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. This has hampered the ability of Sri Lankan business people to travel and connect with peers and maintain a globally competitive outlook.
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. The Sri Lankan passport continues to rank in the bottom 10% of Henley's Annual Passport Rankings.
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.
Sri Lanka and Thailand signed a Free Trade Agreement in February 2024, and agreed to enable visa-free travel.
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.
The inability to access the financial markets of Hong Kong has been especially detrimental to the growth of businesses in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka is also one of the very few countries that requires an electronic visa for Malaysia.
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.
Despite demands from citizens and civil society groups, Sri Lanka has largely been unsuccessful in expanding visa-free travel for its citizens.
In July 2024, Sri Lanka announced it will issue biometric passports to its citizens in order to address the poor standing of the passport. The process, however, has been delayed due to procurement inconsistencies.
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.
Visa requirements map
Visa requirements
Country Visa requirement Allowed stay Notes (excluding departure fees) 30 days e-Visa : Visitors must arrive at Kabul International (KBL). 90 days Visa-free travel for a maximum stay of 90 days within any 180-day period for valid or previously used visa issued by a Schengen area country, the United States, or the United Kingdom. Visitors on tours organized to some southern regions by an approved travel agency may obtain a visa on arrival for up to 30 days. Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry. and territories May apply online (Online Visitor e600 visa). 30 days 3 months 14 days Visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 14 days for those who hold a valid residency permit to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, who have already stayed for more than 6 months in their country of residence. 6 months Visa on arrival for US or Schengen visa holders. 30 days Must have an International Vaccination Certificate. Three types of electronic visa are offered: the e-Visa valid for 30 days for a single entry (50 EUR), the e-Visa valid for 30 days for several (multiple) entries (75 EUR), and the e-Visa valid for 90 days to make several (multiple) entries (100 EUR). 90 days Visa fee is 40 USD per person and visa application may be processed within 5 business days with duration of stay of 90 days. The Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) of 200 USD per person, per night for almost all visitors to Bhutan. Additionally, if payment is made in US dollars from September 1, 2023 to August 31, 2027, the SDF is 100 USD. 30 days Multiple-entry visa (issued by a Schengen country, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland, Monaco, Romania, the United Kingdom or the United States) covers entry for a maximum stay of 30 days or until the visa expires. A maximum stay of 90 days within any 180-day period is permitted.Visa Requirements for Sri Lankans on Visalogy 3 months Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry. 1 month From December 2021, passengers of all countries that required visa, can now obtain a visa on arrival at Bujumbura International Airport and at all land borders. 30 days US permanent residents (Green card) holders can enter visa-free. 24-hour visa-free transit through any international airports of China (except Ürümqi), allows domestic travel through different airports. 45 days 7 days Holders of a valid multiple-entry visa of any member state of the Schengen Area, Canada, or the United States may enter Cost Rica without a visa for maximum stay of 30 days. Regular passport holders are required to obtain a restricted visa with permission from Costa Rica's internal ministries. 3 months e-Visa holders must arrive via Port Bouet Airport. Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry. 90 days Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry. Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry. 90 days 6 months Holders of a valid visa or a residence permit of any member state of the Schengen Area, Canada, Cyprus, Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States may enter the Dominican Republic without a visa. Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry. 90 days e-Visa holders must arrive via Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry. Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry. 90 days e-Visa holders must arrive via Libreville International Airport. 90 days Must obtain an entry clearance from Gambian Immigration prior to arrival.Entry clearance is not required if traveling as tourists on a charter flight. e-Visa available for holders of a valid visa or residence permit from a Schengen area country, OECD member country, or a GCC country can travel to Georgia visa-free for a period of 90 days. Visitors obtain an entry visa stamp to Georgia on arrival. The GCC resident permit should be at least six-months old for Georgia visa exemption. Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry. Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry. 3 months Visa is not required up to 90 days if holding a valid residence permit issued by Australia, Canada, GCC member state the United States the United Kingdom or a Schengen Area Member State. 90 days 90 days 90 days Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry. Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry. 30 days 60 days 30 days 30 days Visa is issued free of charge.No fee required 90 days Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry. Eligible for an e-Visa if residing in one these countries : Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, India, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States. May apply online 90 days 90 days 90 days within any 12-month period. Multiple-Entry Visa may be granted to who entered South Korea 4 or more times within the last 2 years, or 10 or more visits in total (one of those 10 visits should be within the last 2 years). May apply online. GCC residents can apply for e-Visa if they have residency in one of the GCC countries (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Oman). 60 days 30 days Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry. In addition to a visa, approval should be obtained from the Immigration Department of the General Directorate of General Security (La Surete Generale). 90 days 3 months Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry. Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry. 90 days For stays of 61 to 90 days, the visa fee is 59 USD. 30 days 30 days 90 days 30 days 60 days Holders of a valid visa for Canada, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom or a Schengen area country may stay for a maximum of 180 days. 30 days Citizens holding a residence permit or a valid visa issued by one of the member states of the European Union or one of the parties to the Schengen Agreement can apply for an electronic visa. Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry for a maximum of 30 days. Visa not required for holders of a valid Australia, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, US, UK or a Schengen Visa. Holders of residence permit in the United Arab Emirates may enter, in Montenegro for a duration of 10 days May apply for an e-Visa if holding a valid visa or a residency document issued by one of the following countries: Schengen Area, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States a residency document issued by Cyprus, Japan, United Arab Emirates. 30 days Upon arrival, the visa will be issued after payment of the fee at the point of entry. 28 days e-Visa holders must arrive via Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw or Mandalay airports or via land border crossings with Thailand (Tachileik, Myawaddy and Kawthaung) or India (Rih Khaw Dar and Tamu). e-Visa is available for tourism only. 3 months 90 days Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry. and territories Holders of an Australian Permanent Resident Visa or Resident Return Visa may be granted a New Zealand Resident Visa on arrival permitting indefinite stay (pursuant to the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement), subject to meeting character requirements and obtaining Electronic Travel Authorization prior to departure. 30 days Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry for a maximum of 15 days and at least five more days than the stay. Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry. Foreigners residing in GCC countries may obtain a visa on arrival in Oman. Entry visas are issued to residents of any GCC country who arrive directly from any GCC country. Restrictions apply to non-degree related professions (e.g., labourers, carpenters). Entry visas are also granted to members of the resident's family as long as they enter together. 3 months 30 days 60 days Residents of the United Arab Emirates may obtain an eVisa through the official Philippine eVisa website. A valid Emirati residence visa must be shown upon an eVisa application. Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry. Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry. Visitors may apply for a visa on the Hayya website. Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry. 30 days 3 months 3 months 90 days Tourist visa on arrival for holders of a valid multiple entry visa from US, UK or Schengen area, under the condition that the multiple entry visa has been used at least once, proving that by showing the entry and exit stamps of the country of issuance. 90 days 90 days within any 180-day period. Transfers allowed. Visa-free travel for a maximum stay of 90 days for valid visa holders or residents of the European Union or the United States. 3 months 30 days 30 days Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry. Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry. 30 days Obtainable online. Printed visa authorization must be presented at the time of travel. Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry. Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry. Multiple-entry Schengen visa covers entry. 30 days 90 days 60 days 30 days 15 days 90 days May Apply conditional e-Visa. Maximum stay of 30 days for valid visa holders or residents of the European Union or the United States. When transiting between two non-bordering countries, visitors can obtain a Turkmenistan transit visa for a five-day stay. This must be applied for in advance at the Turkmenistan Embassy. Visitors must also submit copies of the visas for the country of entry into Turkmenistan and the country of departure from Turkmenistan. Visa fee is 20 USD. 1 month 3 months May apply using 'Smart service'. Online visitor visa launched for visa required nationals since 25 February 2026. and territories 30 days 120 days Open borders but de facto follows Italian visa policy. 90 days e-Visa is valid for up to 90 days with single or multiple entries.