Visa requirements for Sri Lankan citizens

Visa requirements for Sri Lankan citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Sri Lanka.

The front cover of a Sri Lankan passport issued since October 21, 2024

As of 2024, Sri Lankan citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 44 countries and territories, ranking the Sri Lankan passport 97th in the world according to the Henley Passport Index.^[1] This has hampered the ability of Sri Lankan business people to travel and connect with peers and maintain a globally competitive outlook.^[2]

Although Sri Lanka is an upper middle-income country, successive Sri Lankan governments have made little or no efforts to improve the standing of the passport.^[3][4][5] The Sri Lankan passport continues to rank in the bottom 10% of Henley's Annual Passport Rankings.^[6] Considering the extent of the Sri Lankan diaspora, a passport with wider access to the world could contribute to a more competitive and future-ready society.^[7]

Sri Lanka has limited personal or business contacts with the ASEAN, a region with which it shares significant historical and cultural relations. Within the SAARC region, the Sri Lankan government has made little effort to encourage religious tourism from countries such as Nepal and Bhutan.^[8] Sri Lanka and Thailand signed a Free Trade Agreement in February 2024, and agreed to enable visa-free travel.^[9]

Sri Lankans are unable to travel to Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Bangladesh and the Philippines, five of the world's most important markets, without a complex visa application process with a hefty visa fee.^[10] The inability to access the financial markets of Hong Kong has been especially detrimental to the growth of businesses in Sri Lanka.^[11]

Despite demands from citizens and civil society groups, Sri Lanka has largely been unsuccessful in expanding visa-free travel for its citizens.^[12] The Sri Lankan government has been able to negotiate visa-free travel to numerous countries for diplomatic and official passport holders, effectively developing a 2-tiered system that benefits state officials and politicians over ordinary citizens.^{[13][14][15][16]} Likewise, the Sri Lankan state spends millions on maintaining an extensive diplomatic service, which is said to bring little or no benefits to its citizens.^{[citation needed]}

In July 2024, Sri Lanka announced it will issue biometric passports to its citizens in order to address the poor standing of the passport.^[17] The process, however, has been delayed due to procurement inconsistencies.^[18] Most recently, Sri Lanka signed a visa waiver for diplomatic and official passport holders with Cambodia.^[19]

The Sri Lankan state has made statements from time to time that it wishes to enhance links within the Indian Ocean littoral but has largely struggled to convert these statements into reality.^[20] In 2023, the Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickramasinghe noted that Sri Lanka had applied for membership in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and is actively seeking to establish trade relations with countries in ASEAN.^[21]

