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How to Marry a Foreign National in Sri Lanka

Verified · 1 Nov 2026In person only

If one of you is a foreign national, first get a licence from the Registrar General. The couple or a close relative hands in the application form with 4 copies of each document at the Civil Registration Division of the Registrar General's Department, before or after the foreign national arrives. The licence is free, takes about 14 working days and is valid for 3 months. Then give the Notice of Marriage to the Additional District Registrar or Marriage Registrar with the licence, the foreign national's passport and visa, a civil status certificate and a health self-declaration. The marriage is registered under the general marriage law.

At a glance

Fee
Free
See all 3 fees
Time
About 14 working days for the Registrar General's licence, then at least 14 days after giving notice
Where
Civil Registration Division, Registrar General's Department, Battaramulla (Registrar General's licence)
+ 1 more place
Online?
In person only
Form
B100

Do you need this?

When you need it

  • One of you is a foreign national and you want to marry in Sri Lanka.

Who can apply

  • Marriages with a foreign national are registered under the general Marriage Registration Ordinance, which is open to couples of any nationality or religion unless both are Muslim.
  • Both of you must be 18 or older, not within the prohibited degrees of relationship, and neither of you can have a valid existing marriage.
  • Residence: if the foreign national has not lived in Sri Lanka for the 10 days before the notice, the Sri Lankan partner must have. If neither of you has, one of you must have lived in Sri Lanka for 4 days.
  • Only the two people getting married, or their close relatives, can hand in the papers for the Registrar General's licence.

Documents you need

Documents to bring

0 of 9 ready

  • Give the date, place and district of the marriage, and whether it will be registered by the Additional District Registrar or a Marriage Registrar (with the Registrar's name and Divisional Secretariat).

  • An affidavit is accepted only if the country's state institutions do not issue civil status certificates, and it must be certified by a state institution of that country.

Only if…

  • A foreign divorce decree if they married and divorced abroad; both the foreign decree and the Sri Lankan decree if they married in Sri Lanka and divorced abroad.

Process at a glance

  1. Step 1
    Prepare the documents for the Registrar General's licence

    You can apply before or after the foreign national arrives in Sri Lanka.

  2. Step 2
    Hand in the papers at the Registrar General's Department

    Only the two of you, or your close relatives, can hand the papers in at the Civil Registration Division of the Registrar General's Department in Battaramulla.

  3. Step 3
    Give notice of marriage

    Give the Notice of Marriage to the Additional District Registrar of the Divisional Secretariat or the Marriage Registrar of the division. The notice fee is Rs. 120, paid in cash.

  4. Step 4
    Register the marriage

    After 14 days (or sooner with a special licence), the Registrar registers the marriage in front of two witnesses. The fee is Rs. 900, paid in cash. The rest of the process is the same as any general marriage; see the marriage registration guide.

  5. You're done

Step by step

  1. Step 01

    Prepare the documents for the Registrar General's licence

    You can apply before or after the foreign national arrives in Sri Lanka. Hand in 4 copies of each of the following documents.

    • The application form, giving the date, place and district of the marriage. Say whether the marriage will be registered by the Additional District Registrar of the Divisional Secretariat or by the Marriage Registrar of the division. If by a Marriage Registrar, give the Registrar's name and the Divisional Secretariat.
    • A photocopy of the Sri Lankan partner's NIC
    • A photocopy of the foreign national's passport
    • A police clearance certificate for the foreign national, issued within the last 6 months
    • A certificate of civil status for the foreign national from a state institution of their country, issued within the last 6 months. An affidavit certified by a state institution of that country is accepted only if the country does not issue civil status certificates.
    • If the foreign national was married before, the divorce certificate. Married and divorced abroad, the foreign divorce decree; married in Sri Lanka and divorced abroad, both the foreign and the Sri Lankan divorce decrees.

  2. Step 02

    Hand in the papers at the Registrar General's Department

    Only the two of you, or your close relatives, can hand the papers in at the Civil Registration Division of the Registrar General's Department in Battaramulla.

  3. Step 03

    Give notice of marriage

    Give the Notice of Marriage to the Additional District Registrar of the Divisional Secretariat or the Marriage Registrar of the division. The notice fee is Rs. 120, paid in cash. Hand in the following documents.

    • Notice of Marriage (form B100) (opens in a new tab), written in duplicate and certified by the Marriage Registrar, a Justice of the Peace, a Notary Public or a minister of religion
    • The Registrar General's licence
    • The foreign national's valid passport and visa to enter Sri Lanka, with a photocopy
    • The original certificate of civil status from an authorized institution in the foreign national's country, and if divorced or widowed, the legal documents proving it
    • A health self-declaration by the foreign national
    • Birth certificates and photocopies, if needed to check names and ages

  4. Step 04

    Register the marriage

    After 14 days (or sooner with a special licence), the Registrar registers the marriage in front of two witnesses. The fee is Rs. 900, paid in cash. The rest of the process is the same as any general marriage; see the marriage registration guide.

Fees

Fees

Registrar General's licence
Free
Notice of Marriage
Rs. 120

Paid in cash.

Registering the marriage
Rs. 900

Paid in cash. The same fee applies at the Registrar's office, the Additional District Registrar's office or outside the office.

Where to go

Forms

More detail

Contact the Registrar General's Department

  • Hotline: 1930
  • General lines: +94 11 2889488 / +94 11 2889489 / +94 11 2072017 / +94 11 2072018

Common problems

The foreign national's country does not issue civil status certificates.
An affidavit can be given instead, but it must be certified by a state institution of that country.
The foreign national married in Sri Lanka and divorced abroad.
Hand in both the foreign divorce decree and the Sri Lankan divorce decree. If the earlier marriage was under Sri Lankan general law, a Sri Lankan court must have granted a decree absolute.
The documents are older than 6 months.
The police clearance and civil status certificates must have been issued within the last 6 months. Get new ones before you apply.
We want to marry more than 3 months after getting the licence.
The Registrar General's licence is valid for 3 months from the date it is issued, so plan the marriage within that time.

FAQ

How much does the Registrar General's licence cost?
Nothing. RGD charges no fee for it. You still pay Rs. 120 for the notice and Rs. 900 to register the marriage.
How long does the licence take?
About 14 working days from the day the documents reach the Registrar General's Department head office.
Can the foreign national apply before arriving in Sri Lanka?
Yes. The papers can be handed in before or after the foreign national arrives, by the couple or their close relatives.
How many copies of each document do I need?
Four copies of each document for the Registrar General's licence.

Official sources

Checked against these official pages1 Nov 2026

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HowToSriLanka.lk is an independent information platform and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Government of Sri Lanka.

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