds Dec 23rd – Unduwap Poya
Fri 22nd Jan – Duruthu Poya
Thurs 4th Feb – Independence Day
Sat 20th Feb – Navam Poya
Sun 21st March – Madim Poya