Guide

Colombo airport arrival guide

What happens when you land at Colombo's Bandaranaike International Airport, step by step: ETA and arrival card, immigration, duty free, baggage, customs limits, money, SIM cards and the taxi counter. Checked on official airport, customs and Central Bank pages on 18 October 2026.

By Abdullah KamalLast verified 2026-10-18

A passenger jet on the runway at Colombo's Bandaranaike International Airport at sunset.

What happens when you land at Colombo airport?

Quick answer: You go through four steps: immigration, baggage claim, customs and the arrival lobby. Have your approved ETA and passport ready, and fill in the Disembarkation Card that non-Sri Lankans hand in at immigration. You can buy duty free before customs, then use the Green Channel if you have nothing to declare. The lobby has money exchange, SIM counters and the official taxi counter.

Bandaranaike International Airport (code CMB) is at Katunayake, north of Colombo. It is the main arrival point for international flights, including the London, Zurich and Indian city routes in our direct flights guide.

What do you need before you land?

Item	Why	Source
Approved ETA	Every foreign visitor must get an ETA before arrival, even when it is free	eta.gov.lk
Passport valid at least 6 months from arrival	Entry rule on the ETA site	eta.gov.lk
Disembarkation Card	Non-Sri Lankans hand it in at immigration	airport.lk
Return or onward ticket and enough money	Listed as ETA conditions	eta.gov.lk
Address of your first night	You will need it for the arrival card and your transfer	Our planning tip

Nationals of 40 countries, including the UK, the US, Australia and India, get the 30-day tourist ETA free, but still have to apply. Our Sri Lanka visa guide has the full list and the fake sites to avoid.

What are the arrival steps at Colombo airport?

The airport's own arrival procedures page sets out four steps (BIA arrival procedures). Here they are in order, with what to have in your hand at each one.

Step	What happens (airport.lk)	Have ready
1. Immigration	Non-Sri Lankans hand in a Disembarkation Card, present their travel document and wait for the stamp. If you have diarrhoea or fever or feel unwell, go to the Health Inspector's Room	Passport, ETA approval, completed card
2. Duty free and baggage claim	Walk through the duty-free shopping area and down the escalator to baggage claim. Your belt number is on the flight information screens. Check the tags before you take a bag	Baggage tags
3. Customs	You may shop duty free before customs. Declare all currency over the limits, valuable equipment, jewellery and gems. If you have nothing to declare, use the Green Channel	Any declaration form
4. Your way out	The arrival lobby has currency exchange, travel, hotel and telecommunication services	Your transfer plan

If you bring plants or animals, the airport says to contact the Plant and Animal Quarantine staff at baggage claim.

What can you bring in duty free?

Sri Lanka Customs lists these tourist allowances (Sri Lanka Customs, travellers):

Personal clothing and other essentials.
Two regular-size bottles of wine and one and a half litres of spirits.
Toilet water up to a quarter litre, a small quantity of perfume, and souvenirs worth up to US$250, not for sale.

Customs at Katunayake explains that personal effects are free for tourists, but not goods in commercial quantities, goods for sale, other people's property or gifts for someone else (Customs passenger services, Katunayake).

Do you need to declare anything at customs?

Use this check before you choose a channel.

You are carrying	Green or Red Channel?	Rule and source
Only personal clothes and items within the allowance	Green Channel	Customs, Katunayake
Foreign currency worth more than US$15,000	Red Channel; declare it	Department of Foreign Exchange
Foreign notes worth more than US$10,000 that you plan to take back out	Declare on arrival	Department of Foreign Exchange
More than LKR 20,000 in Sri Lankan rupees	Over the limit for carrying rupees in or out	Department of Foreign Exchange
Valuable equipment, jewellery or gems	Declare	airport.lk arrival page
Goods beyond the allowance or in commercial quantity	Red Channel, Form Customs 205; duty may apply	Customs, Katunayake

The Central Bank's foreign exchange department says travellers "may carry any amount of foreign currencies" but must declare to Sri Lanka Customs if the amount is over US$15,000, or if they intend to take back more than US$10,000 in notes (Department of Foreign Exchange). Customs warns that a false or missing declaration "is an offence and may involve heavy penalties including forfeiture".

How do you get money at the airport?

