How Can The Citizens Of China Obtain An eVisa For Sri Lanka

Updated on Aug 05, 2024 | Sri Lanka e-Visa

Sri Lanka is a mesmerising Island nation. Over the years, it has gained massive popularity as one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in the entire world due to its infinite natural beauty, lush landscapes, divine emerald-blue water beaches, delicious local cuisine, welcoming population and much more. Please remember that travelling to Sri Lanka is only possible if a traveller has a valid Visa. This applies to the passport holders of China as well.

The Chinese citizens who wish to travel to Sri Lanka this year for different purposes will have to obtain a valid Sri Lankan Visa which will allow them to embark on a journey to the country legally. In 2012, the Sri Lankan Government introduced the Sri Lanka eVisa program. This program allows international travellers to enter and stay in Sri Lanka for short-term visits for various travel purposes such as tourism, business/entrepreneurship and transit from Sri Lanka. Each travel purpose is associated with a specific type of eVisa.

In this comprehensive guide, we aim to educate Chinese visitors about how they can apply for a Sri Lanka eVisa for Chinese citizens, what the eVisa documentation requirements for each eVisa type are and much more.

Do The Nationals Of China Need A Visa For Visiting Sri Lanka?

Yes. The nationals of China will have to obtain a valid Visa for travelling to Sri Lanka. Since the Sri Lankan eVisa is one of the most efficient and convenient eVisa to obtain for Sri Lanka we will be focusing on the eVisa in this post. Please remember that a Sri Lanka eVisa is only valid for short-term visits to Sri Lanka from China. For long-term visits, the travellers are suggested to obtain a traditional Sri Lanka Visa from an Embassy or a consulate office.

For the passport holders of China, who wish to make a short trip to Sri Lanka, can choose an appropriate eVisa type from the following categories:

The Sri Lanka eVisa for tourism permits international travellers to indulge in various tourism-related activities. It also allows visitors to visit their friends and family members residing in Sri Lanka. With a Tourist eVisa for Sri Lanka, the passport holders of China will be allowed to stay in the country for a period of 30 days only. Moreover, on each Tourist eVisa, the applicant will be offered single entry and a chance to extend the validity of the eVisa.

The Sri Lanka eVisa for business purposes aims at permitting foreign business visitors to enter Sri Lanka for the purpose of fulfilling different business-related purposes such as-

Attending meetings and conferences
Attending seminars, workshops and symposiums
Taking part in contract negotiations, etc.

The Sri Lanka Business eVisa will allow its holders to stay in the country for a period of 90 days only with the luxury of multiple entries.

Lastly, the Transit eVisa for Sri Lanka is designed for those travellers who plan to transit from Sri Lanka to a third location. This eVisa is typically valid for a period of 02 days and offers a single entry on each eVisa.

What Are The Documentation Requirements Of Each Sri Lanka eVisa Types For Chinese Citizens?

The passport holders of China, who wish to obtain a Sri Lanka eVisa for Chinese citizens, should meet these documentation requirements in association to the type of eVisa obtained by them:

Tourist eVisa For Sri Lanka

The documentation requirement for a Sri Lanka Tourist eVisa are as follows:

A Chinese passport that has a minimum validity of 06 months.
An active email address to receive timely updates about the eVisa application.
A legitimate debit or credit card to cover the eVisa costs.
Evidence of Sri Lanka in the form of hotel reservations.
Bank statements proving there are enough finances to cover the entire journey to Sri Lanka.
Flight itinerary, such as an onward or return ticket, to indicate that you want to depart from Sri Lanka at the conclusion of your vacation.
Passport-size photograph that should be submitted in a digital format.

Business eVisa For Sri Lanka

The documentation requirement for a Sri Lanka Business eVisa are as follows:

A Chinese passport that has a minimum validity of 06 months.
An active email address to receive timely updates about the eVisa application.
A legitimate debit or credit card to cover the eVisa costs.
Evidence of Sri Lanka in the form of hotel reservations.
Bank statements proving there are enough finances to cover the entire journey to Sri Lanka.
Flight itinerary, such as an onward or return ticket, to indicate that you want to depart from Sri Lanka at the conclusion of your vacation.
Passport-size photograph that should be submitted in a digital format.
An invitation letter from the side of the business organisation that is inviting the business visitor to indulge in business-related activities in Sri Lanka.
A business registration/incorporation document to prove ownership of business of the business visitor.

Transit eVisa For Sri Lanka

The documentation requirement for a Sri Lanka Transit eVisa are as follows:

A Chinese passport that has a minimum validity of 06 months.
An active email address to receive timely updates about the eVisa application.
A legitimate debit or credit card to cover the eVisa costs.
Bank statements proving there are enough finances to cover the entire journey to Sri Lanka.
Flight itinerary, such as an onward ticket, to indicate that you want to depart from Sri Lanka at the conclusion of your transit/layover in Sri Lanka.
Passport-size photograph that should be submitted in a digital format.
A valid Visa for their final destination. This means that the traveller should hold a valid Visa for the nation to which they will be travelling from Sri Lanka via the Transit eVisa.

When Should Applicants Apply For A Sri Lanka eVisa From China?

