Sri Lanka’s Immigration Department implements mandatory online registration for passports

The Department of Immigration and Emigration in Sri Lanka announced that prior online registration is now required when applying for a Sri Lankan passport, effective today (July 19).

The department also stated that it is no longer possible to obtain a passport by visiting the department without first securing a date and time through the online registration system.

On July 17, the department announced that passport applications would be processed through a new system starting today (July 19), for the convenience of applicants.

Applicants must reserve a date and time through the website www.immigration.gov.lk to obtain or renew a passport.

This new requirement applies to both the one-day service and the general service. Despite the announcement, people arrived at the Department of Immigration and Emigration in Battaramulla this morning (July 19) to get passports without prior appointments, causing a heated situation.

As a result, long queues and congestion were observed in front of the department, necessitating the presence of the police and the anti-riot unit.