Exact order of things to do at Colombo airport on arrival in 2026

Efficient arrival order at CMB (Bandaranaike): (1) Immigration first, have your ETA approval and onward ticket on screen. (2) Baggage claim. (3) Customs declaration, declare drones/expensive electronics on the green form. (4) Once in the arrivals hall: SIM kiosk (Dialog and Mobitel both have 24-hour kiosks; bring your passport, takes 5 minutes). (5) Forex counter for some starter rupees (rates are decent, change just 100 to 200 USD here, do the rest at city ATMs). (6) ATM if you prefer card withdrawal, Commercial Bank and Sampath have machines in arrivals. (7) Pickup or taxi: official airport taxi counter (fixed price) or PickMe/Uber from the dedicated pickup area outside. Yes, there is a 24-hour left-luggage facility in the arrivals area, charged per piece per day, used by domestic-flight transfers and short trips. Bring small change.