Sri Lankan visa for South African citizens

A visa is REQUIRED for South African passport holders visiting Sri Lanka for tourism and business purposes. See detailed requirements below:

Visa requirements:

Visa type Purposes Visa requirements Allowed stay
Tourist visa For South African citizens to enter Sri Lanka for a short-term tourism purpose. Visa required N/A
Evisa Sri Lanka e-visa for South African citizens Eligible
Visa on arrival Sri Lanka visa on arrival for South African citizens Eligible

Sri Lanka tourist visa requirements:

  • Holding South African passport that is valid for six months beyond the period of the intended stay in Sri Lanka.
  • Proof of onward travel (departure) from Sri Lanka.

If you are looking for Sri Lanka visa information, such as available types of visas, or how to apply from South Africa, we recommend you visit or contact the embassy or consulate of Sri Lanka nearest your place of residence.

  • Pretoria: The High Commission of Sri Lanka in Pretoria, South Africa (Working hours: Close now)
  • Cape Town: The Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Cape Town, South Africa (Working hours: Close now)

Sri Lanka visa applications & requirements (For reference purposes only, please visit the nearest Sri Lanka diplomatic mission offices to South Africa for guidance)

Tourism Statistics Chart

The line chart shows the number of visitors from South Africa traveling to Sri Lanka from 2008 to 2018.

Year Number of visitors (South Africa) estimated Change (%)
2008 3,635 N/A
2009 3,718 2.28%
2010 5,428 45.99%
2011 7,105 30.90%
2012 8,350 17.52%
2013 10,583 26.74%
2014 12,674 19.76%
2015 14,923 17.74%
2016 17,023 14.07%
2017 17,566 3.19%
2018 19,372 10.28%

References: UNWTO.org, World Bank and multiple sources. (This data is for informational purposes only. Please see our disclaimer page for more information.)

Sri Lanka & South Africa comparison

Sri Lanka's area is approximately 62,710 km2 (24,212 sq mi), while the area of South Africa is approximately 1,213,090 km2 (468,376 sq mi). This means South Africa is 19.34 times bigger than Sri Lanka.

As of October 2025, Sri Lanka's population is ~21.9 million people - 41,241,519 fewer people than the population of South Africa.

We have highlighted Sri Lanka & South Africa’s relative positions on world's map for your reference.

Sri Lanka South Africa Difference
Population (est 2025) 21,862,927 63,104,446 41.2 million fewer people live in Sri Lanka than South Africa
Number of diplomatic missions abroad (est) 67 124 Sri Lanka has 57 fewer diplomatic representations abroad compared with South Africa.
Travel freedom (2025) 16 67 Sri Lanka passport holders visit 51 fewer countries and territories without a visa.
Number of foreign missions hosted 61 197 Sri Lankan hosts 136 fewer foreign missions than South Africa.

Frequently asked questions, answered

How many visitors from South Africa travel to Sri Lanka in one year?

The number of visitors from South Africa visiting Sri Lanka in 2018 was approximately 19,372.

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Useful Information

  • Colombo to Pretoria: 6943.97 km (4314.78 mi)
  • Travel time: 14 hours 27 minutes

This page was last updated on: October 2025