Travelling to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka’s National Carrier, Sri Lankan Airlines offers competitive airfares to Sri Lanka from Europe, the Middle East and the rest of Asia.
Sri Lankan Airlines operates direct flights from main international airports in London, Frankfurt, Melbourne, Sydney, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Muscat, Kuwait city, Manama (Bahrain), Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Katmandu, and Male.
In addition to Sri Lankan Airlines there are many other international Airlines that operate flights into the island. They have been listed below for easy reference.
Airlines operating from Europe to Sri Lanka: Turkish Airlines, Etihad, Emirates & Qatar Airways have the best connections. Sri Lankan operates direct flights from London, Rome & Frankfurt.
Airlines operating from Russia & the Indian Subcontinent to Sri Lanka: Both Aeroflot & Vistara Air has direct connections out of Mumbai & Moscow. Sri Lankan Airlines also operates direct flights to many Indian states.
Airlines operating from the Middle East to Sri Lanka: The main Airlines such as Etihad, Emirates, Oman Air, Gulf air, Kuwait Airways and Qatar Airways offer direct flights to Sri Lanka. In addition to the above, Air Arabia & Fly Dubai offer competitive budget connections.
Airlines operating from China to Sri Lanka: Carriers such as China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines Sri Lankan Airlines operate direct flights from China to Sri Lanka.
Airlines operating from South East Asia to Sri Lanka: Asian carriers such as Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Malindo Air, Malaysian Airlines and Thai Airways offer direct flights and connections to Sri Lanka. In addition to the above, Jet star & Air Asia offer competitive budget connections.
Connection flights operating from Australia and New Zealand to Sri Lankan: Those travelling from Australia and New Zealand can travel via South East Asia. Alternatively Sri Lanka Airlines has regular direct flights from Melbourne to Colombo.
Airports
There are five international airports in Sri Lanka of which the Bandaranayake International Airport located in Katunayake (close to the commercial capital Colombo) is the main hub. Most international flights operate through Katunayake.
The Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport located further south is expected to become a leading hub as tourism grows in the southern part of the country. Currently a few international airlines operate out of Mattala.
In addition to these, there are many domestic airports and charter operators which facilitate internal travel as well.
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VISA Requiements
When visiting Sri Lanka as a tourist you can apply for your visa under 2 main categories which are listed below:
1. Tourist Visit Visa - A Tourist Visa is issued to bona-fide tourists who want to enter Sri Lanka for sightseeing, excursions, relaxation, visit relatives or yoga training for a short period of time.
2. Business Purpose Visa - A Business Purpose Visa is issued to foreign nationals who visit Sri Lanka for business purposes for short period of time. This visa may be issued for single or double journeys.
For further information on visas please visit the official website for the department of immigration: http://www.immigration.gov.lk/web/
Currently, all Holiday and Business travellers to Sri Lanka must apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) in order to enter Sri Lanka. (Please visit http://www.eta.gov.lk for more information.)
ETA visa applications and payments should be made exclusively through the official website. Any payments made to other websites or agencies are not valid for ETA processing. Please also be aware of fake websites that claim to offer ETA services.
Please get in touch with us for more details.
