Sri Lanka gave UAE residents an unexpected Eid present on 28 May 2026, announcing that citizens of 40 territories—including the United Arab Emirates—no longer need to pay the US $50 Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) fee for short stays. Travellers must still apply online before departure, but the payment page has been disabled for eligible passports and the approval is returned within minutes.
![Sri Lanka scraps visa fees for UAE travellers under 30-day ETA scheme]()
If you’d like an extra layer of peace of mind when completing the (now-free) ETA or need help with other regional visas, VisaHQ’s dedicated UAE portal can handle the paperwork for you in just a few clicks. Their platform—https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/—offers step-by-step guidance, document checks and real-time status alerts, so you can spend less time on forms and more time planning that first cup of Ceylon tea.
The fee waiver applies to trips of up to 30 days for tourism or business meetings and is valid until further notice. For Emiratis—whose passport already enjoys visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 187 destinations—the change removes one of the last formal costs to holidaying in Sri Lanka. Equally important, it slashes the paperwork burden for the UAE’s huge expatriate community: Indians, Pakistanis and Filipinos living in Dubai or Abu Dhabi can now combine low-cost Gulf-Colombo air fares with zero visa expense. Family packages advertised by UAE tour operators dropped by around AED 180 per person within hours of the announcement. Tourism authorities in Colombo hope the move will help the island nation claw back Gulf visitor numbers that dipped after last year’s floods. In 2025 more than 110,000 UAE residents visited Sri Lanka, spending an estimated US $150 million on hotels, transport and shopping. Analysts at JLL’s Dubai office forecast a 25 % rebound this year if the fee waiver remains through the peak khareef escape season. Corporate mobility managers should note that the waiver covers business meetings and conferences but **not** paid employment or on-the-ground project work, which still require a separate Employment Visa. Travellers must carry a return ticket and proof of funds (US $50 a day) although these checks are rarely enforced for Gulf residents arriving on full-service carriers. The ETA confirmation will still appear in the immigration system, so staff should save a PDF copy to avoid confusion during multi-country trips. Tip for weekend breakers: UAE residents transiting via Dubai or Abu Dhabi can fly overnight on Friday, land in Colombo early Saturday, and be sipping tea in Nuwara Eliya by breakfast—no cash, no forms, just your passport and an email print-out.
If you’d like an extra layer of peace of mind when completing the (now-free) ETA or need help with other regional visas, VisaHQ’s dedicated UAE portal can handle the paperwork for you in just a few clicks. Their platform—https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/—offers step-by-step guidance, document checks and real-time status alerts, so you can spend less time on forms and more time planning that first cup of Ceylon tea.
The fee waiver applies to trips of up to 30 days for tourism or business meetings and is valid until further notice. For Emiratis—whose passport already enjoys visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 187 destinations—the change removes one of the last formal costs to holidaying in Sri Lanka. Equally important, it slashes the paperwork burden for the UAE’s huge expatriate community: Indians, Pakistanis and Filipinos living in Dubai or Abu Dhabi can now combine low-cost Gulf-Colombo air fares with zero visa expense. Family packages advertised by UAE tour operators dropped by around AED 180 per person within hours of the announcement. Tourism authorities in Colombo hope the move will help the island nation claw back Gulf visitor numbers that dipped after last year’s floods. In 2025 more than 110,000 UAE residents visited Sri Lanka, spending an estimated US $150 million on hotels, transport and shopping. Analysts at JLL’s Dubai office forecast a 25 % rebound this year if the fee waiver remains through the peak khareef escape season. Corporate mobility managers should note that the waiver covers business meetings and conferences but **not** paid employment or on-the-ground project work, which still require a separate Employment Visa. Travellers must carry a return ticket and proof of funds (US $50 a day) although these checks are rarely enforced for Gulf residents arriving on full-service carriers. The ETA confirmation will still appear in the immigration system, so staff should save a PDF copy to avoid confusion during multi-country trips. Tip for weekend breakers: UAE residents transiting via Dubai or Abu Dhabi can fly overnight on Friday, land in Colombo early Saturday, and be sipping tea in Nuwara Eliya by breakfast—no cash, no forms, just your passport and an email print-out.