Visa requirements map

Visa requirements for Sri Lankan citizens holding ordinary passports

  Sri Lanka

  Visa not required

  Visa on arrival

  eVisa

  Visa available both on arrival or online

  Visa required

Visa requirements

Country	Visa requirement	Allowed stay	Notes (excluding departure fees)
Afghanistan	Visa required[22]
Albania	eVisa[23][24]		Visa-free travel for a maximum stay of 90 days within any 180-day period for valid or previously used visa issued by a Schengen area country, the United States, or the United Kingdom.
Algeria	Visa required[25]
Andorra	Visa required[26]		Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry.
Angola	Visa required[27]
Antigua and Barbuda	eVisa[28][29]
Argentina	Visa required[30]
Armenia	Visa required[31]
Australia and territories	Visa required[32][33]		May apply online (Online Visitor e600 visa).
Austria	Visa required[34]
Azerbaijan	eVisa[35][36]	30 days
Bahamas	Visa not required[37]	3 months
Bahrain	eVisa / Visa on arrival[38]	14 days	Visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 14 days for those who hold a valid residency permit to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, who have already stayed for more than 6 months in their country of residence.
Bangladesh	Visa required[39]
Barbados	Visa not required[40]	6 months
Belarus	Visa required[41]
Belgium	Visa required[42]
Belize	Visa required[43]		Visa on arrival for US or Schengen visa holders.
Benin	eVisa[44][45]	30 days	Must have an International Vaccination Certificate.
Bhutan	eVisa[46][47]
Bolivia	Online Visa / Visa on arrival[48]	30 days[49]
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Visa required[50]		Multiple-entry visa (issued by a Schengen country, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland, Monaco, Romania, the United Kingdom or the United States) covers entry for a maximum stay of 30 days or until the visa expires. A maximum stay of 90 days within any 180-day period is permitted.[51]
Botswana	eVisa[52][53]	3 months
Brazil	Visa required[54]
Brunei	Visa required[55]
Bulgaria	Visa required[56]		Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry.
Burkina Faso	eVisa[57][58]
Burundi	Visa on arrival[59]	1 month	From December 2021, passengers of all countries that required visa, can now obtain a visa on arrival at Bujumbura International Airport and at all land borders.[60]
Cambodia	eVisa / Visa on arrival[61][62]	30 days
Cameroon	eVisa[63][64]
Canada	Visa required[65]
Cape Verde	Visa on arrival[66]
Central African Republic	Visa required[67]
Chad	Visa required[68]
Chile	Visa required[69]
China	Visa required[70]		24-hour visa-free transit through any international airports of China (except Ürümqi), allows domestic travel through different airports.[Note 1]
Colombia	Online Visa[72][73]
Comoros	Visa on arrival[74]	45 days
Republic of the Congo	Visa required[75]
Democratic Republic of the Congo	eVisa[76][77]	7 days
Costa Rica	Visa required[78]
Côte d'Ivoire	eVisa[79][80]	3 months	e-Visa holders must arrive via Port Bouet Airport.
Croatia	Visa required[81]		Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry.
Cuba	Visa required[82]
Cyprus	Visa required[83]
Czech Republic	Visa required[84]
Denmark	Visa required[85]
Djibouti	eVisa[86][87]	90 days
Dominica	Visa not required[88]	6 months
Dominican Republic	Visa required[89]
Ecuador	Visa required[90]
Egypt	Visa required[91]
El Salvador	Visa required[92]
Equatorial Guinea	eVisa[93][94]
Eritrea	Visa required[95]
Estonia	Visa required[96]
Eswatini	Visa required[97]
Ethiopia	eVisa[98][99]	90 days	e-Visa holders must arrive via Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.
Fiji	Visa required[100]
Finland	Visa required[101]
France	Visa required[102]
Gabon	eVisa[103][104]		e-Visa holders must arrive via Libreville International Airport.
Gambia	Visa not required[105]	90 days	Must obtain an entry clearance from Gambian Immigration prior to arrival.[106]
Georgia	Visa required[107][108]		e-Visa available for holders of a valid visa or residence permit from a Schengen area country, OECD member country, or a GCC country can travel to Georgia visa-free for a period of 90 days. Visitors obtain an entry visa stamp to Georgia on arrival. The GCC resident permit should be at least six-months old for Georgia visa exemption.
