Short answer
You need an Electronic Travel Authorisation before you fly, and as of 28 October 2026 it costs a Pakistani passport holder nothing. The Department of Immigration and Emigration says that with effect from 25 May 2026, nationals of 40 listed countries, Pakistan among them, get a tourist ETA free of charge for 30 days, with double entry permitted inside those 30 days. Apply on the department’s own site, eta.gov.lk, before you travel.
Do Pakistanis need a visa to visit Sri Lanka?
Yes, in the sense that you need permission arranged before you fly. What changed in 2026 is the price, not the requirement. A Pakistani passport holder still has to hold an approved authorisation when they board.
What the department actually requires
The Department of Immigration and Emigration, based in Battaramulla, issues the Electronic Travel Authorisation. Its ETA information says most foreign nationals must obtain an ETA prior to their arrival in Sri Lanka. The department is the issuing authority, not a travel agency and not a booking site.
The same information page says the ETA requirement applies to all nationalities except nationals of the Maldives, Singapore and the Seychelles, who are exempt on the basis of reciprocity. Pakistan is not in that exempt group, so a Pakistani traveller applies.
Why the word free confuses people
An authorisation that costs nothing is still an authorisation. I see travellers read the word free, assume Sri Lanka is now a walk-in destination, and arrive at the airport in Lahore with nothing on their phone. The ETA has to exist before you check in. Free means no fee, not no application.
Where this sits among the easy trips
If you are choosing between short regional trips, read the entry rules side by side before you book anything. The Thailand visit visa guide, the Malaysia visit visa guide and the Dubai visit visa guide set out those routes for a Pakistani passport.
What exactly is the free 30-day ETA, and who gets it?
It is a tourist ETA issued at no charge to nationals of 40 listed countries for a stay of 30 days. Pakistan is one of the 40, and the concession covers ordinary passports, not only official ones.
The wording and the date
As of 28 October 2026, the department’s notice says that with effect from 25 May 2026, nationals of the following 40 countries are eligible to obtain a tourist visa (ETA) free of charge for a period of 30 days. Pakistan appears in that list. The notice says holders of diplomatic, official, service and ordinary passports of those countries qualify.
The list also covers India, China, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Gulf states and most of western Europe. Nationals of the Maldives, Singapore and the Seychelles are handled separately under bilateral agreements, and Maldivian nationals are shown as receiving 90 days rather than 30.
What the concession does not cover
- Business travel. The free concession is written for the tourist ETA. The business category keeps its own fee.
- Stays longer than 30 days. The department says applicants who have obtained a free visa and wish to remain beyond 30 days may apply for a visa extension upon payment of the applicable visa fee.
- Old payments. The notice says ETA fees paid prior to 25 May 2026 are non-refundable.
Read the date next to any figure
Sri Lanka has changed its visa arrangements more than once in recent years, and older government pages are still online with older fees on them. The fee table I am quoting carried a last update of 27 October 2026 when I checked it. A fee quoted to you without a date beside it is worth nothing, whoever is quoting it.
How does the double entry rule work?
The free tourist ETA allows two entries, but the 30 days run from your first arrival. The second entry gives you whatever is left of the 30 days, not a new 30.
What the department says
As of 28 October 2026, the department’s ETA information says double entry is permitted from the date of first arrival in Sri Lanka, and that on the second entry only the remaining balance of the 30 days is granted. The clock is tied to the first arrival stamp, not to each entry.
| What you do | Days used | What a second entry gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Enter on day 1, leave on day 10 | 10 of 30 | Up to 20 days remaining |
| Enter on day 1, leave on day 25 | 25 of 30 | Up to 5 days remaining |
| Enter on day 1, leave on day 30 | 30 of 30 | Nothing left on this ETA |
| Never leave, stay past day 30 | Overstay | Penalty on departure, not a new entry |
Who this actually affects
Two groups. The first is travellers combining Sri Lanka with the Maldives or India and returning to Colombo to fly home. The second is family visitors who go for a wedding, pop over somewhere for a few days, and come back expecting a fresh month. Plan the route before you apply, and count the days on a calendar rather than in your head.
What does a Sri Lanka trip cost in official fees?
For a Pakistani tourist, as of 28 October 2026, the authorisation itself is free. Fees appear in three other places: the business category, extensions, and overstay penalties.
