How to apply for a Sri Lanka visa as a US citizen

The United States of America is one of the numerous countries whose citizens qualify for a Sri Lanka visa on arrival. As a US citizen, you are not required to go to the nearest Sri Lankan embassy and apply for a visa. Instead, you can get one when you reach your destination in Sri Lanka. However, to obtain the document, you need to apply for a Sri Lanka ETA before departure. It is an electronic authorization very similar to the US ESTA.

Lucky for you, you can obtain a Sri Lanka ETA online, and iVisa can help you with it. All you have to do is follow the steps.

Step one: check the requirements

iVisa handles all the bureaucracy so that you do not have to, but you need to help out a bit in the beginning. You must meet the requirements. The list is not extensive, and the chances of you already having what you need are pretty high. Here is what you must provide for iVisa:

• Valid passport – to obtain a Sri Lanka ETA, all applicants must hold a valid passport that remains valid for at least another 6 months from the date of arrival in Sri Lanka.

• Digital photo – make sure that the picture is as recent as possible and follows all the guidelines for a passport photo.

• Valid e-mail address – iVisa will send you the ETA via e-mail in PDF format, which is why you must provide an e-mail address to which you have access. Do not forget to print out a physical copy before you leave.

• Means of payment – during the application process, you will be required to make the payment. iVisa accepts credit or debit cards, but you can use PayPal, Alipay, or WeChat as well.

Step two: fill in the application

As the last requirement, iVisa asks you to fill in an application. However, there is no reason for concern here either. The form is straightforward and short. You should not spend more than 20 minutes on it. Plus, if you find something that is challenging within the form, iVisa has an excellent support service that is at your disposal 24/7. The service is free of charge.

The application form you need to complete has three steps. The first one covers the personal information, the passport info, and a few details about your trip to Sri Lanka. It is also necessary that you select a processing time for your application, but bear in mind that your selection affects the cost of your Sri Lanka ETA. Your options are as follows:

• Standard processing – this is the cheapest and slowest option iVisa puts at your disposal. Your application is processed within 1 business day, and it costs $55.

• Rush processing – this time, your ETA arrives in just 3 hours, but you will be charged $85.

• Super Rush processing – it only takes 30 minutes for your application to be processed. As you can imagine, the fee is higher. $105 to be more precise.

A trip to Sri Lanka for business purposes requires a Sri Lanka Business ETA. The processing time options remain the same, but the fees are slightly different. You will be charged $70, $100, and $120 respectively for each processing time.

The second step is about payment and revision. We suggest that you do not underestimate the latter since a small error can render your travel document invalid. Check your form for typos or any other mistakes before moving on.

The last step is when you must upload the necessary documents. For example, you need to upload the photo and the scan of your passport’s information page.

Step three: submit your application and wait

Once all three steps of the [application form] are complete, all that is left for you to do is to submit your application. iVisa will handle the rest.

The conclusion is that if you use iVisa as your visa service, you can easily apply for a Sri Lanka visa as a US citizen. Or as any other country’s citizen for that matter. All you have to do is follow the steps.