Germany	Visa required[109]
Ghana	Visa required[110]
Greece	Visa required[111]
Grenada	Visa not required[112]	3 months
Guatemala	Visa required[113]
Guinea	eVisa[114][115]	90 days
Guinea-Bissau	Visa on arrival[116]	90 days
Guyana	Visa required[117]
Haiti	Visa not required[118]	90 days
Honduras	Visa required[119]
Hungary	Visa required[120]
Iceland	Visa required[121]
India	eVisa[122][123]	30 days
Indonesia	eVisa[124]	60 days
Iran	eVisa[125][126]	30 days
Iraq	Visa required[127]
Ireland	Visa required[128]		Visa is issued free of charge.[129]
Israel	Visa required[130]
Italy	Visa required[131]
Jamaica	Visa required[132]
Japan	Visa required[133]
Jordan	Visa required[134]
Kazakhstan	eVisa[135][136]
Kenya	Electronic Travel Authorisation[137][138]	90 days	Applications can be submitted up to 90 days prior to travel and must be submitted at least 3 days in advance. eTA fee is USD 32.50. Proof of reservation at the hotel where visitors plan to stay is required (if staying with friends, an invitation letter is also acceptable). Yellow fever vaccination certificate is required if coming from endemic countries.
Kiribati	Visa not required[139]	90 days	90 days within any 12-month period.
North Korea	Visa required[140]
South Korea	Visa required[141]
Kuwait	Visa required[142]		GCC residents can apply for e-Visa if they have residency in one of the GCC countries (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Oman).
Kyrgyzstan	eVisa[143][144]	60 days
Laos	eVisa / Visa on arrival[145][146]	30 days
Latvia	Visa required[147]
Lebanon	Visa required[148]		In addition to a visa, approval should be obtained from the Immigration Department of the General Directorate of General Security (La Surete Generale).
Lesotho	Visa not required[149]	90 days
Liberia	Visa required[150]
Libya	eVisa[151][152]
Liechtenstein	Visa required[153]
Lithuania	Visa required[154]
Luxembourg	Visa required[155]
Madagascar	Visa on arrival[156]	60 days
Malawi	Visa not required[157]	30 days
Malaysia	eVisa[158][159]	30 days
Maldives	Free visa on arrival[160]	30 days
Mali	Visa required[161]
Malta	Visa required[162]
Marshall Islands	Visa required[163]
Mauritania	Visa on arrival[164]		Available at Nouakchott–Oumtounsy International Airport.
Mauritius	Visa on arrival[165]	60 days[166]
Mexico	Visa required[167]		Holders of a valid visa for Canada, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom or a Schengen area country may stay for a maximum of 180 days.
Micronesia	Visa not required[168]	30 days
Moldova	Visa required[169]		Citizens holding a residence permit or a valid visa issued by one of the member states of the European Union or one of the parties to the Schengen Agreement can apply for an electronic visa.[170]
Monaco	Visa required[171]
Mongolia	Visa required[172]
Montenegro	Visa required[173]		Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry for a maximum of 30 days.
Morocco	Visa required[174]
Mozambique	eVisa[175][176]	30 days	Upon arrival, the visa will be issued after payment of the fee at the point of entry.
Myanmar	eVisa[177][178]	28 days	e-Visa holders must arrive via Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw or Mandalay airports or via land border crossings with Thailand (Tachileik, Myawaddy and Kawthaung) or India (Rih Khaw Dar and Tamu). e-Visa is available for tourism only.
Namibia	Visa required[179]
Nauru	Visa required[180]
Nepal	Online Visa / Visa on arrival[181]	90 days[182]
Netherlands	Visa required[183]
New Zealand and territories	Visa required[184]		Holders of an Australian Permanent Resident Visa or Resident Return Visa may be granted a New Zealand Resident Visa on arrival permitting indefinite stay (pursuant to the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement), subject to meeting character requirements and obtaining Electronic Travel Authorization prior to departure.[185]
Nicaragua	Visa required[186]
Niger	Visa required[187]
Nigeria	eVisa[188][189]	90 days
North Macedonia	Visa required[190]		Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry for a maximum of 15 days and at least five more days than the stay.
