INFO current as on 11 OCT 2018                                                                 PDF Version - Printable

GEN 1.3  ENTRY, TRANSIT AND DEPARTURE OF PASSENGERS AND CREW  

CUSTOMS REQUIREMENTS

Arrivals

 An aircraft entering  Sri Lanka  shall first land at a Customs Aerodrome.

If owing to accident, stress of weather or other unavoidable cause, an aircraft entering   Sri Lanka  lands at any place other than a customs aerodrome, the following procedure shall be followed:

                 (a)   The pilot-in-command of the aircraft shall;

(i)      Forthwith report to an Officer of Customs or Police Officer, and if the place of landing is an aerodrome, report to the administrator of the aerodrome, the arrival and the place from where it came.

(ii)     Not allow any goods to be unladen there from without the consent of an officer of Customs.

  (b)   The passengers in the aircraft shall not leave the immediate vicinity without the consent of an Officer of Customs or Police Officer.

On arrival pilot-in-command of the aircraft shall deliver to the Customs Officer:

                 (a)   A manifest in duplicate of the cargo and stores carried on the aircraft from each port of call during the particular journey.

                 (b)   A manifest in duplicate of crew members and passengers carried on the aircraft.

                 (c)   The clearance issued on the General Declaration Form at the airport.

Arriving Passengers and Crew

All arriving passengers and crew shall present themselves personally with all their baggage to Customs. However, those passengers having nothing to declare can avail of the green channel facility at the airport. Those having goods to declare must present a written declaration. All foreign currencies, including travellers' checks, equivalent to or above US$ 10,000 must be declared to Customs.

Departures

An aircraft flying from  Sri Lanka to any place out of  Sri Lanka  territory shall depart from a Customs Aerodrome.  

If owing to accident, stress of weather or other unavoidable cause, an aircraft departing Sri Lanka to any place out of Sri Lanka territory, after such departure, lands at a place within Sri Lanka territory other than Customs Aerodrome, the pilot-in-command of the aircraft shall forthwith report such landing to the collector of Customs at the nearest port or to the Director General of Customs, Colombo.

Before the departure, the pilot-in-command of the aircraft shall deliver the following documents to the customs officer:

                (a) The manifest in duplicate of cargo and stores carried on the aircraft.

                (b) The manifest in duplicate of crew / members / passengers carried on the aircraft.

Before the departure, the pilot-in-command of the aircraft shall obtain the Endorsement of Customs by the Officer of Customs on the General Declaration Form.

Departing Passengers and crew

All departing passengers shall present themselves personally with all their baggage to Customs and shall furnish written declarations if required to do so. All crew members shall declare their baggage and currencies to Customs on their departure.

IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS

The pilot-in-command of every aircraft engaged in International Flights is required to provide an authorized officer-in-attendance at the airport:

On arrival of the aircraft with,

            (a) In-ward Crew and Passenger Manifest in duplicate ( ICAO format accepted)

            (b) Disembarkation Card in respect of each passenger ( ICAO  Embarkation / Disembarkation Card format with slight modification)

Prior to the departure of the aircraft with,

            (a) Outward Crew and Passenger Manifest in duplicate ( ICAO format accepted)

            (b)  Embarkation Card in respect of each passenger ( ICAO Embarkation / Disembarkation Card format with slight modification

Crew and Passenger Manifests are required for retention in respect of inbound and outbound flights in addition to Embarkation / Disembarkation Cards.

A visitor of Sri Lanka requires;

            (a)   A valid Passport

            (b) Sufficient exchange for his/her maintenance at the minimum rate of US$ 15 per day.

            (c)  An onward or return ticket, or foreign exchange to purchase an outward ticket.

VISAS Requirements

Entry Visas are not required from:

            (a) Passengers arriving and leaving by the same aircraft, and not leaving the airport

          (b) Passengers arriving and leaving by a different aircraft within 24 hours provided they are in possession of:

(i)      Outward tickets or foreign exchange sufficient to purchase outward tickets; and

(ii)     Visas for country to which they are ultimately bound, where required.

(c) Persons duly accredited to the government of Sri Lanka by the government of any other country, and members of their official staff or household, if they possess valid passports.

(d) Persons sent to Sri Lanka on a special mission by the government of any other country, and members of their official staff or household, if they possess valid passports.

(e) Persons who have entered or are under agreement to enter the service of the government of Sri Lanka, if they possess valid passports.

(f)  Crew of aircraft in transit whilst such aircraft is in Sri Lanka provided they are in possession of valid crew license or crew member's certificate or valid passports.

