Before entering to Sri Lanka, make sure to get your visa and all Holiday or Business travelers to Sri Lanka must have Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). Go to ETA official website and fill out the form and pay a fee. The permit for entering the country will be sent to your email within 24 hours.
Visa is valid for 30 days since the day of entry, but you can always extend for additional 60 days if you want to stay longer. You’ll need to visit Immigration and Emigration Department in Colombo to extend your visa.
Department of Immigration and Emigration
Ananda Rajakaruna Mawatha,
Maradana,
Colombo 10.
Tel: +94-11-5329000 / +94-11-5329316/20/21/25
www.immigration.gov.lk
You are allowed to bring into the country duty free 1.5 litres of spirits, two bottles of wine, a quarter-litre of toilet water, and a small quantity of perfume and souvenirs with a value not exceeding US $250.
There is no duty free allowance for tobacco products. You must declare valuable items such as cameras and laptops on arrival and must take these out of the country again when you leave. Non-prescription drugs and pornography are banned from importation into the country.
No inoculations are compulsory unless you are coming from a yellow fever or cholera area. However, the following vaccinations are recommended if you plan a long trip or intend visiting remote areas:
Typhoid (monovalent), Polio, Tetanus, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Rabies
Children should be protected against diphtheria, whooping cough, mumps, measles, rubella
Remember to plan well ahead with vaccinations. Allow up to six weeks to receive the full course, for some vaccinations require more than one dose, and some should not be given together.
The risk of malaria exists throughout the whole country apart from the districts of Colombo, Kalutara and Nuwara Eliya. Medication has to start one week prior to travel, continue during the trip, and finish four weeks after your return.
The local currency is the Sri Lankan Rupee, divided into 100 cents (you rarely come across scents today). Currency notes are Rs.5,000, Rs2,000, Rs1,000, Rs500, Rs100, Rs50, Rs20 and Rs10. Beware of mistaking the Rs500 note for the somewhat similar Rs100 one. To check whether notes are genuine when not given at a bank, look for a lion watermark. Coins, should you have receive them, will be in denominations up to Rs10.
Make sure you have plenty of lower denomination notes (Rs50, Rs100, Rs500), especially when travelling and you need to buy small items, fruit, and eat cheap meals, because change is often hard to come by apart from at hotels and big shops.
Consider buying a Sri Lankan SIM card for your mobile phone – Sri Lankan mobile phone call rates are relatively cheap, both for local and international calls. There is a Dialog GSM shop outside airport arrivals, or we can pre-purchase a SIM card for you if you let us know in advance.
WiFi can usually be found in most hotels, restaurants and cafes in Sri Lanka although the speed and security of the connections can vary. Internet cafes can also be found throughout the country.
Banks are open from 0900 hrs to 1300 hours Monday to Friday. Some city banks close at 1500 hrs, while some are open on Saturday mornings. It.s easy to withdraw money across the island at ATMs using international credit cards or debit card
Most hotels, restaurants and shopping centres accept credit cards. Some establishments may try to add a surcharge, which is illegal.
Sri Lanka uses a range of sockets, including European and UK plug styles, so an international travel adapter may come in useful. Specialized Sri Lankan adaptors can be bought in major hotels and many shops.
Standard voltage in Sri Lanka is 230 V, standard frequency 50Hz. D, M, and G type of power sockets are used throughout the country (the plug either has three round pins or three rectangular blades). If you travel with a laptop computer bring a stabilizer.
The weather in Sri Lanka is not defined by seasons, but by monsoons. The southwest of Sri Lanka is hit by monsoon from April to September, while the northeast – from November to March. Any time of the year there are areas in the country where it’s not raining and you can enjoy your vacation.
The temperature stays consistent throughout the year at 26-30 C (78-86 F), but might go up even higher in the hottest months around April-May. The temperature goes down once you reach the Hill country.
Please ask permission before taking photographs of people and respect their wishes if they refuse. Minority groups in particular are often unhappy to have their photo taken. Photographing Buddhist Monks is not taboo but can create awkwardness, so assess the situation and if in doubt ask. Many will also expect a token recompense for allowing themselves to be photographed but we do not recommend.
