# Maldives passport to Sri Lanka: ETA

Current access classification: **ETA** — Advance electronic permission for visa-exempt travel.

Access data checked August 24, 2026. Evidence status: **official evidence collected**.

This page concerns ordinary short visits unless an official source states otherwise. Authorities apply the current rule, and individual circumstances can change the applicable treatment.

## Evidence timeline

- **May 25, 2026 — 43 named ordinary passports: fee-waived Tourist ETA** (ETA)
  From 25 May 2026, 40 named nationalities plus Maldives, Seychelles, and Singapore receive a fee-waived Tourist ETA. It remains an ETA requirement, not visa-free access.
  - The 40-country scheme expressly covers ordinary passports as well as diplomatic, official, and service passports. Singapore, Seychelles, and Maldives have reciprocal arrangements; ordinary Maldivian passports receive 90 days, while the other named free-ETA passports receive 30 days.
  - The free Tourist ETA permits double entry from first arrival within the 30-day validity period; on a second entry, only the balance of the 30 days is granted. A fee is due for an extension beyond 30 days.
  - The Department states that all foreign nationals, including the 40 fee-waiver nationalities and Maldives, Seychelles, and Singapore, require an ETA before arrival; this policy therefore does not treat a waived fee as visa-free entry.
  - Apply electronically through the official ETA portal. The ETA must be used to enter within three months of issue; tourist ETA is initially up to 30 days from arrival and may be extended up to six months.
  - At entry, ETA holders need a passport valid at least six months from arrival, a confirmed return ticket, and sufficient funds. ETA is not admission; false information, security/admissibility findings, or a referral can result in refusal.
  - ETA holders must not undertake paid or unpaid employment, trade, or business beyond the granted ETA purpose. Residence, work, longer stay, transit, crew, diplomatic, official, service, UN, special-document and diplomatic-mission rules are separate.
  - The official application page retains a limited BIA-only, additional-fee ETA-on-arrival facility for travellers without prior approval. It remains an approval-contingent airport fallback, not a nationality-wide visa-free rule; the published standard is ETA before travel.
  - A different live ETA subpage still says Singapore, Maldives, and Seychelles are ETA-exempt for short visits. The current Department notice and current ETA overview expressly say these same nationalities require ETA, so this policy follows the later current notice/overview and records the disagreement for review.
  Official sources:
  - [Department of Immigration and Emigration: Special Notice to Short-Term Visitors: free Tourist Visa (ETA) for 40 countries](https://www.immigration.gov.lk/pages_e.php?id=60)
  - [Department of Immigration and Emigration: Electronic Travel Authorization official overview](https://www.eta.gov.lk/slvisa/visainfo/center.jsp?locale=en_US)
  - [Department of Immigration and Emigration: How to submit an ETA application](https://eta.gov.lk/slvisa/visainfo/apply.jsp?aoo=current&locale=en_US)
  - [Department of Immigration and Emigration: ETA application terms and conditions](https://eta.gov.lk/etaslvisa/etaNavServ)
  - [Department of Immigration and Emigration: ETA exemption page (conflicting live portal content)](https://www.eta.gov.lk/slvisa/visainfo/excem.jsp?locale=en_US)

## How to apply

Follow the current instructions on the official portal.

1. Submit the Tourist ETA application and required traveller details through the official portal before travel.
2. Keep the ETA approval and meet passport-validity, onward-ticket, funds, purpose, and admissibility requirements at entry.

[Sri Lanka ETA application](https://eta.gov.lk/etaslvisa/etaNavServ)

## Useful links

- [HTML evidence page](https://multipassrank.com/maldives-sri-lanka-eta)
- [Maldives passport access](https://multipassrank.com/passport/maldives)
- [All passport requirements for Sri Lanka](https://multipassrank.com/destination/sri-lanka)
- [Dataset license](https://multipassrank.com/data-license)