Sri Lanka makes the tourist visa free for Russians

Sri Lanka has made the tourist Electronic Travel Authorization free for citizens of Russia and 39 other countries. The new rules take effect from 25 May 2026.

This is not full visa-free entry. Russians still need to obtain an ETA in advance before travelling to Sri Lanka. The main change is that a fee is no longer charged for the tourist electronic authorisation.

Previously, Russian citizens also needed an ETA for a short tourist trip, but processing was paid. Now the procedure stays the same, while the cost for Russian tourists drops to zero.

The free tourist ETA is issued for 30 days and allows two entries into Sri Lanka. That means a traveller can enter the country, leave, and then return once more within the original validity period. On re-entry, a new 30-day period does not start: only the remainder of the already-issued term will be available.

If a trip needs to be extended beyond 30 days, a visa extension application can be filed. That service remains paid at standard rates.

An important nuance: ETA fees paid before 25 May 2026 will not be refunded.

Besides Russia, the list includes Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Canada, China, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the UAE, the UK, and the USA.

In practice, for Russian tourists this means one thing: a trip to Sri Lanka becomes a bit cheaper, but not entirely free of entry formalities. The ETA still needs to be obtained before departure — otherwise a problem could arise as early as check-in for the flight.