Sri Lanka Visa for Icelandic citizens

Any resident of the “Land of Ice & Fire” can have a desire to see something else, except for the wonderful winter landscapes of his native land. Since 2012, every Icelander has the opportunity to get in touch with the centuries-old culture of Ceylon island! Getting a Sri Lanka visa for Icelandic citizens using the eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization) system is an easy and quick procedure!

How to apply for an electronic visa to Sri Lanka?

An electronic visa permit is issued in advance, before traveling to Sri Lanka, on-line at https://visa-sri-lanka.com.

The application for eTA is filled out only in English, and it is necessary to answer all questions marked with an asterisk in the online form.

The application must include the name and surname of the tourist, the purpose of the visit to Sri Lanka, date of birth, passport number, travel date, name, and address of the hotel or host country.

The form you filled out is automatically sent to the Sri Lanka Immigration Service. In online mode, you can track the status of the application by indicating its number, which is assigned after filling out it.

If the application number is lost, you can enter the passport number and citizenship of the applicant. The waiting period for a response to your application is from 1 hour to 72 hours.

What is the purpose of applying for an eTA in Sri Lanka?

eTA can be obtained if the purpose of your trip is:

• tourism (vacation, visiting attractions, visiting friends and relatives, treatment, yoga, Ayurveda, participating in sports or cultural events);
• business visits (conferences and seminars, business meetings and negotiations, short training courses, religious events, as well as events related to art or music);
• transit.

How to use eTA when arriving in Sri Lanka?

When crossing the border, the following documents must be presented:

• a passport valid for at least six months from the end of the trip
• a migration card filled out in English, which is issued either on an airplane or immediately before passport control at Bandaranaike Colombo Airport
• printout of electronic visa confirmation (eTA)
• return ticket with a fixed date of departure

Can I extend my electronic visa?

An eTA visa can be extended directly from Sri Lanka. Tourist visas valid for 30 days can be extended twice: for 2 months, and then for another three months. In total, the validity of a visa cannot exceed six months.

It is possible to extend a visa right away for 3-5 months only for valid reasons, for example, a serious illness of a tourist, as a result of which it cannot be transported to the homeland until the end of treatment.

What do tourists need to know about the weather and seasons in Sri Lanka?

From May to October, during the rainy season, determined by the southwest monsoon, it will be rather unpleasant to rest in the south and west of the Ceylon island.

And it is here that the most famous resorts and beaches of Sri Lanka are located – these are Hikkaduwa, Matara, Mirissa, Unawatuna, Tangale and others.

But in the winter, from November to April, when there is snow on the territory of Iceland, and in Istanbul, it is already pretty cool, the best time for a beach holiday comes on the south-west coast of Sri Lanka, the high tourist season begins.

It is always sunny at this time, the waves are calm and the ocean is clean.

From May to September, the northeast coast of the Bay of Bengal awaits guests to relax on the less crowded, but clean and untouched beaches of Sri Lanka in the eastern part of the country.

For example, in Batticaloa. The ideal time to relax in the east of Sri Lanka in August. And from September to April it will be windy here, and the waves in the ocean will be strong and difficult to swim.

The exception is the resorts of Trincomalee and Pasikuda on the east coast of Sri Lanka – it is good to relax here from March to August.

Thus, most of the tourists can safely go to Sri Lanka in the winter season, and it is better in December and January for the New Year when the weather is finally established and it will be sunny and warm.

Moreover, at the beginning of the year, it is good to relax in Sri Lanka, not only on the coast but also in the jungle.