The Department administers all crucial immigration and emigration matters in Sri Lanka. Our core responsibilities include controlling the entry and departure of persons, issuing highly secure travel documents, administering citizenship services, and maintaining border records and enforcement.
Established under the milestone Immigrants and Emigrants Act No. 20 of 1948, the Department has been fully operational since 1 November 1949, serving as a shield of national security and a facilitator of global mobility.
Leveraging world-class security standards, automated border checks, and highly customer-centric digital services to lead South Asia.
Tracing our roots from the early post-independence era to a modern digitized border ecosystem.
Regulating entry/exit, providing highly secure travel documents and citizenship services to safeguard national security and social order while supporting economic development.
We operate with integrity and compliance, ensuring robust checks at every gate and compassionate delivery of national identity documents.
Regulate and monitor the entry, stay, and residency of foreign nationals within Sri Lanka.
Regulate departure procedures for Sri Lankan citizens and exiting foreign nationals.
Execute highly professional immigration controls at all approved international ports.
Issue and manage highly secure Sri Lankan passports and emergency travel documents.
Administer and process entry, tourist, business, residence, and digital visas.
Administer citizenship legislation, naturalization, and dual-citizenship registrations.
Investigate and act on violations of national immigration laws and irregular entry.
Maintain highly confidential archives of historical entry, exit, and citizen records.
Chief Executive & Administrative Head of Department
Dual citizenship, naturalization, and registration of Sri Lankan descent.
Issuance of regular & emergency travel documents, express services, and updates.
Processing tourist, business, residence, electronic authorizations, and digital visas.
Operational border control and entry/exit verification at airports and seaports.
Ensuring compliance and investigating violations of national immigration laws.
Supervising foreign nationals' stay, residence permits, and security clearances.
Managing human resources, internal operations, policy compliance, and staff.
Handling revenue collection, government accounting, budget, and procurement.
Powering smart border databases, biometric validation, and online portals.
Presidential Secretariat & Ministry of Internal Affairs
““Our ultimate vision is to transition Sri Lanka's border management and immigration infrastructure into a highly secure, digital-first experience. By implementing advanced biometric standards, rapid digital visas, and seamless passport issuance, we serve both our citizens and global guests with absolute integrity and speed.””
By transitioning to modern cloud-hosted portal systems, Sri Lankan citizens can secure crucial documents directly from home, and international travelers receive swift processing.
Get in touch with general administration offices or visit Suhurupaya directly.
