Sri Lanka visit visa for Pakistan passport holders

Sri Lanka is one of the simplest trips from Pakistan. Since 25 May 2026, the official ETA site of Sri Lanka's Department of Immigration and Emigration has listed Pakistan among 40 countries whose nationals can get a tourist visa (ETA) free of charge for 30 days. The same list includes India, Nepal, Malaysia, the UAE and the UK. The ETA, or Electronic Travel Authorization, is still required. Free does not mean visa-free. You apply online at eta.gov.lk before travelling and arrive with the approval linked to your passport.

The free tourist ETA gives a stay of 30 days with a double-entry facility. You can leave Sri Lanka during those 30 days, for example for a short hop to the Maldives, and come back once on the same ETA. An ETA itself is valid for 6 months. You cannot get a second ETA on the same passport while one is still valid, so check your dates before applying and avoid applying twice by mistake. Children under 12 of any nationality also get a free 30-day tourist ETA.

The fee waiver covers tourism only. The ETA fee table lists a business visa at US$30 for South Asian countries, including Pakistan, when you apply yourself, at a Sri Lankan mission or at the head office. So if you are going for meetings, a trade fair or other work-related visits, choose the business category and expect to pay. A transit visa for up to 2 days is free for everyone. Use only the government site. Agent sites that charge a service fee for a tourist ETA that is free for Pakistanis are not part of the official system.

Staying longer than 30 days is possible, but it is not free. The Department of Immigration and Emigration says short-term extensions beyond 30 days are applied for online through its e-services portal after you arrive in Sri Lanka. The extension fee depends on your nationality and the length of the extension, and the department's fee schedule sets it. Apply before your 30 days end, as staying past your permitted period without an extension is an overstay.

The ETA application asks for your passport details and travel plans, including where you will stay. The department does not publish a fixed processing time, so apply a few days before you fly rather than at the airport. On arrival, immigration officers may ask for your return or onward ticket, your hotel booking and evidence that you can pay for your stay. Keep these on your phone or printed in your hand luggage. Sri Lanka does not publish an ETA refusal rate for Pakistani travellers.