Understanding The Transit eVisa For Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a mesmerising island nation that is situated off the south coast of India. It is popularly referred to as ‘The Pearl of the Indian Ocean’ due to its ethereal beauty and elegance. Sri Lanka is a captivating nation that houses numerous divine beaches, archaic temples, lushly dense forests, welcoming locals and much more which truly makes it a nation worth visiting at least once in a lifetime. In the past years, many factors have contributed to the popularity of Sri Lanka making it a top tourist destination in today's time.

Even though Sri Lanka is a pretty prominent destination for tourism and business, many international visitors transit through the country or have Sri Lanka as a destination for layover. This will require the visitor to possess a valid Visa for Sri Lanka before they enter the country. A Transit eVisa for Sri Lanka can be obtained by international travellers before they start their journey for a successful transit from Sri Lanka to their planned third destination. The Transit Electronic Travel Authorization is basically an eVisa which permits foreign visitors to enter Sri Lanka for transit purposes. This means that a Transit eVisa will allow its holder to get on the connecting aeroplane to their last destination. 

The eVisa is generally issued to the passport holders of many nations such as the  United States, Canada, United Kingdom, etc. All travellers are requested to note that even though they may belong to a nation that is exempt from an electronic travel authorization for Sri Lanka, a Visa will still be required to enter the country.

The procedure through which a traveller can obtain a Transit eVisa for Sri Lanka is straightforward and can be done entirely online. Once an applicant can successfully obtain a Transit eVisa for Sri Lanka, they will be needed to print out the approved eVisa and bring with them on their journey to Sri Lanka especially at the arrival Port of Entry (POE) where the immigration authorities will ask them to submit their eVisa.

Please remember that the Sri Lanka eVisa will remain valid for a maximum period of 48 hours only. If any traveller is planning to stay in Sri Lanka for a period longer than 48 hours, they are recommended to obtain a different type of eVisa which can be a Tourist eVisa. Overall, a Transit eVisa is a simple and speedy eVisa to obtain to enjoy the beauty of Sri Lanka even if it's just for the matter of a short transit period.

Here is a comprehensive guide that will help all international visitors to understand the way in which they can obtain a Transit eVisa for Sri Lanka.

Who Is Required to Apply for A Sri Lanka Transit eVisa?

All international visitors, who wish to transit through Sri Lanka and are not part of the eVisa exemption program, will have to apply for a Transit eVisa online before they start their trip to Sri Lanka. The visitors who are planning to enter Sri Lanka for a layover will also need an eVisa. And the travellers who will be catching a connecting flight from Sri Lanka to their next destination will also have to possess a Transit eVisa to legally enter and stay in the country.

The nationals of four main nations that are exempted from applying for a Transit eVisa are India, Maldives, Singapore and Seychelles. Apart from these nationals, the passport holders of all other eligible countries will have to apply for a Transit eVisa to fulfil their transit purposes in Sri Lanka. Generally, the citizens of US, UK, Canada, Australia and various EU and Asian nations are eligible to obtain a Transit eVisa for Sri Lanka.

Based on the duration of stay and purpose of visit, the visa-exempt nationals will also need to possess a valid Visa for Sri Lanka. It is always advisable to check the travel requirements for entering Sri Lanka before applying for any Visa/EVISA.

How Can Foreign Visitors Apply for A Sri Lanka Transit eVisa Online?

Applying for a Sri Lanka Transit eVisa will not need the applicant to invest more than 10 to 15 minutes as the application process is short and fast-track through advanced eVisa systems and technology. Here is a complete guide for obtaining a Sri Lanka eVisa online-

Access a Sri Lanka electronic travel authorization site online

The Transit eVisa for Sri Lanka can be applied at Online Sri Lanka Visa. Before the applicant starts applying for a Transit eVisa, they are advised to ensure that their passport is valid and on-hand during the entire application process.

Fill in the digital Transit eVisa application form

On the Sri Lanka Visa Application Form, the applicant should select ‘Transit’ as the purpose of their travel to Sri Lanka. In addition to that, the applicant should make sure that they are filling in correct details for different question sections such as personal information section, contact details section, passport information section, travel itinerary section, etc.

Review the filled eVisa application

Once the applicant has filled out the application form for a Transit eVisa for Sri Lanka, they are requested to review the application and double-check all details before submitting it. This is to eliminate any delays in the processing process caused by incomplete or inaccurate information on the eVisa form.

Make a payment of the Sri Lanka eVisa application

The fees charged on a Sri Lanka eVisa is generally based on the nationality of the applicant. This fee/charge can be paid online using a valid credit card or debit card. Once the payment is successful, the applicant will receive an email containing their Application Invoice Id.

Wait for the eVisa approval

Once the applicant submits their eVisa application, they will have to wait for a period of 02 to 03 days for it to get processed and approved by the Sri Lankan authorities. Sometimes, the processing period will last in just 24 hours as well. However, many factors should be considered for the duration of the processing of an eVisa.