(g) Holders of Sri Lanka identity certificates endorsed as valid entry into Sri Lanka

(h) Experts, Advisers, Technicians or Officials whose salaries or principal emoluments are not payable by the government of Sri Lanka and who are brought to the country by the government of Sri Lanka through any specialised agency of the United Nations Organization or under the Point Four Assistance Program of the government of the United States of America or any similar organisation approved by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and members of their official staff or Household, if they are in possession of valid passports

(i) Trainees from abroad who are sent to Sri Lanka under any of the Technical Co-operation Programs of the United Nations Organisation and its Specialised Agencies, or of any similar Organisation approved by the Minister of Foreign Affairs if they are in possession of valid passports.

(j)   Any person who has ceased to be a citizen of Sri Lanka by descent, by reason of his having failed to renounce the citizenship of any other country, if such person is in possession of a valid passport or a document of identity issued by the government of the country of which he/she is a citizen; or

(k) Any person who is a member of the Naval, Military or Air Force of the Republic of India, if such person is in possession of a valid passport or a document of identify and a valid movement order issued by the Government of India; or

          (l) Any person who is a member of the civilian staff of the Naval, Military or Air Force Establishment in Sri Lanka, if such person is in possession of a valid passport.

(m) The wives and dependent children of the persons referred to in (d), (e), (h), (i), and (l), provided they have valid passports or documents of identity, except where they have been exempted form the requirement of having passports.

          (n)  Children under 16 years of age, if their particulars are included in the travel document of an accompanying parent, and if such parent is in possession of a Visa, except where such parent has been exempted from the requirement of having a Visa.

The nationals of following countries coming to Sri Lanka as bona-fide tourists will be given a 30-day Entry Visa on arrival at the airport.:   

            Albania, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain,Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Hersogorina, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Crotia, Cyprus, Czech Republic of, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong,        Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel,     Italy, Japan, Kazakastan, Kirizia,        Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Maldives, Malaysia, Moldavia,      Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nepal, Norway, Oman, Pakistan,     Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qartar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia,      Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, South    Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajokistan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, U.A.E, U.K, Ukraine, U.S.A., Uzbekistan and Yugoslavia. 

Such tourists referred to in above para 2.4.2  should however have a Visa for the country to which they are proceeding from Sri Lankaif the law of that country requires it.

The Nationals of the countries referred to in above para 2.4.2 require a Visa to enter Sri Lankaif they are not coming as bona-fide tourists. Visit Visas are issued by Sri Lanka Diplomatic Missions abroad.

Nationals of all other countries not included under para 2.4.2 require a Visa for entry into Sri Lankawhether a bona-fide tourist or not.

Transit Visas are issued by Sri Lanka Diplomatic Missions abroad for a period not exceeding one week to those who wish to disembark in Sri Lankain order to continue their journey by a different ship or aircraft.  

A visitor who enters Sri Lanka on a Landing Endorsement valid for one month may apply to the Controller of Immigration and Emigration for an extension of visa for further stay. Such extensions are granted at his discretion and dealt by the Unit 6 of the Department of Immigration and Emigration (Refer  GEN 1.1 for the postal address.).

Exit visas not required from the non-citizens of Sri Lanka

Aircraft operator will be held responsible for the maintenance and removal from Sri Lanka of any person refused permission to enter Sri Lanka

PUBLIC HEALTH REQUIREMENTS

Passengers and crew should have their international vaccination and inoculation certificates ready for inspection by the Airport Health Officer.

All passengers coming from any country currently notified by W.H.O. as infected with Plague, Ebola virus fever, or any other infectious disease that may be declared by the Director General of Health Services from time to time may be required to sign a guarantee bond to the effect that they will present themselves to the Government Medical Officer close to their place of residence, for medical surveillance up to a period that will be decided upon by the Director General of Health Services from the date of arrival of any passenger in Sri Lanka, unless otherwise stated in the Quarantine Report Form.

All passengers who are arriving from Yellow Fever endemic countries given below shall have a valid certificate for Yellow Fever. The Director General of Health Services of Sri Lanka or any officer empowered by him will act either to keep under quarantine for a period of six (06) days or to deport any such passenger who fails to submit a validcertificate.

All passengers who are visiting Yellow Fever endemic countries given below shall have Yellow Fever vaccination certificate obtained from Medical Research Institute prior ten days to embarkation.

Yellow fever endemic countries :

South America Region:

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guyana, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Surinam, Venezuela.

African Region:

Angola, Burundi, Benin, Burkina Faso,Camreoon, Chad,Central African Republic,Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Gabon , Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, SaoTome and Principe, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan,Ruwanda, Tanzania,Togo, Uganda and Zaire.

Passengers and crew are not permitted to leave the airport without the permission of the Airport Health Authority until they have completed all health formalities at the Airport Health Office.

Private Medical Practitioners are not allowed to issue international certificates of vaccination to passengers for travel purposes. These have to be obtained from the authorized Government Medical Officers.

A valid Death Certificate and other relevant documents are required for the clearance of a dead body.

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