Visa requirements for Sri Lankan citizens

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The front cover of a Sri Lankan passport issued since October 21, 2024

Visa requirements for Sri Lankan citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Sri Lanka.

As of 2026, Sri Lankan citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 39 countries and territories, ranking the Sri Lankan passport 93rd in the world according to the Henley Passport Index.[1] This has hampered the ability of Sri Lankan business people to travel and connect with peers and maintain a globally competitive outlook.[2]

Although Sri Lanka is an upper middle-income country, successive Sri Lankan governments have made little or no efforts to improve the standing of the passport.[3][4][5] The Sri Lankan passport continues to rank in the bottom 10% of Henley's Annual Passport Rankings.[6]

Sri Lanka has limited personal or business contacts with the ASEAN, a region with which it shares significant historical and cultural relations. Within the SAARC region, the Sri Lankan government has made little effort to encourage religious tourism from countries such as Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan.[7]

Sri Lanka and Thailand signed a Free Trade Agreement in February 2024, and agreed to enable visa-free travel.[8]

Sri Lankans are unable to travel to Hong Kong, India (e-Visa), China, Indonesia, Bangladesh and the Philippines, six of the world's most important markets, without a complex visa application process with a hefty visa fee.[9]

The inability to access the financial markets of Hong Kong has been especially detrimental to the growth of businesses in Sri Lanka.[10]

Sri Lanka is also one of the very few countries that requires an electronic visa for Malaysia. [3]

It is also one of a handful of countries that requires a visa to transit through major airports in the Schengen Area, UK, Canada, USA, and Colombia. [4][11]

Despite demands from citizens and civil society groups, Sri Lanka has largely been unsuccessful in expanding visa-free travel for its citizens.[12]

In July 2024, Sri Lanka announced it will issue biometric passports to its citizens in order to address the poor standing of the passport.[13] The process, however, has been delayed due to procurement inconsistencies.[14]

The Sri Lankan state has made statements from time to time that it wishes to enhance links within the Indian Ocean littoral but has largely struggled to convert these statements into reality.[15]

Visa requirements for Sri Lankan citizens holding ordinary passports
  Sri Lanka
  Visa not required
  Visa on arrival
  eVisa
  Visa available both on arrival or online
  Visa required

Visa requirements

Dependent, Disputed, or Restricted territories

Unrecognized or partially recognized countries
Countries Conditions of access Notes
Abkhazia Visa required[305]
  • Tourists from all countries (except Georgia) can visit Abkhazia for a period not exceeding 24 hours as part of an organized tourist group.
Kosovo Visa required[306]
  • Do not need a visa—a holder of a valid biometric residence permit issued by one of the Schengen member states or a valid multi-entry Schengen Visa, a holder of a valid Laissez-Passer issued by United Nations Organizations, NATO, OSCE, Council of Europe or European Union a holder of a valid travel documents issued by EU Member and Schengen States, United States of America, Canada, Australia and Japan based on the 1951 Convention on Refugee Status or the 1954 Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons, as well as holders of valid travel documents for foreigners (maximum 15 days stay).[307]
Northern Cyprus Visa not required[308]
Palestine Visa required[309]
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Somaliland Visa required[311]
South Ossetia Visa required
  • To enter South Ossetia, visitors must have a multiple-entry visa for Russia and register their stay with the Migration Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs within 3 days.[312][313]
Taiwan Visa required[314][315]
Transnistria Visa not required[316]
Dependent and autonomous territories
Country Conditions of access Notes
China
Hong Kong eVisa[319][320]
Macau Visa required[321]
  • Visitors must obtain a visa in advance through the Chinese diplomatic mission.[322]
Denmark
Faroe Islands Visa required
Greenland Visa required
Netherlands
Aruba Visa required[323]
Netherlands Caribbean Netherlands Visa required[324]
Curaçao Visa required[325]
Sint Maarten Visa required[326]
France
French Guiana Visa required[327]
French Polynesia Visa required[328]
France French West Indies Visa required[329]
Mayotte Visa required[330]
New Caledonia Visa required[331]
Réunion Visa required[332]
Saint Pierre and Miquelon Visa required[333]
Wallis and Futuna Visa required
New Zealand
Cook Islands Visa not required[334]
  • 31 days
Niue Visa not required[335]
  • 30 days
Tokelau Visa required[336]
United Kingdom
Anguilla eVisa[337][338]
Ascension Island eVisa[339][340]
  • 3 months within any year.
Bermuda Visa not required[341]
British Virgin Islands Visa not required[342]
Cayman Islands Visa not required[343]
Falkland Islands Visa required[344]
Gibraltar Visa required[345]
  • Visa exemptions for holders of a valid UK multiple-entry visa or EU family residence permit.
Guernsey Visa not required
Isle of Man Visa required[346]
Jersey Visa required[347]
Montserrat Visa not required[348]
Saint Helena eVisa[349]
South Atlantic and Antarctica
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Permit required
Antarctica Special permits required

Passport validity

Many countries require passport validity of no less than 6 months and one or two blank pages.[364]

General limitations on passport use

Visitors holding an Israeli passport or any passports showing evidence of travelling to Israel are not allowed to enter some countries due to the Arab League boycott of Israel. Some Arab League countries refuse entry to travelers whose passport shows evidence of entry into Israel or hold an unused Israeli visa.

Criminal record

Some countries (e.g., Canada and the United States[365]) routinely deny entry to non-citizens who have a criminal record.

Blank passport pages

Many countries require the passport presented to have a minimum number (generally one or two) blank pages.[366] Endorsement pages, which often appear after the visa pages, are not counted toward the minimum number.

Persona Non Grata

The government of a country can declare a diplomat persona non grata, banning their entry into that country. In non-diplomatic use, the authorities of a country may also declare a foreigner persona non grata permanently or temporarily, usually because of unlawful activity. Attempts to enter the Gaza Strip by sea may attract a 10-year ban on entering Israel.[367]

Fingerprinting

See also

References and notes

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