The fee lines that still apply
The department’s ETA fee page lists a business ETA at USD 30 for South Asian countries when applied for in advance, and says the business category is not available on arrival. For countries outside the free list, it shows a tourist ETA at USD 20 online for South Asian countries and USD 25 on arrival, and USD 50 and USD 60 for other countries. Those tourist lines are the ones the 2026 concession has set aside for the 40 listed countries.
| Item | What the official pages show | Where you pay it |
|---|---|---|
| Tourist ETA, 30 days | Free of charge, with effect from 25 May 2026 | Nothing to pay |
| Business ETA, in advance | USD 30 for South Asian countries, not available on arrival | Official ETA site |
| Transit ETA | Free of charge, valid for 2 days only | Official ETA site |
| Child under 12, tourist | Free tourist ETA up to 30 days, any nationality | Nothing to pay |
| Extension, 31 to 90 days | USD 60 for any other country band | Inside Sri Lanka |
| Overstay, 8 to 14 days | USD 250 penalty plus the visa fee | Port of departure |
What an agent’s quote should show
- the category you are being applied for, tourist or business;
- the government fee, which for a Pakistani tourist ETA is currently zero;
- their own service charge, named separately and in writing;
- what is included beyond the form, such as tickets or hotel bookings;
- what happens to your money if the ETA is refused.
A single lump sum with no breakdown, for an application that the government is not charging for, is the clearest warning sign on this route. The work of filling a form has a value and can be charged for. Pretending the government is taking the money does not.
Which website is the real one?
The department’s general visa page names eta.gov.lk and tells applicants to visit it for more information. That is the address to type yourself rather than reach through a search advertisement.
What the official site does and does not do
The ETA site takes the application, records the approval and publishes the fee tables. It does not sell flights, hotels or insurance, and it does not offer a faster tier. The department also advises paying through its official website rather than leaving payment to the port of entry.
How look-alike sites make money
- They charge a service fee for a free government authorisation.
- They advertise above the official site on search results.
- They use names containing Sri Lanka visa or ETA with an official-looking design.
- They sell priority processing that the department does not offer.
The risk is not only the money. These sites collect passport data. If you have already used one, keep the receipt and the email, and watch for anyone later contacting you claiming to be the department.
What documents do you need?
The application itself is short. The file that matters is the one you carry to the airport, because immigration officers in both countries ask the same practical questions.
For the application
- Passport details. Name, number and nationality exactly as printed. A typed passport number is the most common reason an approval does not match a passport at the counter.
- Travel dates and purpose. Arrival date, length of stay and whether the trip is tourism or business.
- Address in Sri Lanka. The hotel or the relative’s address where you will stay.
For the airport
- the printed ETA approval notice;
- a confirmed return or onward ticket;
- accommodation bookings covering your nights in Sri Lanka;
- a recent bank statement in your own name showing ordinary activity;
- for employees, a letter confirming your job and approved leave;
- for business owners, registration papers such as an NTN certificate.
None of this is a published Sri Lankan checklist for tourists. It is the paperwork that answers the questions visitors are most often asked, and a file that answers them quickly is a file that moves quickly.
Family visits
If you are staying with relatives, carry their full address and phone number and a short invitation letter saying who you are, how long you will stay and who is paying. Where a relative is funding the trip, their bank statement and a one-page letter explaining it is worth more than a long explanation at the counter.
What happens at Sri Lankan immigration?
An officer checks the passport and the approval, asks about the trip and decides whether to admit you. The approval lets you travel. The entry and the permitted stay are granted at the counter.
The stamp is the decision
The department describes the stay period as set by the visa approval and the entry granted at the port. In practice the number of days you may remain is the one recorded when you are admitted. Read it before you leave the arrivals hall, and plan your departure against that date rather than against your own assumption of 30 days.
Questions to be ready for
- Why are you visiting, and for how many days?
- Where are you staying, and can you show the booking?
- When is your return flight?
- Who is paying for the trip?
- What work do you do in Pakistan?
- Do you have relatives or contacts in Sri Lanka?
Answer briefly and truthfully, and let the documents carry the weight. A traveller who says holiday but has no booking and no return ticket gives the officer a reason to look harder, whatever authorisation they hold.
