HKSAR Passport Holders Get 30-Day Visa on Arrival at Bandaranaike International

(SRI LANKA) — Sri Lanka now allows HKSAR passport holders to obtain visa-on-arrival entry for stays of up to 30 days, following an announcement by the Hong Kong SAR Government on April 13, 2026.

The arrangement requires travelers to secure an Electronic Travel Authorization online before they depart. After approval, the traveler receives electronic confirmation, and immigration authorities grant the entry visa on arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport.

Authorities set the entry visa at a maximum validity of 30 days. The system gives HKSAR passport holders a defined route to enter Sri Lanka without obtaining a visa in advance through a separate in-person process.

Applicants are expected to file for the ETA at least 10 days before travel. Most applications are approved within 10 days, although governments do not guarantee processing times.

The authorization is linked electronically to the passport used in the application and remains valid for 30 days. A traveler who receives a new passport must submit a new ETA application.

Hong Kong authorities tied the arrangement to the Belt and Road Initiative. They said the measure strengthens tourism, cultural and economic ties between Hong Kong and Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka’s addition also raises the number of destinations offering either visa-free access or visa-on-arrival access to 175 countries and territories for HKSAR passport holders. That count places the Sri Lanka arrangement within a broader expansion of travel access for the document.

The process outlined by the two sides is sequential rather than automatic. Travelers first apply online, then wait for electronic confirmation, and only after arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport receive the entry visa that permits the stay.

That sequence matters because the visa-on-arrival benefit still depends on advance online clearance. Possession of an HKSAR passport alone does not complete the process; the pre-departure ETA remains a required step.

Officials also gave travelers a practical benchmark for timing. An application submitted less than 10 days before departure may still be processed, but the stated guidance leaves a buffer because approval times are not guaranteed.

The passport link is central to how the authorization works. Since the eTA is attached electronically to the passport number used in the application, replacing that passport breaks the connection and requires a fresh application.

The arrangement, as described by the Hong Kong side, combines digital pre-clearance with physical issuance at the airport. Approval arrives electronically, while the actual entry visa is granted after landing in Sri Lanka.

Travelers seeking the latest conditions are advised to check with the relevant Sri Lankan consulate or embassy before departure. Hong Kong’s Immigration Department also lists current information on visa-free and visa-on-arrival access at its travel document page.

The change gives HKSAR passport holders another short-stay option in South Asia, with entry capped at 30 days and routed through an online authorization that must be in place before boarding. Sri Lanka’s inclusion brings the total access count to 175 countries and territories, a figure the Hong Kong government highlighted alongside the tourism, cultural and economic links behind the move.