Sri Lanka scraps the $50 tourist ETA fee for Spanish citizens

Sri Lanka scrapped the tourist ETA fee for Spanish passport holders on May 25, joining a 40-country list that now enters on a free 30-day double-entry permit.

From paid ETA to zero, but the permit still stands

Before May 25, 2026, Spanish tourists paid the standard tourist ETA fee, roughly $50 for a double-entry, 30-day stay, per pre-waiver consular schedules. Under the new policy, that fee drops to zero for Spanish nationals holding diplomatic, official, service or ordinary passports.

The permit itself hasn't gone away. Sri Lanka's Department of Immigration and Emigration still requires every visitor to hold an approved ETA before boarding, a rule that hardened on Oct. 15, 2025, when ETA-on-arrival was scrapped. Spanish travelers save the fee, not the paperwork.

The double-entry facility runs from the date of first arrival within the 30-day validity window. A second entry only draws from the days left on that original 30, not a fresh count.

Who this catches and who it doesn't

The waiver covers short-stay tourism. It doesn't cover work and the immigration department keeps the tourist ETA firmly separate from the business ETA.

Anyone drawn to Sri Lanka for a remote-work stint should read the fine print before booking a long flat. Overstaying the 30 days can trigger detention, fines, deportation at the traveler's expense and future entry bans, per the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs advisory reflecting the updated rules. Working on a tourist ETA sits in the same enforcement bucket.

Spanish nomads planning stays beyond 30 days have two clean options: apply for an extension through the ETA portal and pay the applicable extension fee or pursue a business or residence category from the outset. The free entry buys a month, nothing more. Travelers weighing a longer run should check the practicalities in the Sri Lanka country guide before committing to a lease.

Refunds and who has to act

Anyone who already paid an ETA fee before May 25, 2026 is out of luck. The immigration department confirmed those fees are non-refundable, even for nationals now covered by the waiver.

Spanish travelers with trips booked for later this year should still complete the online ETA application in advance, select the tourist category and expect the fee line to read zero. Those planning to stay past 30 days should file the extension request before the initial window closes, not after, to avoid the overstay penalties.