Sri Lanka’s Immigration Department announces new passport issuance process

Sri Lanka’s Department of Immigration and Emigration announced that, effective August 23, 2024, it is no longer necessary to register to apply for passports.

Passports will be issued in the order of arrival at the Department, starting August 28, 2024, with priority given to applicants who have already made prior appointments.

According to the notice issued by the Department, a total of 700 passports, including both one-day and regular service, will be processed daily.

The Department’s head office in Battaramulla will serve 400 one-day service applicants and 250 regular service applicants.

The branches in Kandy, Kurunegala, Matara, and Vavuniya will each serve 25 one-day service applicants and 25 regular service applicants.

Passports will be issued only for essential reasons, with priority given to applicants who can prove the urgency through acceptable written documents during an interview.

The Department further advises that if you already have a valid passport with remaining blank visa pages, it is appropriate to continue using it until the implementation of the e-Passport in the near future.

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