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Entering by boat: Sri Lanka

What to do to enter Sri Lanka by sea: the procedures, the papers to present and the ports where you can clear in.

Check with the authorities before you leave (last checked on 28 October 2026).

Before you arrive

  • Online procedure: ETA (autorisation de voyage électronique) pour les visas de l'équipage — eta.gov.lk/

The steps

  1. Get the online ETA for each crew member and appoint an agent before departure.
  2. Call the Port Authority on VHF 16 about 1.5 NM out, then your agent.
  3. Port security, Navy, Customs and Health board with the agent.
  4. Visit Immigration with the agent for the visa; pay fees through the agent.

Papers to have on board

  • Passports for the whole crew
  • Visas, if your nationality requires them
  • Crew list
  • Boat papers (registration certificate)
  • Outward clearance from the previous country
  • Vaccination certificates
  • Going through an agent

Good to know

  • An agent is mandatory for entry and exit at every port.
  • Crew visas (ETA) must be obtained online BEFORE arrival.
  • Night entry is prohibited at Galle and Trincomalee: anchor outside until daylight.
  • Officials may ask for 'considerations'; a notice states bribery is an offence.

Ports of entry

The ports where you can clear in, and the services available there.

Prepare your arrival with Hullteam

In the app, free: the map of every port of entry and its offices with their contacts, the crew list and the entry forms filled in for you, ready to print or send to an agent.

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Sources

This information is gathered from public sources and sailors’ experience. It does not replace the country’s authorities, whose word is final: check before you leave.