All media personnel visiting Sri Lanka should obtain a visa prior to arrival in Colombo from the Embassy of Sri Lanka. Media personnel visiting Sri Lanka on a media assignment cannot enter Sri Lanka on a tourist or business visa. Documents required:
- Application for entry visa ‘Form B’ (click here to download)
- Passport - n.b. The validity of the passport must be at least six months beyond the date of entry in to Sri Lanka.
- One recent passport-size photographs
- Letter of Commission: a letter from the respective media organization detailing the tentative programme with dates, places and if it contains interviews, the persons to be interviewed etc. (For freelance journalists, a letter from the editor of the publication)
- Equipment list for electronic media along with a carnet or bank guarantee for customs purposes
- Letter undertaking that the equipment will be re-exported at the end of the visit
- Return air ticket
- Visa fee of US$ 40 for less than a 30-day stay in Sri Lanka. US$ 140 for the visits which are longer than 30 days. (Payable by money order, bank certified check or cash in favor of the Embassy of Sri Lanka.) An additional US$ 20 is charged to return the passport to the applicant by post.
Processing time: 1-7 business days.