Receive the eVisa and submit it at immigration upon arrival

Once the processing period comes to an end and the eVisa is approved, the applicant will receive an email about the same. This email will contain the approved eVisa in a pdf document format. The eVisa should be printed out.

After arriving in Sri Lanka with the eVisa for transit, the applicant will have to submit their approved eVisa at the immigration department along with their passport and other essential documents. The immigration authorities will verify the documents submitted to them. And will allow the traveller to enter Sri Lanka. 

READ MORE:
The Sri Lanka Tourist e-Visa is a 30-Day travel permit that remains valid for a maximum period of 90 days from the initial date of issue. Tourist e-Visa for Sri Lanka allows international travellers to enter and stay in Sri Lanka for a short period for the purpose of tourism and leisure. Find out more at Sri Lanka Tourist Visa.

What Are the Requirements and Restrictions of The Sri Lankan Transit Electronic Travel Authorization?

A Transit eVisa for Sri Lanka has many requirements and restrictions associated with it. All applicants should make themselves aware of them before they start the application process for the eVisa. The requirements and restrictions are as follows-

Passport Requirements

As we all know, a passport is one of the most important documents for obtaining a Transit eVisa. That's why all applicants should make sure that they are using a valid passport for applying for a Transit eVisa for Sri Lanka. Ideally, a passport should have a minimum validity of 06 months for it to be considered eligible. Thus if the applicant's passport is going to expire before that mark, they are recommended to renew it before applying for a Transit eVisa.

Evidence of onward travel

All applicants should possess evidence of onward travel within 48 hours of their entrance in the country with the eVisa. Generally, this evidence can be in the form of an approved flight ticket for the onward journey. Or any other document that will prove that the traveller will exit from Sri Lanka within 48 hours of their entrance.

eVisa validity

Please remember that the Transit eVisa for Sri Lanka will remain valid for a period of 48 hours only. This period cannot be extended. Or the eVisa cannot be converted to a different type of eVisa/Visa. If the applicant wishes to stay in Sri Lanka for a period longer than 48 hours, they are recommended to apply for a different kind of eVisa/Visa which is preferably a Tourist eVisa/Visa.

Single entry

A Sri Lanka Transit eVisa will provide a single entry to all applicants. If a traveller wishes to exit Sri Lanka and enter the country within the 48 hour validity of the eVisa, they will have to apply for a new electronic travel authorization.

Purposes of transit

A Transit Electronic Travel Authorization can only be utilised for the purpose of fulfilling transit-related motives in Sri Lanka. These motives can either be catching a connecting flight. Or staying in Sri Lanka for a short layover. If a traveller wants to exit the airport, they are recommended to apply for a different kind of eVisa/Visa. This applies to the motive of engaging in activities apart from transit-related activities in Sri Lanka.

Exemptions

The passport holders of certain nations are exempted from obtaining an eVisa for Sri Lanka. Those nations are mainly Maldives, Singapore, India and Seychelles. There are 21 countries as of now whose passport holders cannot apply for an eVisa for Transit. Thus they will have to opt for other mediums of obtaining a Sri Lankan Visa. 

READ MORE:
The Sri Lanka Business eVisa, which stands for an electronic visa, is a valid eVisa for entering Sri Lanka which allows international business people to fulfil various business-related motives such as Attending business conferences, workshops and seminars held in Sri Lanka, participating in business meetings and contract negotiations etc. If you need to visit Sri Lanka for such business purposes, then you should instead apply for Online Sri Lanka Business Visa

What Should Travellers Do If Their Sri Lanka Transit eVisa Application Is Rejected or Denied?

In many rare cases, a Sri Lanka Transit eVisa application may get rejected or denied. In such cases, here are the steps that an applicant must take-

• Understand the causes for rejection- One of the most important steps that should be taken after eVisa denial is to understand the causes for the rejection. Usually, the online site through which the applicant has applied for an eVisa will provide the reasons for which their application is denied. Therefore, the applicant should understand those reasons and try to rectify them the next time they are applying for an eVisa. For example- If the cause of rejection is the applicant's failure in attaching required documents, they should make sure that next time they are attaching all the necessary documents.
• Reapply- After learning the causes for rejection, if the applicant is confident that they can rectify the mistakes, they should start re-applying for an eVisa. During the reapplication process, the applicant should make sure that they are not repeating the mistakes they had committed in the previous application.
• Obtain a different eVisa/Visa- If reapplication of a Transit eVisa is not possible, the applicant is advised to apply for a different eVisa/Visa through a different medium. Ideally, an applicant can either apply for a Sri Lanka Visa via the Embassy or the consulate office. Or via the Visa on Arrival services.
• Get in touch with the site's customer support group- Each eVisa application website or service provider online has a customer support group which is dedicated to help users solve any issues during the application process or provide answers for their queries.

Thus, if an applicant needs support and guidance from the website through which they are applying for a Transit eVisa, they can get in touch with the site's customer support group. The customer support group will help the applicant by resolving any issues faced by them and providing support during the eVisa application procedure.