This article is reviewed regularly by Wego’s editorial team to ensure that the content is up to date & accurate.
Updated January 2023
With its snow-clad mountains, numerous hill stations, the great Indian Thar Desert, pristine beaches, and coastal beauties, India offers a plethora of different and unique experiences to tourists all year round. Thanks to its close proximity to India, several travellers from the neighbouring country of Sri Lanka love to visit its friendly neighbour every year.
So, are you now allowed to travel to India from Sri Lanka? Which airline is flying to India right now? What are the latest COVID rules? Read along to find out.
Table of Contents
Can I travel to India from Sri Lanka?
Yes, you can. India is now fully open to international tourism.
Travellers from Sri Lanka, irrespective of their vaccination status, can now enter India without having to quarantine. However, in light of a sudden rise in the covid-19 trajectory in the country, India has now implemented some travel restrictions for international arrivals.
Moreover, according to the guidelines for international arrivals, the government has scrapped the requirement of Air Suvidha for arriving international passengers and presenting a negative PCR test report is NO longer a requirement.
Sri Lanka to India flights
A simple search through Wego will show you the latest flight schedules, allowing you to choose the best flight deals from across several airlines.
Book cheap flights to India from Sri Lanka
We’ve listed the flight schedule for Air India and Sri Lankan Airlines for January and February 2023. Please note that the prices are accurate at the time of writing.
Air India
Sri Lanka to India flight ticket price & schedule
The national air carrier of India, Air India, operates several flights from Sri Lanka to several cities in India. The latest flight schedule is as follows:
- Colombo to Delhi: multiple connecting flights available seven days a week. Ticket prices starting from LKR 77,644
- Colombo to Mumbai: multiple connecting flights available seven days a week. Ticket prices starting from LKR 55,803
- Colombo to Chennai: one to two direct flights available seven days a week. Ticket prices starting from LKR 44,118
Please visit Wego for Air India’s full schedule.
Sri Lanka to India flight time
Direct flights, currently operating from Chennai, are scheduled to take only 1 hour and 20 minutes. Depending on your transit time, connecting flights can take anywhere between 5 to 18 hours.
SriLankan Airlines
Sri Lanka to India flight ticket price & schedule
Sri Lanka’s flag carrier, SriLankan Airlines, has regular flights scheduled between India and Sri Lanka. Here’s the latest flight schedule and airfares:
- Colombo to Delhi: one to two direct flights available six days a week. Ticket prices starting from LKR 78,383
- Colombo to Mumbai: one to two direct flights available six days a week. Ticket prices starting from LKR 73,183
- Colombo to Chennai: two to three direct flights available six days a week. Ticket prices starting from LKR 50,883
Please visit Wego for SriLankan Airlines’ full schedule.
India travel requirements for Sri Lankans
Vaccination criteria
It is generally possible to enter India without being fully vaccinated. Moreover, according to the new guidelines released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), presenting a vaccination certificate is NO longer mandatory.
However, travellers should preferably be fully vaccinated as per the approved primary schedule of vaccination against COVID-19 in their country. The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved the following four vaccines for emergency use in the country:
- Covishield/AstraZeneca
- Oxford/AstraZeneca: Vaxzevria
- Covaxin
- Sputnik V
- Sputnik Light
- Moderna
- Corbevax
- Covovax
- ZyCoV-D
- GEMCOVAC-19
- iNCOVACC
- Janssen
Currently, Sri Lanka is one of the 145 countries whose vaccine certificates are accepted in India.
General entry requirements
As per the guidelines released by India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), the following requirements have to be followed by international arrivals to India.
Planning for travel
All travellers should preferably be fully vaccinated as per the approved primary schedule of vaccination against COVID-19 in their country.
During travel
- In-flight announcements about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including precautionary measures to be followed (preferable use of masks and following physical distancing), shall be made on flights/travel and at all points of entry.
- Any passenger having symptoms of COVID-19 during travel shall be isolated as per standard protocol, i.e. the said passenger should be wearing a mask, isolated and segregated from other passengers in flight/travel and shifted to an isolation facility subsequently for follow-up treatment.
On arrival
- De-boarding should be done, ensuring physical distancing.
- Thermal screening should be done in respect of all the passengers by the health officials present at the point of entry.
- The passengers found to be symptomatic during screening shall be immediately isolated and taken to a designated medical facility as per health protocol, as mentioned above.
- The following protocol post arrival shall also be followed:
- A sub-section (2% of the total passengers in all incoming international flights) shall undergo random post-arrival testing at the airport on arrival, irrespective of the port of departure.
- Such travellers on each flight shall be identified by the concerned airlines (preferably from different countries). They will submit the samples and shall be allowed to leave the airport thereafter.
- If such travellers’ samples are tested positive, their samples should be further sent for genomic testing at the INSACOG laboratory network.
- They shall be treated/isolated as per the laid down standard protocol.
- All travellers should self-monitor their health post arrival also shall report to their nearest health facility or call on the National helpline number (1075)/ State Helpline Number in case they have any symptoms suggestive of COVID-19.
Please note that children under 12 years of age are exempted from both pre-departure and post-arrival random testing. However, if found symptomatic for COVID-19 on arrival or during the period of self-monitoring period, they shall undergo testing and be treated as per the laid down protocol.
Visit the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) webpage for more details.
