Author : Madara, GROUND Sri Lanka | Tag : Before Your Trip, Sri Lanka, For Teachers, For Students

When planning an educational travel program in Sri Lanka, your and students’ visas are must-do. Luckily, Sri Lankan visas are extremely easy to get and can be applied for online. Plus GROUND Asia’s team on the ground in Sri Lanka is on hand to help you through every step of the application process.

1. Passports
   Make sure your and your students’ passports are valid for at least six months after you plan to leave Sri Lanka. While travelling with in the country, it is important that you carry around a copy of your passport with you at all times.
   
2. Obtaining Visa
   Before visiting Sri Lanka, you’ll need to apply for a 30-day visa:
   • Visit the Sri Lanka electronic visa website several days before arriving.
   • Follow the online application process and pay with a credit or debit card. 30-day visitor visas cost US$25 to US$100, depending on your nationality
   • Once approved, print out the visa confirmation.
   • You can also obtain visas at Sri Lankan embassies abroad or on arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport – although you’ll have to wait in the queue (which can take several hours) and pay a higher fee: US$40.
3. Visa Extensions
   You can renew a 30-day tourist visa twice, for 30 days each time. Contact the Department of Immigration and Emigration. Extensions are not hard to get but require jumping through some bureaucratic hoops and downloading some forms. To complete the process in one day, arrive to the office by 10am and expect it to take at least four hours.

4. Customs Regulations
   Sri Lanka too includes a list of prohibited goods from being imported into the country or are otherwise restricted. Drugs, weapons and fresh fruits are to name a few.
   If you haven’t yet booked your students’ travel program to Sri Lanka, check out our school and university trips and  get in contact with us.