Sri Lanka
General Information for Sri Lanka
Geo-political:
Capital City: Colombo.
Nationality: (noun) Sri Lankan, (adjective) Sri Lankan.
Population: 21,324,791.
Communications:
International Direct Dial Code: 94.
Number of Internal Airports: 14.
Major Languages Spoken: Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other
8%.
Economy:
Currency: 1 Sri Lanka Rupee (LKR) of 100 Cents.
Main Industries: Processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, tobacco and other agricultural commodities, telecommunications,
insurance, banking, clothing, textiles, cement, petroleum refining and information
technology services.
Environment:
Territorial Sea: 12 n.m.
Other Maritime Claims: Contiguous Zone: 24 n.m. Continental Shelf: 200 n.m. or to the edge of the continental
margin. Exclusive Economic Zone: 200 n.m.
Coastline Extent: 1,340 km.
Climate: Tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to
October).
Natural Resources: Limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay and hydropower.
Natural Hazards: Occasional cyclones and tornadoes.
Terrain: Mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior.
Average Temperatures:
| Month | High | Low |
|---|---|---|
| January | 30° C | 23° C |
| June | 30° C | 25° C |
| September | 30° C | 25° C |
CHARTS:
Sri Lankan nautical charts (paper and digital) produced by the National Hydrographic
Office. A list of charts available at
APPROACHES:
Entry into Sri Lankan waters, at any point, requires prior permission.
You should avoid the coastline and adjacent territorial sea of the Trincomalee, Mullaittivu,
Jaffna, Kilinochchi and Mannar administrative districts in the north and east, which
have been declared restricted zones by the Sri Lankan authorities.
POLLUTION:
The Marine Pollution Prevention Authority (MPPA) is the national authority responsible
for prevention, control, monitoring, mitigation and management of pollution in Sri
Lankan waters and the restoration of the damaged environment. The MPPA will take overall
command particularly in larger spills at sea or where significant quantities of oil
escape the port confines. Small spills of less than 100 tonnes, however, would be
generally tackled by the Sri Lankan Port Authority with the MPPA acting in a monitoring
role.
Contact:
Marine Pollution Prevention Authority (MPPA) (for oil & HNS). Marine Environment Protection
Authority 758, 2nd Floor Baseline Road, Colombo 9. T: +94 (11) 268 7520. T: +94 (11) 269 0604. F: +94 (11) 268 7451.
[email protected]
www.mppa.gov.lk
MEDICAL:
Emergency medical treatment is not easily available outside main cities, and you may
have to be brought to Colombo for treatment. Medical facilities are not always of
a good standard, particularly outside Colombo. Treatment in private hospitals can
be expensive and the options for repatriation in an emergency are limited and very
expensive. Make sure you have adequate health insurance and accessible funds to cover
the cost of any medical treatment abroad and repatriation.
CHANDLERY:
Ship chandlers who hold valid ship chandlers license issued by Sri Lanka Ports Authority
are authorised to supply ship stores to vessels which call over at the port of Colombo
and other ports in Sri Lanka. Payments in respect of ship stores supplied to vessels
are made in foreign currency by the local agents of the respective vessels. Customs
Officer at the relevant Customs export office shall enter details in the register
and allow the goods to be taken to the relevant vessels.
PIRACY:
Although no acts of piracy have been reported in the Sri Lankan Economic Exclusive
Zone, piracy is a significant threat in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, especially
for shipping which does not take appropriate precautions or follow agreed shipping
industry best practice guidelines.
