BENGALURU: I travelled to Sri Lanka last June for a week of solo travelling and I must say it was an incredible experience! Sri Lanka is a gorgeous island replete with stunning natural beauty, vibrant people and remarkable gastronomic delights . The best part however, is that you don’t have to spend a fortune to vacation here . For a budget conscious traveller looking to get lost in the midst of the sun and the sand, mountains and forests, Sri Lanka is an ideal getaway.
Here’s what you need to know about the visa application procedure. Obtaining a visa doesn’t get easier than this. An online Electronic Travel Authorization is all that you need to enter this pretty island! Just go to www.eta.gov.lk/slvisa, click on the ‘Apply’ button and fill out a short online form about your contact, passport and your travel details.
Next fill out your payment details. If you belong to any of the SAARC countries( ie, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Afghanistan, Maldives), you need to pay $15 for a tourist visa which lets you stay upto 30 days in Sri Lanka. If you are from any other country you pay $30. No fees are charged for children below 12 years of age. The final step is to click on the ETA confirmation button. You get an immediate acknowledgement mail in your inbox from the SL Dept of Immigration. Ideally, you get the ETA approval mail within 24 hours of this acknowledgement. With my kind of luck, I got in just 20 minutes!