Check a Sri Lanka ETA error by stage: draft, submitted application or existing approval. Confirm the correction route before paying for another application.
If a Sri Lanka ETA contains a wrong name or passport number, first establish whether it is a draft, a submitted application or an issued approval. Do not assume that editing a private account changes an authority record, or that buying another ETA immediately is the correct remedy.
Keep the passport, application reference and any official notice together. A typing error and a passport replaced after approval need different checks; do not assume the same remedy applies to both.
Check the stage before taking action
| Stage | What to compare | Appropriate next step |
|---|---|---|
| Draft not yet confirmed | Passport number, names, nationality, birth date and expiry | Correct the draft and check it again before final confirmation |
| Paid private order, authority submission uncertain | The private reference and the preparation/submission stage | Ask the provider whether it can still correct the draft before transmission |
| Submitted government application | The official reference and the information actually submitted | Follow the authority's current correction or inquiry instructions |
| ETA already approved | The issued notice and the passport you will travel with | Confirm the permitted remedy with the authority before relying on the approval or applying again |
The official ETA FAQ discusses fresh applications after mistakes, but it also lists restrictions involving an existing valid ETA or certain visas. These statements must be read together for your circumstances; they are not permission to submit duplicate applications until one works.
Passport-number errors and name formatting
Compare the full passport number character by character with the original document. Check for a missing character or a letter read as a number. Confirm that you are using the passport intended for the trip rather than an older document saved in your browser.
For names, follow the instructions on the current form and the passport fields. Do not invent a surname, omit a name or move a name between fields solely to force the form through. If the passport has an unusual name structure, ask the official support channel how it should be represented.
An apparent mismatch may involve formatting rather than a different identity, but this article cannot decide what the authority or carrier will accept. A private provider cannot promise that a discrepancy will be overlooked at check-in or entry.
The official cancellation-before-reapplication instructions
The current official sample acknowledgment says submitted ETA details cannot be amended. For a change, it directs the applicant to send a cancellation request using the original application's email address and the approval reference to the addresses published on that page, then wait for cancellation confirmation before submitting a new application.
Read the authority's current sample notice and follow the instructions associated with your own record. Do not skip the confirmation step or assume a new payment cancels the previous ETA. The sample also describes cancellation payments as non-refundable.
Renewed or lost passport after ETA approval
The official application terms require the same travel document for the application and entry. Do not assume an ETA linked to an old number automatically transfers to a renewed passport, or that carrying both passports settles the issue.
The official FAQ expressly permits a fresh paid ETA after losing the passport linked to a valid ETA. It does not establish an automatic transfer procedure for ordinary renewal. If your passport changed, ask the authority about your existing reference before travel or another payment. Explain whether it was lost or renewed and which document you intend to use; follow the cancellation instructions if the authority requires replacement.
Prepare a useful inquiry
State the application reference, the field containing the error, the correct value and whether an approval has already been issued. Use the selected official or private support channel; do not post identity documents in public.
If you applied here, check your application and contact our team before starting another paid order. If you applied directly, use the contact and status tools on the official ETA website.
Keep the answer to your inquiry so that you can follow the instructed route. A payment receipt, acknowledgment or support message is not a replacement for the travel authorization required for your trip.
If a new application is actually needed
Only proceed after confirming the valid application route. Our optional Urgent handling within 5 business hours adds US$69.99 per traveler for priority preparation and submission. Normal handling on this private service is within two business days. These are private handling windows, not authority approval deadlines.
Review processing and imminent-travel guidance and the full fee breakdown. If the case needs a new eligible application, start with Urgent handling. Paying extra does not override a restriction on fresh ETA applications or guarantee approval before a flight.
Check government fees separately from assistance charges
Sri Lanka currently publishes a tourist ETA fee-waiver scheme for selected nationalities. A government fee waiver does not make a private service free or remove the ETA requirement where it still applies. Check the current notice and your passport's circumstances rather than paying based on an old nationality guide.
Sources and review
Checked 4 November 2026. The comparison table and inquiry checklist are editorial preparation aids, not reports of successful corrections.
- Official sample notice: cancellation before a replacement application
- Official ETA FAQ: mistakes, existing visas and fresh applications
- Official application terms: use the same travel document
- Official ETA notices and current fee-waiver information
For nationality-specific conditions, use the requirement checker. For a general application sequence, see the existing ETA application guide.
Check the right application route before paying
For an existing application, contact the provider or authority first. If a new eligible application is needed, optional Urgent handling within 5 business hours adds US$69.99 per traveler. Authority approval timing is separate.