I hopped off to Sri Lanka last June for a week of solo travelling and I must say it was an incredible experience! Sri Lanka is a gorgeous island replete with stunning natural beauty, vibrant people and remarkable gastronomic delights . The best part however, is that you don’t have to spend a fortune to vacation here . For a budget conscious traveller looking to get lost in the midst of the sun and the sand, mountains and forests, Sri Lanka should be an ideal getaway.
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Here’s what you need to know about the Visa application procedure. Obtaining a visa doesn’t get easier than this. An online Electronic Travel Authorization is all that you need to enter this pretty island ! Just go to http://www.eta.gov.lk/slvisa/ , click on the ‘Apply’ button and fill out a short online form about your contact, passport and your travel details.
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Next fill out your payment details. If you belong to any of the SAARC countries( ie, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Afghanistan,Maldives), you need to pay 15$ for a tourist visa which lets you stay upto 30 days in Sri Lanka. If you are from any other country you pay 30$. No fees are charged for children below 12 years of age.
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The final step is to click on the ETA confirmation button. You get an immediate acknowledgement mail in your inbox from the SL Dept of Immigration. Ideally, you get the ETA approval mail within 24 hours of this acknowledgement. With my kind of luck, I got in just 20 minutes!
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Here’s What you should keep ready before applying for the ETA online
1. A ticket to and from Sri Lanka (Mandatory)
2. Evidence of sufficient funds to cover your expenses (usually a bank statement would suffice)
3. Details of where you would be staying at the island (Mandatory)
4. A valid credit card or an international debit card
For the not so tech savvy, there is an alternate option of getting the ETA directly upon arrival in Sri
Lanka. It will take you about half an hour and some extra dollars, but it will be done without much
hassle.
Ananya misra is a day-dreaming, animal loving, self-sufficient, independent and hopelessly romantic adult trudging along the wrong end of her twenties.Good food and solo travel are her drugs of choice. Armed with a bachelor’s degree in Maths and a MBA in marketing, she works in a bank by the day while she spends the night cuddling with her six cats and dreaming of writing a book someday.