In general, all Sri Lanka eVisa applications are processed in the matter of 02 to 03 working days. These days can increase or decrease based on multiple factors. To avoid any delays in the travel plan to Sri Lanka due to the eVisa processing time, it is advisable that all applicants apply for a Sri Lanka eTA for Chinese citizens at least 05 days before the date on which they intended to start their journey to Sri Lanka.

How To Apply For A Sri Lanka eVisa From China Online?

To apply for a Sri Lanka eVisa for Chinese citizens, here are the detailed steps to remember:

Determine the type of Sri Lanka eVisa needed. The applicant can either apply for a Tourist eVisa, Business eVisa or Transit eVisa based on their visit purposes.
Gather the essential documents. The documents needed to apply for a Sri Lanka eVisa are: 1. Passport. 2. Email address. 3. Credit card or debit card.
Access the official Sri Lanka eVisa application site or a reliable online eVisa application service provider and select the desired eVisa type.
Start the application process by filling out an online application questionnaire where different question fields should be filled such as:
Full name
Date of birth
Country or region of birth
Passport number
Passport expiry date
Passport issue date
Full residential address
Email address
Phone number
Flight itinerary
Purpose of travel
Intended date of arrival, etc.
Review the filled application questionnaire. Go through each question field to mend any mistake made while filling out the application form.
Pay the Sri Lanka eVisa fees online. Use a valid credit card or debit card for the purpose.
Get the eVisa confirmation after payment. This confirmation indicates that the eVisa application has been received by the Sri Lankan Government.
Get the approved eVisa after 02 to 03 business days of processing. This approved eVisa will be sent in the email inbox of the applicant in a pdf format.

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What Are The Pros Of Obtaining A Sri Lanka eVisa From China Online?

The pros of obtaining a Sri Lanka eVisa for Chinese citizens online are as follows:

The Sri Lanka eVisa eliminates the need to visit an Embassy or consulate office in-person to apply for a valid Sri Lanka Visa.
The Sri Lanka eVisa is a valid travel permit to obtain for short-term visits to Sri Lanka.
The Sri Lanka eVisa processing period is only 24 hours to 72 hours long which is pretty low as compared to the long processing periods of the Sri Lankan Embassy.
The Sri Lanka eVisa provides multiple entries on the Business eVisa which is beneficial for all business visitors to complete all business-related purposes successfully in Sri Lanka.

What Are The Cons Of Obtaining A Sri Lanka eVisa From China Online?

The cons of obtaining a Sri Lanka eVisa for Chinese citizens online are as follows:

The Sri Lanka eVisa is only valid for a period of 30 days which is not ideal for planning long-term visits to Sri Lanka.
The purposes of visit offered by a Sri Lanka eVisa is pretty limited. The travellers won't be allowed to work or study in Sri Lanka with the eVisa.

What Are Some Common Mistakes Made In The Sri Lanka eVisa Application Online?

Applying for a Sri Lanka eVisa for Chinese citizens is pretty simple and straightforward. However sometimes, due to certain mistakes, the applicant can not get an approved eVisa. In cases, the applicant will have to apply for a new eVisa all over again which might be a little time-consuming and cost-consuming. To avoid going through the process of re-applying for a Sri Lanka eVisa, here are some common mistakes made in the Sri Lanka eVisa application online which should be avoided at all costs:

Not filling out all question fields. Remember that each question field in the Sri Lanka eVisa application form is a compulsory field. This means that if an applicant fails to fill even one question field, they may get a rejected eVisa. Thus filling out the eVisa application form completely is extremely important.
Not filling out information from the passport. Most information asked in the Sri Lanka eVisa application form can be filled using the passport of the applicant. Since all details in the application form should mandatorily match the details found in the passport of the applicant, filling out data that is not matching the passport would lead to the eVisa rejection.
Not applying for an eVisa well in advance. As we all know, a Sri Lanka eVisa can be obtained extremely speedily thanks to the advanced application system employed by the eVisa application websites. However, in rare cases, unforeseen events can lead to a delayed or rejected application. This may need the applicant to postpone their trip to Sri Lanka as they were not able to get their eVisa on time. That's why it is necessary to apply for a Sri Lanka eVisa well in advance.
Failure in meeting the documentation requirements. Before starting to apply for a Sri Lanka eVisa, travellers are advised to check the documentation requirements and then start to apply for an eVisa. However, many applicants fail to do so. This leads to the eVisa rejection as they are not able to upload the necessary documents required to approve an eVisa application.

Conclusion

Applying for a Sri Lanka eVisa for Chinese citizens is pretty simple and speedy if they are able to follow the above-mentioned guide successfully. Sri Lanka is surely a mesmerising country that should be explored at least once in all travellers' lifetime.

If a traveller wishes to enter Sri Lanka to explore the beauty of the country, they are recommended to apply for a Tourist eVisa. If a traveller wishes to enter Sri Lanka to explore business and entrepreneurship opportunities in the country, they are recommended to apply for a Business eVisa. Lastly, If a traveller wishes to enter Sri Lanka to explore the transit/layover benefits, they are recommended to apply for a Transit eVisa.

The guide to apply for a Sri Lanka eVisa has been explained in detail in the above-mentioned section.

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Check Eligibility for Sri Lanka e-Visa and apply for Sri Lanka e-Visa 72 hours in advance of your flight. Citizens from Canada, New Zealand, Greece, France and Belgium can apply online for Sri Lanka e-Visa.

Sri Lanka e-Visa from China