Sri Lanka scraps $50 tourist ETA fee for Spanish citizens

Spain has joined the list of countries whose citizens enter Sri Lanka without paying the tourist ETA fee. As of May 25, 2026, Spanish passport holders can obtain a free 30-day, double-entry electronic tourist authorization — a change that puts Spain among roughly 40 nationalities now covered by the waiver.

What changed

Before the change, Spanish tourists paid the standard tourist ETA fee, around $50, for a double-entry permit valid for 30 days. That fee now drops to zero, applying to ordinary, diplomatic, official and service passports.

The permit requirement itself has not gone away. Sri Lanka's Department of Immigration and Emigration still requires every visitor to hold an approved ETA before boarding — a rule that tightened on October 15, 2025, when visa-on-arrival was scrapped. The application through eta.gov.lk still asks for a passport, onward ticket, accommodation and contact details. In short, Spanish travelers save the money, not the process.

The double-entry facility runs within the same 30-day window from first arrival. A second entry draws from the days remaining on that original 30 rather than starting a fresh count — useful for a short border run to India or the Maldives, but not a reset.

What it means for nomads

The waiver covers tourism only. The immigration department keeps the tourist ETA firmly separate from the business ETA, and the tourist category bans work of any kind — including remote work, freelancing and even unpaid activity.

That distinction matters. According to Sri Lankan advisories, overstaying the 30 days can lead to detention, fines, deportation at the traveler's own expense and future entry bans. Working on a tourist ETA falls into the same enforcement bracket. As the guidance bluntly notes, the free entry "buys a month, nothing more."

Spanish nomads who want to stay longer have two clean paths: apply for an extension through the ETA portal and pay the applicable extension fee, or pursue a business or residence category from the outset. If you plan to stay past 30 days, file the extension request before the initial window closes — not after — to avoid overstay penalties.

One caveat for anyone who already paid: fees charged before May 25, 2026 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.

Originally reported by Stamped Nomad.