eSIM for Sri Lanka

The ETA before you fly

All foreign nationals need an Electronic Travel Authorization, or ETA, before arriving in Sri Lanka. You apply for it online at eta.gov.lk, the official site of the Department of Immigration and Emigration, and UK government travel advice also tells travellers to do this before they set off.

Since 25 May 2026, nationals of 40 listed countries have been able to get a free 30-day tourist ETA; a longer stay requires paying the applicable visa fee. The list of nationalities and the terms can change, so check eta.gov.lk for your own passport rather than relying on a summary. UK advice adds that visa extensions are handled through the official immigration e-services portal.

Train tickets, taxi apps and the tourist hotline

Sri Lanka Railways takes seat reservations through its official portal, seatreservation.railway.gov.lk, and its app. If you book online, the e-ticket is emailed to you, and collecting a ticket at the station requires your passport and the booking reference.

That makes data or Wi-Fi useful when you book and when you need the reference on the day. We make no promise of a connection along any stretch of line, so keep the booking reference and an offline map on your phone before the journey starts.

UK advice says taxis can be booked through local and international taxi apps, with fewer available outside tourist areas. For tourism information, Sri Lanka Tourism runs the 1912 hotline, which can be dialled from any public, private or mobile phone network in the country and can put you through to the Tourism Police.

Sri Lanka alone or part of a longer Asia trip

Local plans cover Sri Lanka and suit a trip that stays on the island, from the coast to the hill country. Regional plans on this page also cover India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, which suits a route that carries on across South or Southeast Asia. Daily plans set an allowance for each day, a good match for days spent on trains and in taxis, booking and finding your way as you go.