The arrival lobby has currency exchange, per the airport. To judge a counter's rate, compare it with the Central Bank's published buying rates. For 16 October 2026 they were (CBSL exchange rates):

Currency	Central Bank TT buying rate, 16 Oct 2026	100 units is about
US dollar	LKR 326.67	LKR 32,700
British pound	LKR 432.60	LKR 43,300
Euro	LKR 365.01	LKR 36,500
Australian dollar	LKR 224.23	LKR 22,400

These are bank-to-bank (telegraphic transfer) buying rates, not cash counter rates, and each counter sets its own rate. If a quote is far below these numbers, change only what you need for the first day. The UK government notes that most major banks allow Visa and Mastercard cash withdrawals, but not all ATMs accept international cards.

Can you buy a SIM card at Colombo airport?

Yes. The airport lists telecommunication services in the arrival lobby, and the US State Department says SIM cards can be bought at the airport (US State Department, Sri Lanka). Buy one before you leave the building if you need to call a driver or use a ride app. Our Sri Lanka eSIM guide compares the counters and eSIM plans.

How do you leave the airport?

Option	What the airport says	Price (official)
Airport taxi counter	Counters in the arrival lobby and at the arrival porch; over 600 vehicles; tel +94 11 226 3096	Fare table not shown on 18 Oct 2026; Rs 130 per extra km, Rs 300 per extra drop
Bus 187 to Colombo Fort	Air-conditioned, 24 hours a day, about 50 minutes to Colombo Fort railway station; board at the Departure Terminal Outer Porch	Rs 325 a person; Rs 325 more for baggage over 23 kg

Sources: airport taxi service and route 187 bus, both read 18 October 2026.

Where next depends on your first night:

Kandy: see Colombo airport to Kandy for the bus and road options.
Galle, Mirissa and the south coast: see Colombo airport to Galle and Mirissa.
A first night near the airport: Negombo is the usual choice after a late landing.

What should you do in your first hour?

A simple order that avoids the most common problems:

Keep your ETA approval and passport together until you are through immigration.
Fill in the Disembarkation Card on the plane or before the queue.
Decide on duty-free shopping as you walk to baggage claim; the airport puts the shops before customs.
Check your bag tags at the belt.
Choose the Green Channel only if you are within the allowance and cash limits.
In the lobby, get a SIM or set up your eSIM, then change a small amount of cash.
Agree a taxi fare at the official counter, or walk to the bus stop at the departure porch.

Save the emergency numbers too. The US State Department lists 119 for police, 1990 for an ambulance and 1912 for the tourist police.

Frequently asked questions

What happens when you arrive at Colombo airport?

The airport lists four steps: immigration, baggage claim, customs and then the arrival lobby. Non-Sri Lankans fill in a Disembarkation Card and show their travel document at immigration. You can shop at the arrival duty-free area before customs, then collect bags, go through customs and walk into the lobby, where currency exchange, travel, hotel and phone services are.

Do I need an arrival card for Sri Lanka?

Yes, if you are not a Sri Lankan national. The airport's arrival procedures page says you must fill out a Disembarkation Card and hand it over at the immigration counter. You also need an approved ETA, which every foreign visitor must get before arrival on eta.gov.lk.

Is there duty free on arrival at Colombo airport?

Yes. The airport says you may shop at the duty-free area before you go through customs. Sri Lanka Customs lists a tourist allowance of two regular-size bottles of wine and 1.5 litres of spirits, plus a quarter litre of toilet water, a small amount of perfume and souvenirs worth up to US$250.

How much cash can I bring into Sri Lanka?

Any amount, but you must declare it to Sri Lanka Customs if it is over US$15,000 or the equivalent, or if you plan to take more than US$10,000 in notes back out. The Central Bank's foreign exchange department also limits Sri Lankan rupees carried in or out to LKR 20,000.

Can I buy a SIM card at Colombo airport?

Yes. The airport says the arrival lobby has telecommunication services, and the US State Department says SIM cards can be bought at the airport. Our Sri Lanka eSIM guide compares the arrival-lobby counters and the eSIM options.

Where is the taxi counter at Colombo airport?

In the arrival lobby and at the arrival porch. The airport says its taxi service, supervised by Airport and Aviation Services, runs counters in both places with a fleet of over 600 vehicles, on +94 11 226 3096.

How much is a taxi from Colombo airport?

The airport's taxi page did not show its fare table when we checked on 18 October 2026. It did list Rs 130 for each extra kilometre beyond your booked destination and Rs 300 for each extra drop. Agree the total fare at the counter before you get in.

How do I check arrivals at Colombo airport?

Use the Flight Info section on airport.lk, which has arrival status and schedule pages, or call the airport's flight information lines on +94 112 263 047 or +94 112 263 048, as listed on 18 October 2026.

Sources

Last verified 2026-10-18

Covered in this guide

Tuk-tuks outside Colombo Fort railway station.

Practical