Sri Lanka to Re-open Electronic Travel Authorization Service at Airport for Travelers

The Sri Lankan government on Friday said it has decided to re-open the on-arrival Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) service at its airports to fully vaccinated international travelers, local media reported.

Sri Lanka's Immigration and Emigration Department Controller General Sarath Rupasiri said the issuance of on-arrival ETA would facilitate tourists who were unable to obtain an online ETA due to time constraints in arranging their journey to Sri Lanka.

Rupasiri said the facility would be available at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake and the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport in Hambantota, in southern Sri Lanka.

However, despite the facility, the controller general advised travel operators to encourage incoming tourists to obtain the online ETA prior to their arrival in the country to avoid unnecessary delays at the airport.

Sri Lanka saw the highest tourist arrivals growth in September with 13,547 arrivals while the country recorded 37,000 tourists from January to September.