The Director-General of Health Services, Sri Lanka has issued a set of COVID-19 health and safety guidelines to international tourists visiting Sri Lanka.

International Arrivals

Tourists visiting Sri Lanka should arrive on Charter flights, Scheduled flights, or Private Jets to Katunayake or Mattala international airports. This will include Dual Citizens, Sri Lankan spouses of foreign passport holders, any paid commercial passengers with foreign passports and Sri Lankan passport holder with a PR/Residence Visa, traveling with an immediate family member who is a foreign passport holder.

These guidelines exclude those visiting Sri Lanka on Business Visas.

Visas

All countries are permitted entry, unless specifically mentioned otherwise.

VISA application to be conducted online via the Immigration ETA portal. It will be mandatory to pay for two PCR tests for visits up to 7 days, and for three PCR tests if the visit is longer than 7 days.

COVID-19 Insurance cover for the period of one (1) month is mandatory, and can be paid through the Tourism Mobile App, or at the time of booking the hotel, or when purchasing the airline ticket.

A pre-confirmed hotel booking, for the initial 14 days at one or more Certified Safe & Secure (Level 1) hotel, is compulsory

Prior to Boarding

A negative PCR test, taken from an accredited laboratory 96 hours before boarding, is required.

A Health Declaration form has to be filled and submitted prior to boarding flight, on flight or on arrival.

Mandatory COVID-19 insurance cover of at least LKR 5 million equivalent in USD.

Minimum Stay in Hotel

There is no minimum stay.

All travelers should stay the initial 14 days in a Certified Safe & Secure (Level 1) hotel.

Within the first 14 days, the travelers are permitted to move between more than one Safe & Secure Level 1 hotel, provided the on-arrival PCR test was negative, and they are moving within a bio-security bubble.

Travelers are not allowed to move outside the hotel within the initial 14 days unless it is to COVID Taskforce approved sites, under a bio-security bubble, and the on-arrival PCR test is negative.

PCR Testing

A negative PCR test, carried out 96 hours prior to boarding, is required at the time of check-in.

An on-arrival PCR test will be carried out prior to checking in at the hotel.

The travelers’ movements will be restricted to the minimum, until the result of the on-arrival test is received and is negative.

The second PCR test will be carried out within 5 -7 days of arrival.

In the event of a longer stay, an additional PCR test will be conducted between 10-14 days of arrival.

Transport

Hotelier or Travel Agent should arrange independent travel arrangement for each group and no mixing of groups during transportation is allowed.

Hotel or Travel Agent should have an advanced transport plan.

Domestic flights are permitted subject to strictly adhering to health protocols.

In the initial 14 days the travelers will not be permitted to use public transportation and even thereafter, the use of public transportation is discouraged.

Visits to Sites

Arrangements are made to visit the approved tourist sites on a daily basis and time slots are allocated for tourists.

**Currently no exceptions would be made for vaccinations taken; all safety protocols should be adhered to.