Restricted nationals and arrival applications
The department’s general visa page says restricted nationals will not be able to apply for a tourist visa on arrival at the port of entry. It does not publish the restricted list on that page, and I am not going to guess at it. The safe reading for any Pakistani traveller is the simple one: apply online before you fly, and do not treat arrival as a fallback.
How do you extend a stay beyond 30 days?
You apply inside Sri Lanka, before your current stay expires, and you pay a fee based on your nationality. The department publishes both the structure and the amounts.
The structure
As of 28 October 2026, the department says a short term visit visa may be extended up to a maximum of 270 days from the date of arrival, in three consecutive instances: 30 days granted on entry, 60 days at the first extension, and 90 days for the second and third. Applications go to its head office or through its online extension portal.
The fees for a Pakistani passport
The visa fee page, last updated 27 October 2026, groups nationalities. For any other country except the USA, Singapore, Maldives, Seychelles and Czech Republic, which is the band a Pakistani passport falls into, it lists USD 60 for 31 to 90 days, USD 150 for 91 to 180 days and USD 200 for 181 to 270 days. The same page notes that if the tourist stays more than 30 days, the 30-day tourist visa should be extended.
Do it before it expires
An extension applied for in time is an administrative fee. A stay that has already run out is an overstay, with a penalty attached. The two cost very different amounts for the sake of a few days of attention.
What are the penalties for overstaying?
They are published, tiered and payable before you leave. The department records amendments made by gazette, and it also uses the overstay record against future applications.
The published tiers
As of 28 October 2026, the department records that Gazette 2337/10 of 21 June 2023 amended the overstay penalties. A person departing within seven days of expiry may pay the applicable visa fee at the port of departure without a penalty. An overstay running from eight to fourteen days carries a USD 250 penalty in addition to the visa fee. Beyond fourteen days the penalty is USD 500 plus the visa fee.
An older media release from 2021, issued under Extraordinary Gazette 2241/37, described a flat USD 500 penalty. That notice predates the 2023 amendment. If you see the flat figure quoted somewhere, check the date on the page it came from.
The part that lasts longer than the fine
The department warns that where an ETA is suspended because its records show a previous overstay, the ETA will not be granted until the overstay fine or levy is paid on arrival at the port of entry. A short overstay settled at the airport can still sit in the system and interrupt the next trip. Many visa forms, for Sri Lanka and elsewhere, also ask whether you have ever breached immigration rules in any country.
What happens at the Pakistani airport before you fly?
FIA immigration officers check that your passport and authorisation are genuine and valid, and they may ask about the trip. Visitors should carry a return ticket, accommodation details and proof of funds.
What FIA says it checks
FIA’s published FAQ lists these for visit visa travellers: a valid passport, a return ticket, a confirmed hotel booking with advance payment, and sufficient funds. Its Travellers’ Guide says officers ask questions to confirm identity and the authenticity of the passport and visa, and that a second officer re-checks the documents before the departure lounge.
If you are offloaded
FIA’s guide says the shift in-charge will personally tell an offloaded passenger the reasons. It also says that if the passport and visa are genuine and valid, with no apparent misdeclaration of facts, immigration staff are not authorised to offload a passenger. FIA’s helplines are 1991 and 051-111-345-786.
Work is a different route entirely
Under the Emigration Ordinance 1979, every Pakistani going abroad on a work visa must be protected by the Protector of Emigrants, and FIA lists a protector stamp among the documents for work visa travellers. A tourist ETA is not a work permission in any country, and a free tourist ETA is not an invitation to try. Study, visit and family travel are what this guide covers.
How do you apply, step by step?
The order below works for most Pakistani tourists and family visitors. Settle the purpose and the dates first, and the rest is short.
Settle the purpose and the length of the trip
Write down why you are going and for how many days. A holiday or family visit is a tourist ETA. Meetings and conferences are a business ETA, which is a separate category with its own fee. A stay longer than 30 days means planning an extension inside Sri Lanka before you fly.
Check the passport and the travel dates
Make sure your passport is valid well beyond your return date and has blank pages. Hold a return or onward ticket and an accommodation booking for the nights you will be in Sri Lanka, because these are the questions asked at both airports.