HOLIDAYS:
Dates of public holidays are listed on the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial
Councils, Local Government and Democratic Governance website.
www.pubad.gov.lk
2016 public holidays as follows: 15 January (Tamil Thai Pongal Day); Duruthu Full
Moon Poya Day; 4 February (National Day); Navam Full Moon Poya Day; Mahasivarathri
Day; Madin Full Moon Poya Day; Good Friday; Day prior to Sinhala & Tamil New Year
Day; Sinhala & Tamil New Year Day; Bak Full Moon Poya Day; 1 May (May Day); Vesak
Full Moon Poya Day; Day following Vesak Full Moon Poya Day; Poson Full Moon Poya Day;
Id-Ul-Fitr (Ramazan Festival Day); Esala Full Moon Poya Day; Nikini Full Moon Poya
Day; Id-Ul-Alha (Hadji Festival Day); Binara Full Moon Poya Day; Vap Full Moon Poya
Day; Deepavali Festival Day; Ill Full Moon Poya Day; Milad-Un-Nabi (Holy Prophet's
birthday); Unduvap Full Moon Poya Day; 25 December (Christmas Day).
WEATHER/TIDES:
Extreme weather episodes like tropical cyclones can occur. You can find updated weather
warnings on the websites of the Sri Lanka Disaster Management Centre W: www.dmc.gov.lk
and the World Meteorological Organisation
severe.worldweather.org
Monsoon rains can cause brief but swift flooding in many places in Sri Lanka. Floods
can cause widespread displacement of people, injuries and occasionally deaths. Heavy
rains and landslips can also lead to road closures affecting local transport links.
CONSULS:
Contact details of embassies and consulates in Sri Lanka available at
www.sltda.lk/embassies_in_sri_lanka
BANKS:
Travellers’ cheques aren’t normally accepted. Most major banks will allow Visa and
Mastercard cash withdrawals. There are ATMs in major towns and cities but not all
of them accept international cards.
Credit card fraud is the most common type of crime affecting visitors. Use cash wherever
possible and only use ATMs attached to banks or major hotels. Don’t lose sight of
your credit card if you use it. There are plenty of money-changers in tourist areas
if you want to change cash.
CUSTOMS:
www.customs.gov.lk
SHORE LEAVE:
Violent crimes against foreigners are infrequent, although there have been an increasing
number of reports of sexual offences including on minors. When travelling around Sri
Lanka, you should make arrangements through reputable travel companies and take care.
Western women continue to report incidents of verbal and physical harassment by groups
of men. Such harassment- ranging from sexually suggestive or lewd comments to physical
advances and sexual assaults - can occur any time or anywhere, but most frequently
has taken place in crowded areas such as market places, railway stations, buses, public
streets and sporting events. There has been an increase in sexual attacks against
females in tourist areas. Women should take particular care when travelling alone
or in small groups, and carry a personal alarm.
There have been reports of drinks being spiked with drugs in bars and restaurants
in southern beach resorts. Be careful about taking drinks from strangers at bars and
restaurants, and don’t leave drinks unattended.
Organised and armed gangs are known to operate in Sri Lanka and have been responsible
for targeted kidnappings and violence.
Buses are notorious for driving fast and rarely giving way. They are often poorly
maintained. A number of serious bus accidents have occurred in recent years.
Taxis are inexpensive. Motorised rickshaws (tuk-tuks) are available for hire in towns
and villages. Agree a price before you set off or look for one with a working meter.
REPATRIATION:
All holiday or business travellers to Sri Lanka must have an Electronic Travel Authorization
(ETA) for entering Sri Lanka. See www.eta.gov.lk for more information.
The facility for applying for a Business Purpose Visa is available only at the Head
Office of the Department of Immigration & Emigration and the Sri Lankan Overseas Missions.
When applying for an ETA through a third party, payments are to be made through the
arrangement made on the Sri Lanka Department of Immigration & Emigration website www.eta.gov.lk
and an acknowledgement of ETA application obtained. Any payments made via other websites
or agencies are not valid, and may result in making a repayment at the port of entry
in Sri Lanka.
Crew Arrival:
A government levy of LKR1000.00 is charged for all ship crew members signing off in
Sri Lanka. In addition, a bond should be signed by his/her local agent before granting
permission to enter Sri Lanka. This bond fee is paid by a bar coded sticker, which
has to be purchased in advance by the shipping agent from the Department of Immigration
& Emigration, Ports Branch at Head Office, Colombo.
Department of Immigration & Emigration.
www.immigration.gov.lk
GENERAL:
Up-to-date travel advice available from the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office at
www.gov.uk/fco
