Ferry to Sri Lanka from India

Is there a ferry to Sri Lanka from India? (Checked 12 October 2026)

Yes. The Sivagangai passenger ferry sails between Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu and Kankesanthurai (KKS) on Sri Lanka's Jaffna peninsula. It sails six days a week, every day except Tuesday, and Lanka Lens reported it running when it checked on 5 October 2026 (Lanka Lens, 5 October 2026). We found no report of a suspension as of 12 October 2026.

The Government of India extended its financial support for the service for another year on 18 September 2026, its third year of funding since the route restarted in August 2024 (High Commission of India, Colombo, 18 September 2026).

What is the ferry schedule?

The ferry sails every day except Tuesday in each direction. That pattern was confirmed when the service resumed in March 2026 (The Hindu, 2 March 2026), again when it restarted after repairs on 3 June 2026 (Tamil Mail, 1 June 2026), and by Lanka Lens on 5 October 2026.

The operator does not publish a fixed timetable page, and departure times have varied between sailings. Take the departure time from your ticket, not from an article. Sailings can be cancelled for weather at short notice, so keep a spare day either side of the crossing.

How much is the ferry from India to Sri Lanka?

We do not quote a fare. Subham Ferry does not publish a fare table: the price appears when you search a date on sailsubham.com, in Indian rupees, Sri Lankan rupees or US dollars. We could not verify a current fare from the operator or an official source on 12 October 2026, and figures in older articles date from earlier seasons.

What the operator does publish, in its travel policy checked on 12 October 2026:

• Cancelling or changing more than 24 hours before departure: a fee of INR 1,000, LKR 3,500 or USD 10.
• Within 24 hours of departure: no refund and no rescheduling.
• If the operator cancels a sailing: a full refund or a new date at no extra charge.
• Name, passport or visa detail errors: a correction fee of INR 1,000, LKR 3,500 or USD 12 at check-in.

How much baggage can you take?

From the operator's travel policy, checked on 12 October 2026:

How do you book the India to Sri Lanka ferry?

1. Use the operator's own site. Search your date and direction on sailsubham.com, which describes itself as the official ticket booking platform for Subham Ferry. A site with a different address is an agent, not the operator.
2. Type names and passport details exactly as in the passport. Corrections cost a fee at check-in.
3. Add any extra checked baggage while booking. It cannot be bought at the port.
4. Get your entry documents first (see the next section), because the ticket does not include them.
5. Arrive at the port three hours before departure. The operator closes check-in 45 minutes before the scheduled departure.

For help, the operator's email is [email protected]. When the service restarted in June 2026, the company's Sri Lankan director gave reservation lines of +94 21 222 4647 and +94 11 764 2117 (Tamil Mail, 1 June 2026).

What documents and ETA do you need?

Arriving in Sri Lanka at KKS:

• A Sri Lankan ETA, obtained before you arrive. All foreign visitors need one, including the 40 nationalities whose 30-day tourist ETA has been free since 25 May 2026. India is on that list. Apply only on the official site, eta.gov.lk. Our Sri Lanka ETA and free visa guide lists the countries, the rules and the fake sites to avoid.
• A passport valid for at least six months from the travel date, and a return or onward ticket, both required by the operator's travel policy.

Sailing to India at Nagapattinam:

• Sri Lankan passport holders need a valid visa issued by an Indian High Commission or Embassy, according to the operator.
• Other nationalities need a passport valid for six months and an Indian visa unless their country is visa-exempt for India. Whether an Indian e-Visa can be used to enter at Nagapattinam was not something we could confirm from an official source, so check with the Indian mission before you book.

When does the ferry pause for the monsoon?

For the north-east monsoon, as in 2025. The route has not sailed through a monsoon season since it reopened.

• 2025: the operator cancelled the sailings planned for 26 to 28 October because of a forecast of bad weather (Newswire, 26 October 2025). The last 2025 sailing was in late October, but reports differ on the exact date: The Hindu reported the last run as 25 October, and it also said Cyclone Ditwah damage at KKS port pushed back a planned December restart (The Hindu, 7 December 2025).
• 2026: the service resumed on 6 March 2026 (The Hindu, 2 March 2026). It stopped again for several weeks after the vessel was damaged in bad weather, and restarted on 3 June 2026 (Tamil Mail, 1 June 2026).

No date for the 2026 monsoon pause had been announced when we checked on 12 October 2026. If you plan to sail from late October onward, check your date on the operator's site and have a flight as a backup.

How do you get on from Kankesanthurai?

KKS is on the north coast of the Jaffna peninsula. Most travellers go on to Jaffna, the base for Nallur Kandaswamy Temple and Jaffna Fort. KKS is also the end of Sri Lanka's Northern Line, where Sri Lanka Railways resumed services to Colombo in April 2026; check the train for your date on Sri Lanka Railways. Our getting around Sri Lanka guide covers the wider choices, and the northern Sri Lanka guide helps you plan the region.