Sri Lanka Customs makes paperless declarations mandatory

Sri Lanka Customs made paperless declarations mandatory from today (October 1, 2026), requiring importers and declarants to submit documents with valid digital signatures.

According to the official Customs notice, the requirement applies to the declaration process at Long Room. Manual submission and processing of customs declarations and supporting documents will no longer be accepted under this process.

The system was jointly introduced by the Revenue Administration Reforms and Modernisation Bureau of the Presidential Secretariat and Sri Lanka Customs as part of the government’s economic reform and public service modernisation programme.

The launch ceremony was held at 10:00 AM today at the Sri Lanka Customs Auditorium, under the patronage of Deputy Minister of Economic Development Nishantha Jayaweera and Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.

Under the new process, customs declarations, known as CusDecs, are submitted through the ASYCUDA system together with digitally signed scanned copies of supporting documents. These include commercial invoices, packing lists, bills of lading, proxy documents, certificates of origin, permits and any other documents required by regulatory agencies.

Officers at the Declaration Directorate review and verify the documents electronically. Queries and requests for additional information are also handled through the system, removing the need for traders and customs brokers to visit counters to hand over paper documents.

A key feature of the system is its ability to detect changes made to documents after a digital signature has been applied. This is expected to strengthen document security and reduce opportunities for fraud and corruption.

Sri Lanka Customs says the process will reduce waiting times, allow declarations to be tracked in real time and make customs clearance faster and more transparent. Submissions and decisions are securely recorded, helping to improve accuracy and accountability while reducing paper use.

The official guidance page also provides a video explaining the process and a downloadable proxy document.

Importers and declarants have been asked to obtain the required digital signatures and make the necessary arrangements to comply with the new requirement.