Do you need a visa for Sri Lanka with an American passport?
Electronic authorisation (eTA)
With an American passport, Sri Lanka requires an electronic travel authorisation, obtained online before departure, for a stay of up to 30 days.
Rule checked on 18 October 2026
Data last updated on 18/10/2026
Sources: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), visualpharm (MIT), xpressmike (CC BY-SA 4.0), VisaMundial (CC BY 4.0). Each rule is decided by majority vote across these sources; disagreements are arbitrated against official government sources.
This is for guidance only: entry rules change without notice. Confirm it before you travel with the consulate or embassy of your destination, and with the relevant authorities (your airline, border police).
Climate & seasons
When to go to Sri Lanka?
Monthly averages over the past 5 years (Open-Meteo).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our take | ||||||||||||
| Weather | ||||||||||||
| High | 22° | 23° | 25° | 26° | 25° | 24° | 24° | 25° | 24° | 24° | 23° | 23° |
| Rain (mm) | 288 | 107 | 100 | 206 | 250 | 93 | 133 | 148 | 122 | 332 | 580 | 254 |
Frequently asked questions
- How long can you stay in Sri Lanka with an American passport?
- With an American passport, the permitted stay in Sri Lanka is up to 30 days under the “electronic authorisation (eta)” regime. Checked on 18 October 2026.
- What do you need to do before travelling to Sri Lanka?
- With an American passport, Sri Lanka requires an electronic travel authorisation, obtained online before departure.
- Where does this information come from, and is it up to date?
- It is the majority vote of four open datasets (Wikipedia, visualpharm, xpressmike, VisaMundial), re-synchronised every month; last checked on 18 October 2026. Entry rules change without notice: confirm with the consulate before you travel.
The same destination with another passport
Plan your trip to Sri Lanka
Budget, itineraries, seasons and places to see: our full destination guide.
Sri Lanka by train: from the tea plantations to the south coast