Apply on the official ETA website before you travel
Go to the Department of Immigration and Emigration’s own ETA site, eta.gov.lk, and complete the tourist ETA application. The department’s general visa page names that address as the official one. Enter your name and passport number exactly as printed in the passport.
Check that no fee is being charged for the tourist ETA
As of 28 October 2026, nationals of 40 countries including Pakistan get the tourist ETA free of charge for 30 days, with effect from 25 May 2026. If a website or an agent asks you for a Sri Lanka tourist ETA fee, stop and read the department’s own notice first.
Keep the approval and check every detail on it
When the approval notice arrives, compare the name, passport number and nationality with your passport. Print it and keep a copy on your phone. The approval is not the visa itself: the officer at the port of entry grants the entry and writes the permitted stay.
Travel with your file and leave inside your permitted stay
Carry the printed ETA approval, your return ticket, accommodation bookings and evidence of funds for FIA in Pakistan and for Sri Lankan immigration. If you need longer than the stay you were given, apply for an extension inside Sri Lanka before it expires, not after.
What goes wrong most often?
Paying a fee that no longer exists
This is the common one in 2026. The tourist ETA for a Pakistani passport is free of charge under the concession in force from 25 May 2026, and plenty of quotes still carry a government fee line. Ask which official page the figure comes from, and look at its date.
Assuming the second entry resets the 30 days
The department is explicit that only the remaining balance of the 30 days is granted on a second entry. A traveller who splits a trip with the Maldives and plans a long second leg in Sri Lanka is budgeting days that do not exist.
Treating free as meaning no application
No fee still means an approved authorisation before boarding. An airline will check. A traveller who arrives at the counter with nothing because they read the word free does not fly.
Letting the stay lapse rather than extending
An extension is USD 60 for the 31 to 90 day band for a Pakistani passport. An overstay beyond fourteen days is USD 500 plus the visa fee, and it goes on record. The gap between those two numbers is attention, not money.
Using a look-alike website
A paid third-party site can produce something that looks like an approval, charge for a free service and keep your passport data. Type the official address yourself and check it before entering anything.
A realistic example
This is a hypothetical illustration, not a real client. Hina and her parents live in Faisalabad. Her father is retired, and they want ten days in Colombo, Kandy and Ella in January.
- Five weeks before. They check all three passports. Her mother’s expires in four months, so she renews it before anything else is booked.
- Four weeks before. They hold refundable hotels for all ten nights and a return flight, and Hina gathers her bank statement and a leave letter from her employer.
- Three weeks before. Each of them applies for a tourist ETA on the department’s own site. Nothing is charged. Hina checks each passport number twice against the passport itself.
- The approvals arrive. She compares names, numbers and nationality on all three, prints them, and saves copies on her phone.
- Planning the days. They decide against a side trip to India, because leaving Sri Lanka would use their only second entry and give back only the balance of the 30 days.
- At both airports. They carry printed approvals, the tickets, hotel confirmations and the bank statement. Their answers match their papers. The officer in Colombo writes the permitted stay, and Hina reads it before leaving the hall.
Nothing in their file is clever. It tells one true story, and the trip cost them nothing in visa fees.
The version that goes wrong
Now imagine a cousin who books through a shop offering a Sri Lanka visa package for PKR 18,000, with a government fee line on the receipt. He pays for something the department is giving free, receives an approval he cannot verify, and is told he can extend on arrival as long as he likes. He stays 46 days. On departure he owes the applicable visa fee plus a USD 500 penalty for an overstay beyond fourteen days, and the overstay sits on the department’s record against his next application.
Key takeaways
- As of 28 October 2026, Pakistan is on Sri Lanka’s list of 40 countries that get a tourist ETA free of charge for 30 days, with effect from 25 May 2026.
- Free means no fee, not no application. You still need an approved ETA before you board.
- Double entry is permitted, but the 30 days run from the first arrival and a second entry gives only the balance.
- The business ETA is not covered by the concession, and the fee table shows USD 30 in advance for South Asian countries.
- Apply only on the Department of Immigration and Emigration’s own site, eta.gov.lk, and never pay a government fee that the department is not charging.
- Extensions for a Pakistani passport are USD 60 for 31 to 90 days, applied for inside Sri Lanka before the stay expires.
- Overstay penalties are USD 250 for eight to fourteen days and USD 500 beyond that, and an overstay record can block the next ETA.
