Sri Lanka Announces Special ETA Application Process for Ghanaians, 4 Other Countries

• Sri Lanka's Department of Immigration and Emigration announced a separate ETA process for nationals from five specific countries
• Ghanaians, Nigerians, and citizens of three other nations cannot use the standard self-service online ETA portal available to most travellers
• Applicants from the listed countries must find a Sri Lankan sponsor to initiate the visa process on their behalf

Sri Lanka has introduced a distinct Electronic Travel Authorisation process for citizens of five countries, requiring them to go through a local sponsor rather than the standard self-service online portal used by most other travellers.

The country's Department of Immigration and Emigration published the updated requirements, confirming that nationals from Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and Afghanistan must follow a sponsor-based application route when seeking an ETA to enter Sri Lanka.

How the sponsor-based ETA process works

Under this arrangement, a Sri Lankan resident or citizen must initiate the application on the visitor's behalf. All supporting documents have to be submitted in person at the Department of Immigration and Emigration's head office in Battaramulla.

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The sponsor is required to submit a formal request letter and an affidavit signed before a Justice of the Peace or a lawyer. A certified copy of the sponsor's national identity card or a photocopy of their passport must also be included in the submission.

Travellers from the five listed countries are expected to provide a police clearance report, a photocopy of their passport, and proof of accommodation before the application can proceed.

What this means for Ghanaian travellers

For Ghanaians and nationals of the other four countries, this process effectively means that independent travel to Sri Lanka is not straightforward. Unlike most other nationalities, who can obtain approval quickly through an online portal, these travellers must first identify a willing and eligible local contact in Sri Lanka before the application process can even begin.

The standard ETA self-service route, which offers convenience and speed for most visitors, is not available to them under the current rules.

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Travellers affected by this policy are advised to verify all documentation requirements directly with the Department of Immigration and Emigration before making any travel arrangements, as requirements may be subject to change.

Source: YEN.com.gh