Yes, and the official wording is stricter than "onward": Sri Lanka's ETA site lists "a confirmed return ticket" among the requirements at the port of entry (eta.gov.lk, checked 27 September 2026). Indian passport holders still need an ETA, free of charge for a 30-day stay under the scheme in force from 25 May 2026. A held reservation is not a paid ticket, so it may be refused.
- Indian passport holders must get an ETA before arrival; it is free for a 30-day stay under the 40-country scheme in force from 25 May 2026.
- Sri Lanka's ETA site lists "a confirmed return ticket", 6 months' passport validity and sufficient funds as requirements at the port of entry.
- The wording says "return ticket", not "return or onward", and does not define "confirmed".
- The ETA can be obtained before you book a flight; the ticket is checked by your airline and at the border, not on the application.
- Where an airline agent or an officer wants a paid ticket, a held reservation will not satisfy them.
On this page
- Do Indian passport holders still need a Sri Lanka ETA?
- What the ETA site says about a return ticket
- Who checks: ETA application, check-in and arrival
- Onward ticket for Sri Lanka: a held reservation or a paid ticket
- Choosing a return date inside your 30 days
- Staying longer than 30 days
- Ordering a flight reservation for Sri Lanka
Yes, and the official wording asks for more than an onward ticket. Sri Lanka's ETA site lists "a confirmed return ticket" among the requirements at the port of entry, next to a passport valid for 6 months from arrival and "sufficient funds to meet the expenses during the stay" (eta.gov.lk, checked 27 September 2026). An onward ticket for Sri Lanka that continues to a third country is not what those words say, and a reservation held without paying the fare is not a paid ticket, so either can be questioned at check-in in India or at immigration in Colombo.
Do Indian passport holders still need a Sri Lanka ETA?
Yes. The ETA is still compulsory; it is simply free for now. The ETA site states that "with effect from 25.05.2026, nationals of the following 40 countries are eligible to obtain tourist visa (ETA) free-of-charge", and India is on the list. The free visa is valid for 30 days, with a double-entry facility "within the 30-day validity period". A second entry does not restart the count: you get what is left of the 30 days.
The site says foreign nationals must obtain an ETA before arrival. It also mentions "a limited facility to obtain ETA at BIA", Colombo's Bandaranaike International Airport, and warns "Additional fees will apply." Apply online before you fly rather than relying on that desk. The ETA can be obtained before you book a flight, and the site's FAQ says it "is valid for six months". News reports say Indians also had free visas under earlier pilot schemes from October 2023; the ETA site itself confirms only the current scheme.
What the ETA site says about a return ticket
It asks for "a confirmed return ticket", listed with two other conditions on the site's port-of-entry requirements. A hotel booking is not on the list.
| Requirement | Official wording | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Return ticket | "A confirmed return ticket" | Says "return", not "return or onward"; "confirmed" is not defined |
| Passport validity | "A passport valid for not less than 6 months from the date of arrival" | Counted from your arrival date, not your departure from India |
| Funds | "Sufficient funds to meet the expenses during the stay" | No figure published |
| Hotel booking | Not listed | Not an entry condition on this page |
Two words decide how you read it. "Return" points to a flight back to where you started, and the page never uses the phrase "return or onward". "Confirmed" is not defined anywhere on the site. So a flight on to a third country sits outside the literal wording, and nobody, including us, can tell you how an individual officer will apply it. Our explainer on what an onward ticket is sets out how the two terms differ.
Who checks: ETA application, check-in and arrival
Two parties can check your ticket: your airline at check-in in India, and the immigration officer in Colombo. The ETA application does not.
When you apply for the ETA
Nobody checks your ticket at this stage. The ETA site's FAQ says an "ETA can be obtained even before booking your ticket", so an approved ETA tells you nothing about whether your flight out will satisfy the border.
At check-in in India
Check-in staff verify entry requirements using IATA's Timatic database before they issue a boarding pass. Where a destination's rules mention a return ticket, they can ask to see one. We found no airline flying from India to Colombo that publishes a Sri Lanka-specific policy, so be ready at any counter. Our guide to airlines that check onward tickets explains how carriers use Timatic.
At immigration in Colombo
The officer at Bandaranaike International Airport can ask for anything on the port-of-entry list: the confirmed return ticket, a passport with 6 months left and evidence of funds. Your ETA approval does not settle any of these.
Onward ticket for Sri Lanka: a held reservation or a paid ticket
A paid ticket is the only kind that clearly meets "confirmed"; a held reservation may or may not. What Dummy Tickets Visa (DTV) issues is a booking made in the airline's reservation system and held without paying the fare: a real flight out of Sri Lanka with a PNR you can look up on the airline's website, delivered as a PDF. It has no e-ticket number, because it has not been ticketed, and it cannot be used to board. Our explainer on the PNR and the e-ticket number shows what an agent sees.
If your airline's check-in staff or the officer in Colombo insist on a ticket that has been paid for, a held reservation will not satisfy them. Do not present it as one. Buy a ticket instead.
Two ways remove the doubt. Buy a cheap return or onward flight you will actually use, dated inside your 30 days. Or buy a fully refundable fare and cancel it after you have entered, checking its refund terms and any cancellation charge first; our reservation versus refundable ticket comparison sets out the cost. If anyone asks what you are holding, say plainly that it is a reservation. The same trade-off across other countries is in our proof of onward travel guide, and what happens after denied boarding covers the options if a counter turns you away.
