Sri Lanka trip
Sri Lanka trip from India with family
Indian families can get a Sri Lanka tourist ETA free of charge for 30 days, with double entry, from 25 May 2026, but the ETA must still be obtained before arrival, and the official notice gives no end date. This guide gives the entry rules the Sri Lankan authorities state, the currency rule, the best months by region, family ticket prices in US dollars as published, a budget sheet you fill in yourself, and what we could not confirm.
Sourced 27 October 2026. We read each official page linked below on 27 October 2026. Prices are in US dollars (USD) exactly as the pages give them, and we do not convert them to Indian rupees, because we have no dated official exchange rate to cite. Rules and fees change, so recheck the ETA site before you apply.
Checking entry rules for other countries? Use the visa-free finder for Indian passport holders. Comparing nearby trips? Read the Thailand trip from India with family guide and the Maldives trip cost from India for a family.
The free tourist ETA for Indian families
A Department of Immigration and Emigration notice says that with effect from 25.05.2026, nationals of 40 countries are eligible to obtain a tourist visa (ETA) free of charge for a period of 30 days. India is item 13 on the list. The same notice is on the official ETA site.
- An ETA is still needed. The notice says all foreign nationals, including nationals of the 40 countries, are required to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) prior to their arrival.
- Double entry. A double-entry facility is permitted from the date of first arrival within the 30-day validity period. The ETA site adds that during the second entry only the balance period of the 30 days will be granted.
- No refunds. ETA fees paid before 25.05.2026 are non-refundable.
- No end date. Neither the notice nor the ETA site gives an end date for the free scheme, so check the ETA site before you apply.
Children, passports and the ETA
- Children under 12. The ETA fees page says children of any nationality under 12 years of age are eligible for a free tourist visa (ETA) up to 30 days only.
- Passport validity. The Department of Immigration and Emigration says your passport must be valid for a minimum period of six months from the date you arrive in Sri Lanka.
- ETA validity. The ETA FAQ says an ETA is valid for six months, and a fresh ETA cannot be obtained using the same passport until that ETA expires.
- Where to apply. The immigration page points to eta.gov.lk and asks you to make payments only through the official ETA website. Our passport photo size checker notes that the ETA pages we read mention no photo upload.
- Standard fee. The ETA fees page still lists, for South Asian countries, a tourist ETA of US$ 20 online and US$ 25 on arrival. Under the free scheme, India is on the free list.
Money: pay in Sri Lankan rupees
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka said on 2 August 2023 that the Indian rupee was added as a designated foreign currency in August 2022, that this does not make INR a legal tender in Sri Lanka, and that the legal tender for domestic payments remains Sri Lanka rupees (LKR). The national zoo pages list ticket prices in USD and say all payments must be made in Sri Lankan rupees.
Best months by region
The official tourism site, Sri Lanka Travel, describes four seasons:
- December to February. Northeast monsoon, the peak tourist season on the southwest coast.
- March to April. First inter-monsoon, a transitional period with afternoon thunderstorms.
- May to September. Southwest monsoon, with heavy rainfall on the southwest coast and hills. The site calls it the best time to explore the dry zone: Trincomalee, Arugam Bay and Jaffna.
- October to November. Second inter-monsoon, with occasional heavy showers across the island.
Family sights with published prices
Each figure comes from the linked page, read on 27 October 2026. Prices are in USD as published, paid in LKR.
| Place | Official facts | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage | Foreign adult USD 17.70, foreign child USD 8.85. SAARC adult USD 11.80, SAARC child USD 5.90. The page labels both SAARC rows 3 to 12 years, so confirm the adult rate at the gate. All payments must be made in Sri Lankan rupees | National Zoological Gardens, Pinnawala, sourced 27 October 2026 |
| Dehiwala Zoo, Colombo | Foreign adult USD 17.70, foreign child USD 8.85. SAARC adult USD 11.80, SAARC child USD 5.90. All payments must be made in Sri Lankan rupees | National Zoological Gardens, Dehiwala, sourced 27 October 2026 |
| Sigiriya | The Central Cultural Fund e-ticketing site lists a Foreign Tourist Full ticket and a Foreign Tourist Half ticket for children of 6 to 12 years of age, and says relief tickets are issued for tourists of SAARC countries. It showed us no prices, so we give none | Central Cultural Fund, e-ticketing, sourced 27 October 2026 |
Sri Lanka trip cost from India: the budget sheet
Fill in your own figure on each line, then add the lines. We give no totals and no ranges, because we found no official page with flight, hotel or food prices.
| Line | Formula | Your figure |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | Flight price per person x number of travellers, from the airline's own booking page on the day. Taxes in the ticket can include Sri Lanka's embarkation levy | ______ |
| ETA | Free for Indian nationals under the scheme from 25 May 2026, and free for children under 12. Recheck on the ETA site | ______ |
| Stay | Price per night x number of nights | ______ |
| Food | Food per day x number of days | ______ |
| Local transport | Your own estimate for the whole stay | ______ |
| Sights | Adult ticket x adults, plus child ticket x children, for each place you pick, in USD as published | ______ |
| Travel insurance | Policy price per person x number of travellers | ______ |
| Forex charges | Card or exchange charges for paying in LKR, as your bank or exchange states them | ______ |
| Total | Add every line above | ______ |
Keep every line in the same currency, and note the date of any conversion your bank or card gives you. Total the trip with the family trip budget calculator.