Frequently asked questions
Do Pakistanis need a visa to visit Sri Lanka?
Yes, you need a travel authorisation before you fly, but as of 28 October 2026 the tourist ETA costs a Pakistani passport holder nothing. The Department of Immigration and Emigration says that with effect from 25 May 2026, nationals of 40 listed countries are eligible to obtain a tourist visa (ETA) free of charge for a period of 30 days. Pakistan is on that list.
How much is the Sri Lanka tourist ETA for a Pakistani passport?
Nothing, under the concession in force as of 28 October 2026. The free tourist ETA applies to holders of diplomatic, official, service and ordinary passports of the 40 listed countries, which include Pakistan. The department also says that ETA fees paid before 25 May 2026 are non-refundable, so do not expect a refund on an older application.
How long can I stay in Sri Lanka on the free ETA?
Thirty days. The department’s notice says the free tourist ETA is valid for 30 days for the 40 listed countries. Maldivian nationals get 90 days under a separate bilateral arrangement, which is why you may see a longer figure quoted. Your own permitted stay is what the officer writes at the port of entry, so read the stamp.
Can I enter Sri Lanka twice on the free ETA?
Yes. The department’s ETA information says double entry is permitted from the date of first arrival in Sri Lanka. The catch is that on the second entry you are granted only the remaining balance of the 30 days, not a fresh 30. If you enter on day one and leave on day 25, a second entry gives you five days.
What does a Sri Lanka business ETA cost for a Pakistani national?
The business category is not covered by the free tourist concession. As of 28 October 2026, the ETA fee table lists a business ETA at USD 30 for South Asian countries, applied for in advance, and says it is not available on arrival. Pakistan is a South Asian country for that table, so a business visitor should apply and pay before travelling.
Can I get a Sri Lanka visa on arrival instead of applying online?
Do not plan on it. The department’s general visa page says restricted nationals will not be able to apply for a tourist visa on arrival at the port of entry, and it does not publish the restricted list on that page. The ETA information also says most foreign nationals must obtain an ETA prior to their arrival. Apply online before you book non-refundable travel.
How do I extend a stay in Sri Lanka beyond 30 days?
You apply inside Sri Lanka, through the department’s own eServices portal or at its head office, before your current stay expires. The department says a short term visit visa may be extended up to a maximum of 270 days from the date of arrival, in three instances: 30 days on entry, 60 days at the first extension, and 90 days for the second and third.
What is the extension fee for a Pakistani passport holder?
As of 28 October 2026, the department’s visa fee page, last updated 27 October 2026, lists tourist extension fees by country group. For any other country except the USA, Singapore, Maldives, Seychelles and Czech Republic, it shows USD 60 for 31 to 90 days, USD 150 for 91 to 180 days and USD 200 for 181 to 270 days. Pakistan falls in that any other country band.
What happens if I overstay in Sri Lanka?
There are published penalties on top of the visa fee. The department records that Gazette 2337/10 of 21 June 2023 amended the overstay penalties: a person leaving within seven days of expiry may pay the applicable visa fee at the port of departure without a penalty, an overstay from eight to fourteen days carries a USD 250 penalty, and beyond fourteen days a USD 500 penalty.
Can an old overstay stop me getting an ETA now?
Yes. The department warns that if an ETA is suspended because its records show a previous overstay, the ETA will not be granted until the overstay fine or levy is paid on arrival at the port of entry. If you have an old Sri Lankan overstay on record, deal with it before you plan a trip, and do not assume the system has forgotten it.
Do children need their own ETA for Sri Lanka?
Yes, every traveller needs their own authorisation, but children are treated generously on fees. As of 28 October 2026, the ETA fee table says children of any nationality under 12 years of age are eligible for a free tourist ETA for up to 30 days, with extension fees based on nationality for longer stays. Apply for each child separately with their own passport details.
Can Ch. Bilal Rasheed help me with a Sri Lanka visit visa?
He offers a consultation in Lahore, on WhatsApp or by phone, with general guidance and an immigration advisor’s reading of any agent agreement or package you have been offered. No one can guarantee a visa or entry to Sri Lanka. He is an immigration advisor in Pakistan, not a Sri Lankan lawyer, and he does not offer job placement.
