This is welcome news for many travelers and tourism professionals: approval emails for Sri Lanka’s Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) are once again being sent out.
Since mid-February, a technical issue had been affecting the delivery of ETA approval notifications. While applications could still be submitted and paid for through the official portal, the final approval emails were not being sent, leaving some travelers in limbo as their departure dates approached.
During this period, authorities implemented a temporary measure allowing passengers who had submitted their applications to travel even without receiving the approval email. Verification and regularization were then handled upon arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Colombo.
Today, the situation appears to be gradually returning to normal, as applicants are once again receiving their approval notices by email.
Sri Lanka ETA: a return to normal observed in recent days
At this stage, Sri Lankan authorities have not publicly announced the resolution of the technical issue.
Neither the Department of Immigration and Emigration (DIE) nor Sri Lankan diplomatic missions abroad have issued an official statement confirming that the notification system has been fully restored.
However, VisasNews can confirm that the ETA system is now functioning again.
Since Thursday, February 26, our Sri Lanka destination experts have received numerous approval notifications that had previously been pending and listed as “Pending” on the official portal eta.gov.lk. These applications now display the status “ETA is approved.”
The large number of approval emails being sent out confirms a gradual clearing of the backlog that had built up over recent weeks.
In the absence of formal communication from the relevant authorities, travelers are nevertheless advised to remain cautious. It is still recommended that applicants regularly check the status of their application and retain proof of submission until they officially receive their ETA approval.
Reminder: ETA application remains mandatory before traveling to Sri Lanka
Even during the disruption, authorities were clear: submitting an ETA application online prior to travel remained mandatory for both tourism and business stays.
Not receiving an approval email did not exempt travelers from the required procedure. Travelers were required to:
- Submit their application via the official portal;
- Keep their reference notice or proof of submission;
- Present these documents at check-in and upon arrival in Sri Lanka.
These regulatory requirements remain unchanged. The resumption of approval emails does not alter entry conditions: all applications must still be submitted before travel.
A revealing episode in the digital era
This incident highlights the growing dependence of immigration procedures on digital platforms. In just a few days, a technical malfunction was enough to trigger widespread uncertainty among travelers and airlines.
The swift response from authorities, who quickly informed carriers and authorized regularization upon arrival, helped prevent major disruption to traffic to Colombo.
The gradual restoration of approval notifications therefore marks an important step toward normal operations of the ETA system, which is essential to Sri Lanka’s tourism appeal and economic activity.
Furthermore, in a tense international context marked by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the Sri Lankan authorities announced this weekend that they would grant an exceptional 14-day extension of visa validity free of charge to tourists currently in the country.