There are some important restrictions that apply to photography regarding Buddhist imagery. When you visit a temple or other religious site, remember that photography should not be carried out in a manner causing disrespect. For instance, it is strictly forbidden to be photographed in front of or beside any statues and murals. Note that flash photography can damage old murals.
Tourists who wish to visit and or photograph the principal ancient monuments in Sri Lanka are required to purchase a ticket from the Central Cultural Fund
Central Cultural Fund
212/1, Bauddhaloka Mawatha,
Colombo-07
Tel: +94-11-2587912 / +94-11-2500733 / +94-11-2581944
gen_ccf@sri.lanka.net
Central Cultural Fund offices at Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya and Kandy.
A single round ticket for two months validity costs US$50 and will entitle you to visit and photograph historic monuments such as Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, Nalanda, Ritigala, Medirigiriya. There are separate charges at each site for those who do not obtain round tickets: Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Sigiriya US$25, Nalanda US$5, Ritigala US$8, Medirigiriya US$5.
No inoculations are compulsory unless you are coming from a yellow fever or cholera area. However, the following vaccinations are recommended if you plan a long trip or intend visiting remote areas:
Typhoid (monovalent), Polio, Tetanus, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Rabies
Children should be protected against diphtheria, whooping cough, mumps, measles, rubella
Remember to plan well ahead with vaccinations. Allow up to six weeks to receive the full course, for some vaccinations require more than one dose, and some should not be given together.
The risk of malaria exists throughout the whole country apart from the districts of Colombo, Kalutara and Nuwara Eliya. Medication has to start one week prior to travel, continue during the trip, and finish four weeks after your return.
The local currency is the Sri Lankan Rupee, divided into 100 cents (you rarely come across scents today). Currency notes are Rs.5,000, Rs2,000, Rs1,000, Rs500, Rs100, Rs50, Rs20 and Rs10. Beware of mistaking the Rs500 note for the somewhat similar Rs100 one. To check whether notes are genuine when not given at a bank, look for a lion watermark. Coins, should you have receive them, will be in denominations up to Rs10.
Make sure you have plenty of lower denomination notes (Rs50, Rs100, Rs500), especially when travelling and you need to buy small items, fruit, and eat cheap meals, because change is often hard to come by apart from at hotels and big shops.
Consider buying a Sri Lankan SIM card for your mobile phone – Sri Lankan mobile phone call rates are relatively cheap, both for local and international calls. There is a Dialog GSM shop outside airport arrivals, or we can pre-purchase a SIM card for you if you let us know in advance.
WiFi can usually be found in most hotels, restaurants and cafes in Sri Lanka although the speed and security of the connections can vary. Internet cafes can also be found throughout the country.
Banks are open from 0900 hrs to 1300 hours Monday to Friday. Some city banks close at 1500 hrs, while some are open on Saturday mornings. It.s easy to withdraw money across the island at ATMs using international credit cards or debit card
Most hotels, restaurants and shopping centres accept credit cards. Some establishments may try to add a surcharge, which is illegal.
Sri Lanka uses a range of sockets, including European and UK plug styles, so an international travel adapter may come in useful. Specialized Sri Lankan adaptors can be bought in major hotels and many shops.
Standard voltage in Sri Lanka is 230 V, standard frequency 50Hz. D, M, and G type of power sockets are used throughout the country (the plug either has three round pins or three rectangular blades). If you travel with a laptop computer bring a stabilizer.
The weather in Sri Lanka is not defined by seasons, but by monsoons. The southwest of Sri Lanka is hit by monsoon from April to September, while the northeast – from November to March. Any time of the year there are areas in the country where it’s not raining and you can enjoy your vacation.
The temperature stays consistent throughout the year at 26-30 C (78-86 F), but might go up even higher in the hottest months around April-May. The temperature goes down once you reach the Hill country.
Please ask permission before taking photographs of people and respect their wishes if they refuse. Minority groups in particular are often unhappy to have their photo taken. Photographing Buddhist Monks is not taboo but can create awkwardness, so assess the situation and if in doubt ask. Many will also expect a token recompense for allowing themselves to be photographed but we do not recommend.
There are some important restrictions that apply to photography regarding Buddhist imagery. When you visit a temple or other religious site, remember that photography should not be carried out in a manner causing disrespect. For instance, it is strictly forbidden to be photographed in front of or beside any statues and murals. Note that flash photography can damage old murals.
