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Passport expires 5 months after CMB landing — will immigration still stamp my ETA?

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M
Maya Chen ETA•240 rep

Flying into Bandaranaike in two days with an approved ETA on my phone. Passport expiry is only five months after the arrival date, not six. Airline already checked me in, but friends keep saying Sri Lanka wants six months validity. Has anyone cleared immigration recently with under six months left, or should I change the ticket before I land?

26

4 Answers from travellers

✓Accepted Answer

Official entry guidance still asks for a passport valid for at least six months from the date you arrive, plus your ETA approval, onward ticket, and enough funds. Five months left is under that line. Airlines sometimes board people anyway; immigration can still refuse or delay you. Do not invent a special exception from a WhatsApp group. Check eta.gov.lk / immigration.gov.lk for the current wording, and if you can renew or rebook before flying, that is the safer move. Print or save the ETA offline — CMB immigration Wi-Fi is not a plan.

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Kasun CMB Desk•1820 rep

I meet passengers after the stamp, not before it. When someone is pulled aside for passport validity it ruins the transfer. If your book is under six months, sort it before you fly rather than arguing at the counter at midnight.

15
B
Bandara Airport Van•1750 rep

We were paranoid about the same rule and renewed early. Painful fee, but watching the family next to us get secondary checks for a thin passport was enough.

9
H
Hannah Whitfield•192 rep

Calling the airline and looking at a renew-before-travel option. Not gambling five months at CMB.

4
M
Maya Chen ETA•240 rep

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