Citizens of Azerbaijan do need a Sri Lanka visa, but it is not a classic visa. It is an electronic travel authorisation called the ETA, bought online and usually approved within a day.
Since May 2026 Sri Lanka has issued this authorisation free to citizens of 40 countries; Azerbaijan is not on that list, so our citizens pay the standard 50-dollar fee.
Beyond that there is no difficulty. There is no embassy to visit, no document pack to assemble and no interview to prepare for.
This article explains the ETA’s terms, the official portal and the intermediary trap, the visa-on-arrival option, the flight options from Baku to Colombo and how to choose the route by season.
Sri Lanka visa: the essentials
| Visa type | ETA, electronic travel authorisation |
| Fee | 50 dollars online, more at the border |
| Length of stay | 30 days, double entry |
| Processing time | Usually 24 hours, up to 3 working days |
| Passport | Valid for at least 6 months |
| Extension | At the immigration office in Colombo, up to 6 months |
| Direct flights | None; via Doha, Dubai or Istanbul |
How to get a Sri Lanka visa online
The application is made on the official ETA portal of Sri Lanka’s Department of Immigration: you enter passport details, an address and the flight dates, pay the fee by card, and the approval arrives by email. No documents need uploading. The official portal is the Sri Lanka ETA site, and that address is worth stressing: most of the top results for «Sri Lanka visa» are intermediaries selling the same authorisation for 80–100 dollars and sometimes delaying the application.
Once the ETA is issued you must enter the country within 3 months; after entry you may stay 30 days, and within that period you may leave and return once — to cross to the Maldives and come back, for example.
Can you get the visa at the border?
Yes, the ETA is also issued on the spot at Colombo airport, but the fee is higher than online and you have to queue after a long flight. Airlines are also sometimes reluctant to board a passenger without an ETA approval. Buying it online the day before is the smarter route.
Read next: Do you need a Maldives visa? The 90-day visa-free regime, the Imuga form and the resort booking
How to fly from Baku to Colombo
There is no direct flight. People fly to Colombo with Qatar Airways via Doha, Emirates and flydubai via Dubai and Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, taking 10 to 13 hours in all. Baku–Colombo fares rise in December–January and over the Novruz holiday; May and October are the cheaper months. On a combined route with the Maldives, the Malé–Colombo flight takes 1.5 hours.
Sri Lanka combines tea plantations, Sigiriya rock, the Ella train and the ocean shore in a single trip; Sri Lanka tour programmes usually run 8–10 days and include the ETA in the package.
What to know before the trip
- Season. The island is split between two monsoons: December–April suits the south-west coast, May–September the east coast. Build the route around the season.
- Money. The Sri Lankan rupee. Dollars are changed on the spot, cards work in hotels, and small places need cash.
- Insurance. Not required but advisable, especially for train and surf routes.
- Medicines. Carry prescription medicines with the prescription; some sedatives are banned.
- Temples. Shoulders and knees must be covered in Buddhist temples, and tattoos or clothing depicting the Buddha cause trouble.
Frequently asked questions about the Sri Lanka visa
Is Azerbaijan on the free Sri Lanka visa list?
No. As of May 2026 Azerbaijan is not among the 40 countries granted a free ETA; the standard 50-dollar fee is paid.
Can the 30 days be extended?
Yes, at the immigration office in Colombo or by applying online you can extend to up to 6 months from the first entry, on payment of a fee.
Do children need an ETA?
Yes, a separate ETA is obtained for each child; no fee is charged for children under 12, but the application is still made.
In closing
The Sri Lanka visa is a 50-dollar ETA bought online in a day; what matters is telling the official portal from an intermediary and building the route around the monsoon season. The Viza.az team helps with the ETA application, choosing the flight route and planning the Sri Lankan programme.
Read more about Sri Lanka as a destination and our service fees, or fill in the application form.
Note: the information here is accurate as of the publication date. Fees and the list of free countries can change, so check the official portal again before applying.
