The airport,
sorted
Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) at Katunayake, north of Colombo, is Sri Lanka's main gateway. This guide covers arrivals and departures, immigration and the ETA, getting into the city by taxi, airport bus or train, buying a SIM and changing money on arrival, domestic seaplane connections, and the services inside the terminal.
All vehicles now enter via the main entrance after a security inspection (new traffic plan).
Your first hours
The first two hours at CMB, in the order you actually do them.
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1
Clear immigration Have your ETA approval and passport ready before you land. Fill the disembarkation card on the plane. Green Channel at customs if you have nothing to declare. Check your visa / ETA
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2
Get a local SIM or eSIM SIM counters (Dialog, Mobitel, Airtel) sit in the arrivals lobby, open 24/7. A tourist data pack is cheap and gets you online for maps and PickMe before you leave the terminal. An eSIM bought before you fly saves the queue. Connectivity guide
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3
Get rupees Use a bank ATM in the arrivals hall for the fairest rate — better than the exchange counters. Withdraw enough for your first day or two; tell your bank you are travelling. Cards are fine in cities, cash rules everywhere else. Currency converter
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4
Get to Colombo or Negombo Negombo is 15 minutes away (handy for a first night); Colombo is about an hour by expressway. Prepaid taxi desks and app rides (PickMe, Uber) are in the lobby; the airport bus and expressway coach are the cheapest options. Agree the price or use the meter — never an unmetered “special”. Airport transfers & fair prices
Arriving
Non-Sri Lankans fill a disembarkation card and present it with your passport. Feeling unwell? See the Health Inspector's room.
Through duty-free and down the escalator; your belt number shows on the flight screens.
Nothing to declare? Use the Green Channel. Declare currency over US$15,000, valuables, jewellery and gems.
Currency exchange, SIM counters, taxi desks and hotel services are all in the lobby as you exit.
All short-stay visitors (tourism or business) need an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) from eta.gov.lk before arrival (rule effective 15 Oct 2025). Seychelles, Maldives & Singapore passports are fee-exempt; China, India, Russia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia & Japan get tourist ETAs free of charge. Apply at eta.gov.lk ↗
Departing
Queues at security and check-in can be long depending on the time of day.
You may take out what you declared on arrival plus local purchases (gems, jewellery) made with declared funds.
Self check-in kiosks are in the lobby; hold luggage still goes to the counter.
Sri Lankan nationals fill an embarkation card. E-embarkation is available online.
Watch the screens for gate changes; a final security check happens at the gate.
To & from the airport
AASL-supervised fleet of 600+ vehicles; counters in the arrival lobby & porch.
Both ride-hailing apps serve the airport; book once you have data or airport Wi-Fi.
Luxury bus via the Colombo to Katunayake Expressway; fast and affordable into the city.
Dedicated service to the Makumbura Multimodal Centre for onward highway buses south.
Terminal lobby entry (greeters/visitors): Rs 500 per person. airport.lk · verified 2026-07-03
Inside the airport
8 bank/exchange counters in the arrival concourse, all 24 hours (BOC, ComBank, HNB, Sampath, People's, Seylan, DFCC, Thomas Cook).
Dialog, SLT-Mobitel, Airtel & Hutch counters in the arrival concourse, 24 hours.
Round-the-clock accident & emergency unit with an ambulance fleet.
Left-luggage counter at the departure outer porch, 24 hrs: US$10 first day, then US$6 to 8/day by size. Bonded storage US$30/day.
Rs 1,000 per passenger (up to 4 bags), Rs 250 per extra bag, arrivals & departures.
Two free phone booths in the arrival baggage-belt area.
In the transit area next to Palm Strip Lounge, book on +94 77 387 5433.
Furnished rooms above the arrival/departure pier, no immigration clearance needed. +94 11 226 5899.
Paid lounges (Lotus, Araliya, Executive) plus airline lounges in transit.
Paid meet-&-greet with escort through arrival or departure formalities. Reservations +94 11 225 6067.
Duty free
Visitors: personal goods & gifts up to US$250, plus 1½ litres of spirits and 2 bottles of wine, duty-free. Sri Lankan residents get tiered annual allowances by time spent abroad; full tables at customs.gov.lk. airport.lk · verified 2026-07-03