Norway	Visa required[191]
Oman	Visa required[192]		Foreigners residing in GCC countries may obtain a visa on arrival in Oman. Entry visas are issued to residents of any GCC country who arrive directly from any GCC country. Restrictions apply to non-degree related professions (e.g., labourers, carpenters). Entry visas are also granted to members of the resident's family as long as they enter together.
Pakistan	ETA / Online Visa[193][194]	30 days / 3 months	Pakistan e-Visa fee is free.[195] Electronic Travel Authorization to obtain a visa on arrival for business and tourism purposes.[196][197]
Palau	Free visa on arrival[198]	30 days
Panama	Visa required[199]
Papua New Guinea	eVisa[200][201]	60 days	Visitors may apply for a visa online under the "Tourist - Own Itinerary" category.
Paraguay	Visa required[202]
Peru	Visa required[203]
Philippines	Visa required[204]
Poland	Visa required[205]
Portugal	Visa required[206]
Qatar	eVisa[207][208]		Visitors may apply for a visa on the Hayya website.
Romania	Visa required[209]		Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry.
Russia	Visa required[210]
Rwanda	Visa not required[211]	30 days
Saint Kitts and Nevis	Visa not required[212]	3 months
Saint Lucia	Visa required[213]
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Visa not required[214]	3 month
Samoa	Visa not required[215]	60 days
San Marino	Visa required[216]
São Tomé and Príncipe	eVisa[217][218]
Saudi Arabia	Visa required[219]
Senegal	Visa required[220]
Serbia	Visa required[221]		Visa-free travel for a maximum stay of 90 days for valid visa holders or residents of the European Union or the United States.
Seychelles	Electronic Border System[222][223]	3 months	Application can be submitted up to 30 days before travel. Visitors must upload a reservation confirmation(s) for each visitor's location of stay in Seychelles. Yellow fever vaccination certificate is required if coming from endemic countries. Payment of the fee (EUR 10) by credit or debit card. Valid for one journey only and it expires once exit the country.
Sierra Leone	Free visa on arrival[224]	30 days
Singapore	Visa not required[225]	30 days
Slovakia	Visa required[226]
Slovenia	Visa required[227]
Solomon Islands	Visa required[228]
Somalia	Visa on arrival[229]	30 days	Available at Bosaso Airport, Galcaio Airport and Mogadishu Airport.
South Africa	Visa required[230]
South Sudan	eVisa[231][232]		Obtainable online. Printed visa authorization must be presented at the time of travel.
Spain	Visa required[233]
Sudan	Visa required[234]
Suriname	eVisa[235][236]
Sweden	Visa required[237]
Switzerland	Visa required[238]
Syria	Visa required[239]
Tajikistan	Visa not required[240][241]	30 days
Tanzania	eVisa[242]
Thailand	Visa not required[243]	60 days
Timor-Leste	Visa on arrival[244]	30 days
Togo	eVisa[245][246]	15 days
Tonga	Visa required[247]
Trinidad and Tobago	Visa required[248]
Tunisia	Visa required[249]
Turkey	Visa required[250]		Conditional eVisa. Maximum stay of 30 days for valid visa holders or residents of the European Union or the United States.
Turkmenistan	Visa required[251]
Tuvalu	Visa on arrival[252]	1 month
Uganda	eVisa[253][254]	3 months
Ukraine	Visa required[255]
United Arab Emirates	Visa required[256]		May apply using 'Smart service'.[257]
United Kingdom	Visa required[258]
United States and territories	Visa required[259]
Uruguay	Visa required[260]
Uzbekistan	eVisa[261][262]	30 days	5-day visa-free transit at the international airports if holding a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country.[263]
Vanuatu	Visa not required[264]	30 days
Vatican City	Visa required[265]
Venezuela	Visa not required[266]	90 days	According to IATA, Sri Lankan citizens can visit Venezuela without a visa for up to 90 days, but it is unclear if this is the case.
Vietnam	eVisa[267][268]		e-Visa is valid for up to 90 days with single or multiple entries. Prearranged visa obtained online through travel agencies available at Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Da Nang airports. Phú Quốc without a visa for up to 30 days.
Yemen	Visa required[269]
Zambia	eVisa[270][271]	90 days
Zimbabwe	eVisa[272][273]	3 months