Flights and the embarkation levy
- Routes. SriLankan Airlines' flights from India page lists Chennai, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi among its departure cities. We could not load the IndiGo or Air India pages on 27 October 2026, so check the airline sites for current routes. We state no fares.
- Embarkation levy. The Finance Act No. 25 of 2003, on the Civil Aviation Authority site, charges an embarkation levy in US dollars on every airline ticket, of an amount set by order in the Gazette. It exempts children who are less than two years of age, and some transit passengers who leave within twenty-four hours. The Act states no amount, and we could not read a current Gazette, so we give none.
Places we could not confirm
We could not confirm these on an official page on 27 October 2026, so we say nothing about them: an end date for the free ETA scheme, the current embarkation levy amount, Sigiriya ticket prices, Yala and other national park fees, whether each child needs a separate ETA application, consent rules for a child travelling with one parent, flight routes from IndiGo and Air India, any fare, and any rupee equivalent of a USD price.
Plan the trip
- Check entry rules with the visa-free finder for Indian passport holders.
- Total the costs with the family trip budget calculator.
- Check visa photos for the next trip with the passport photo size checker.
- Pack with the family packing list generator.
Ula, your AI travel companion, plans and books trips with your OK and remembers how you travel. It is in early access, and you can join the waitlist. The calculators and the finder work without it.
What we left out
We left out totals and ranges, rupee conversions, a hotel or flight recommendation, an itinerary, and any fee, fare or price that an official page we read does not state.
Sources
- Department of Immigration and Emigration, free tourist visa notice: immigration.gov.lk, sourced 27 October 2026
- Sri Lanka ETA, visa information centre: eta.gov.lk, sourced 27 October 2026
- Sri Lanka ETA, fees: eta.gov.lk, sourced 27 October 2026
- Sri Lanka ETA, FAQ: eta.gov.lk, sourced 27 October 2026
- Department of Immigration and Emigration, visa page: immigration.gov.lk, sourced 27 October 2026
- Central Bank of Sri Lanka, clarification on the Indian rupee: cbsl.gov.lk, sourced 27 October 2026
- Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka, Finance Act No. 25 of 2003: caa.lk, sourced 27 October 2026
- Sri Lanka Travel, weather: srilanka.travel, sourced 27 October 2026
- National Zoological Gardens, Pinnawala: nationalzoo.gov.lk, sourced 27 October 2026
- National Zoological Gardens, Dehiwala: nationalzoo.gov.lk, sourced 27 October 2026
- Central Cultural Fund, e-ticketing: eservices.ccf.gov.lk, sourced 27 October 2026
- SriLankan Airlines, flights from India: srilankan.com, sourced 27 October 2026
Questions
Is the Sri Lanka visa free for Indians?
Yes, for now. A Department of Immigration and Emigration notice says that from 25 May 2026 Indian nationals can get a tourist ETA free of charge for 30 days, with double entry. An ETA is still required before arrival, and the notice gives no end date. Sourced 27 October 2026.
Do children need a Sri Lanka ETA?
The notice says all foreign nationals need an ETA before arrival, and the ETA fees page says children of any nationality under 12 are eligible for a free tourist ETA up to 30 days. We found no official rule on separate applications or consent letters. Sourced 27 October 2026.
Can I pay in Indian rupees in Sri Lanka?
Plan to pay in Sri Lankan rupees. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka says the Indian rupee is a designated foreign currency but not legal tender, and that LKR remains the legal tender for domestic payments. Sourced 27 October 2026.
What is the best time to visit Sri Lanka with kids?
It depends on the coast. Sri Lanka Travel calls December to February the peak season on the southwest coast, and May to September the best time for the dry zone, naming Trincomalee, Arugam Bay and Jaffna. Sourced 27 October 2026.
How much does a Sri Lanka trip from India cost for a family?
We give no total. The cost is flights, stay, food, transport, sights, insurance and forex charges, and the ETA is free for Indian nationals under the current scheme. The guide has a budget sheet with a formula for each line. Sourced 27 October 2026.