Do I need a photo for the Sri Lanka ETA?
TL;DR No. The Department of Immigration & Emigration's ETA application form has no photograph field anywhere on it, and the port-of-entry list is a passport valid six months, a confirmed return ticket and sufficient funds. Singapore nationals do need the ETA, issued online, without a photo.
How it was checked
The Department's own ETA application form, in full, searched for "photo", "image" and "picture": no matches. The ETA website's how-to page describes submit, acknowledgement, approval — no upload. That is a stronger basis than a landing page that merely fails to mention a photo, which is why this site says "no" for Sri Lanka and only "unconfirmed" for Turkey and Egypt.
What a Singapore resident actually needs
An ETA before arrival — it is required for Singapore nationals — a passport with six months' validity, a return ticket and funds. A longer stay or a residence visa is a separate process with its own checklist at the High Commission.
Sri Lanka's two documents
| Document | Size | Head in frame (as we compose it) | Background | Max age | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka visa | 35 × 45 mm | 60–80% | plain white | 6 months | www.eta.gov.lk |
| Sri Lanka passport | 35 × 45 mm | 70–80% | plain light — white, light blue or light grey | 6 months | www.immigration.gov.lk |
A real case
A family of four had photos taken for their Sri Lanka trip on the strength of a guide. The ETA form never asked. The photos went unused; the ETAs arrived by email the same afternoon.
Common questions
- Guides list a 35 × 45 mm photo for Sri Lanka. Where does that come from?
- From the general visa rules, which some long-stay categories use. The short-visit ETA that nearly everyone from Singapore applies for does not.
- What about the Sri Lankan passport renewal in Singapore?
- A different document. Since 2015 the photo must come from an authorised studio, not the applicant — see its page.
Related documents
- Sri Lanka visa — 35 × 45 mm
- Sri Lanka passport — 35 × 45 mm
Sources
Read on the issuing authority's own pages on the dates shown on each document page:
- Sri Lanka visa: www.eta.gov.lk (read 2026-09-06)
- Sri Lanka passport: www.immigration.gov.lk (read 2026-09-02)
SGfoto is independent — not affiliated with or endorsed by any government or issuing authority — and does not guarantee acceptance. Requirements change; the authority's page is the one that counts. Rebuilt 2026-09-16.