Choosing a return date inside your 30 days
Book the flight out a few days before your 30 days run out, so a delay or a miscounted day does not tip you into an overstay. Say you land in Colombo on 10 November 2026. Counting the arrival day as day one, day 30 falls on 9 December. A return flight on 6 December leaves three days of margin. What counts in the end is the date immigration grants you, so check it as you clear arrivals.
The double-entry facility lets you leave partway through, for example for a few days in the Maldives, and come back on the same ETA, provided the whole visit still fits inside the original 30 days. The port-of-entry requirements apply each time you arrive, so carry your flight out of Sri Lanka when you come back in. The Maldives has its own conditions, including confirmed return tickets and prepaid accommodation; see our page on the Maldives return ticket requirement before you plan that leg.
Staying longer than 30 days
You can apply to extend once you are in Sri Lanka, for a fee. The ETA site says: "Applicants who have obtained a free visa and wish to remain in Sri Lanka beyond 30 days may apply for a visa extension upon payment of the applicable visa fee." Its requirements page adds that the ETA "is initially limited up to 30 days from the date of arrival and it can be extended up to six months". It does not publish the extension fee, and an extension is granted by the Department of Immigration and Emigration, not automatic. Confirm the current fee with the Department before you rely on it. A longer stay usually means a new flight date as well; our note on exit tickets for visa extensions covers that step.
Ordering a flight reservation for Sri Lanka
What you get from DTV is a held reservation, not a paid ticket: a booking on the names, route and dates you enter, sent as a PDF itinerary with a PNR you can check yourself. Because Sri Lanka's wording asks for a confirmed ticket, order one only if you accept that an airline or officer may still ask for a paid ticket. The booking desk chooses the airline and flight; a preferred airline in the notes box is a request, not a promise.
Enter your details
Names exactly as in the passport, date of birth, nationality, route, dates, and an email address or WhatsApp number. No passport scan and no account.
Pay ₹699 per passenger
By UPI in India, then send the payment screenshot on WhatsApp. From outside India, pay about US$8.50 per passenger by PayPal or card.
Choose when to receive it
Answer "When do you want to receive it?" with the day before you fly; the reservation is issued on that date. Delivery is typically 10–20 minutes after payment is confirmed, and weekends, holidays and busy periods can be slower.
Check the PNR yourself
Verify your PNR on the airline's website before you leave for the airport. A reservation is a temporary hold, and how long it stays live depends on the airline.
Orders are final and non-refundable once the reservation is issued, so check names and dates before you pay. DTV is not affiliated with the Sri Lankan government, its Department of Immigration and Emigration, or any airline, and no document, held or paid, decides what a check-in agent or an immigration officer does on the day.
- Free ETA approved online before you fly
- A paid return ticket, or a refundable fare, dated inside your 30 days with a few days to spare
- Passport valid at least 6 months from your arrival date
- A card or recent bank statement for the funds condition
- If you carry a reservation instead, the PNR checked on the airline's site the day before you fly
A flight reservation, not a paid ticket
₹699 per passenger with a PNR you can check. For Sri Lanka, read the confirmed-return-ticket rule above before you order.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a Sri Lanka ETA on arrival at Colombo airport?
Only as a fallback. The ETA site says foreign nationals must obtain an ETA before arrival, and describes "a limited facility to obtain ETA at BIA", Bandaranaike International Airport, adding "Additional fees will apply." The free ETA for Indian passport holders is applied for online, so get it before you fly rather than joining the airport queue.
Does the Sri Lanka ETA application ask for flight details?
No flight is needed to apply. The ETA site's own FAQ says an "ETA can be obtained even before booking your ticket." The return-ticket condition is listed separately, as something to have ready at the port of entry, so an approved ETA does not tell you whether your flight out will satisfy the officer.
What happens if I only have a one-way ticket to Sri Lanka?
You fall short of the published rule, which asks for "a confirmed return ticket". Your airline may ask for a flight out before issuing a boarding pass, and the immigration officer can ask again on arrival. Neither check is certain, but plan to carry a paid return or onward ticket rather than arriving with a one-way ticket alone.
Is proof of funds checked separately from the return ticket?
Yes, it is its own line on the ETA site: "Sufficient funds to meet the expenses during the stay", listed alongside the return ticket and 6 months' passport validity. No minimum figure is published, so we cannot give you a number. Carry a card and a recent bank statement.
Does the return flight have to go back to India?
The site says "a confirmed return ticket" and does not say whether a flight to a third country counts. Read literally, a ticket home fits best. If your trip continues elsewhere, carry a paid ticket for that flight and meet the next country's entry rules; the officer on the day decides whether it satisfies Sri Lanka's wording.
Can I apply for a new ETA if my plans change?
Not on the same passport while the first one is still valid. The ETA site's FAQ says an "ETA is valid for six months and a fresh ETA cannot be obtained using the same passport until that ETA expires." Apply once your travel month is reasonably firm.
Last reviewed by the DTV Editorial Team. Visa requirements change, so confirm the current checklist with the embassy, consulate or official application centre before you apply. A reservation supports a visa file and cannot guarantee a visa decision.