Dependent, Disputed, or Restricted territories

Unrecognized or partially recognized countries

Countries	Conditions of access	Notes
Abkhazia	Visa required[274]
Kosovo	Visa required[275]	Do not need a visa—a holder of a valid biometric residence permit issued by one of the Schengen member states or a valid multi-entry Schengen Visa, a holder of a valid Laissez-Passer issued by United Nations Organizations, NATO, OSCE, Council of Europe or European Union a holder of a valid travel documents issued by EU Member and Schengen States, United States of America, Canada, Australia and Japan based on the 1951 Convention on Refugee Status or the 1954 Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons, as well as holders of valid travel documents for foreigners (maximum 15 days stay).[276]
Northern Cyprus	Visa not required[277]
Palestine	Visa required[278]	Arrival by sea to Gaza Strip not allowed.[279]
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic		Undefined visa regime in the Western Sahara controlled territory.
Somaliland	Visa on arrival	30 days for US$30, payable on arrival.[280][281]
South Ossetia	Visa not required[282]	Multiple-entry visa to Russia and three-day prior notification are required to enter South Ossetia.[283][284]
Taiwan	Visa required[285][286]
Transnistria	Visa not required[287]	Registration required after 24 hours.[288][289]

Dependent and autonomous territories

Country	Conditions of access	Notes
China
Hong Kong	eVisa[290]
Macau	Visa required[291][292]
Denmark
Faroe Islands	Visa required
Greenland	Visa required
Netherlands
Aruba	Visa required[293]
Caribbean Netherlands	Visa required[294]	Includes Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
Curaçao	Visa required[295]
Sint Maarten	Visa required[296]
France
French Guiana	Visa required[297]
French Polynesia	Visa required[298]
French West Indies	Visa required[299]	Includes overseas departments of Guadeloupe and Martinique and overseas collectivities of Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy
Mayotte	Visa required[300]
New Caledonia	Visa required[301]
Réunion	Visa required[302]
Saint Pierre and Miquelon	Visa required[303]
Wallis and Futuna	Visa required
New Zealand
Cook Islands	Visa not required[304]	31 days
Niue	Visa not required[305]	30 days
Tokelau	Visa required[306]
United Kingdom
Anguilla	Visa required[307]
Bermuda	Visa not required[308]
British Virgin Islands	Visa not required[309]
Cayman Islands	Visa not required[310]
Falkland Islands	Visa required[311]
Gibraltar	Visa required[312]	Visa exemptions for holders of a valid UK multiple-entry visa or EU family residence permit
Guernsey	Visa not required
Isle of Man	Visa required[313]
Jersey	Visa required[314]
Montserrat	Visa not required[315]
Saint Helena	eVisa[316]

Passport validity

Many countries require passport validity of no less than 6 months and one or two blank pages.^[317]

General limitations on passport use

Visitors holding an Israeli passport or any passports showing evidence of travelling to Israel are not allowed to enter some countries due to the Arab League boycott of Israel. Some Arab League countries refuse entry to travelers whose passport shows evidence of entry into Israel or hold an unused Israeli visa.

Criminal record

Some countries (e.g., Canada and the United States^[318]) routinely deny entry to non-citizens who have a criminal record.

Blank passport pages

Many countries require the passport presented to have a minimum number (generally one or two) blank pages.^[319] Endorsement pages, which often appear after the visa pages, are not counted toward the minimum number.

Persona Non Grata

The government of a country can declare a diplomat persona non grata, banning their entry into that country. In non-diplomatic use, the authorities of a country may also declare a foreigner persona non grata permanently or temporarily, usually because of unlawful activity. Attempts to enter the Gaza Strip by sea may attract a 10-year ban on entering Israel.^[320]

Fingerprinting

Several countries including Afghanistan, Argentina, Cambodia, China (applies for ages 14 to 70), Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States demand all passengers to be fingerprinted on arrival.^{[321][322][323][324][325][326][327]}

Additionally, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar conduct iris scanning on arrival and on visitors that need to apply for a UAE visa.^[328][329]

See also

• Sri Lanka portal

• Visa policy of Sri Lanka
• Sri Lankan passport
• Foreign relations of Sri Lanka