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How to Register a Birth That Happened Abroad (Consular Birth Registration)

Verified · 30 Oct 2026In person only

A child born abroad can have the birth registered in the Sri Lankan records if at least one parent is Sri Lankan. Register it at the Sri Lankan embassy or high commission in the country of birth, paying the fee set by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in that country's currency. If it wasn't registered there within a year, hand the documents to the same embassy or high commission as a late registration (opens in a new tab). If it was never registered through the embassy or high commission, you can register it in Sri Lanka at the Consular Division of the Registrar General's Department, 15th Floor, "Suhurupaya", Battaramulla, with a Rs. 13,755 fee paid to the Consular Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. To make the child a Sri Lankan citizen, also register the birth with the Department of Immigration and Emigration.

At a glance

Fee
Set by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
See all 5 fees
Where
The Sri Lankan embassy or high commission in the country where the child was born
+ 2 more places
Online?
In person only
Form
Citizenship 1

Do you need this?

When you need it

  • Your child was born abroad and at least one parent is Sri Lankan.
  • You need a Sri Lankan (consular) birth certificate for the child, for example to apply for citizenship, a passport or school admission.
  • You moved back to Sri Lanka and the birth abroad was never registered with the embassy or high commission.

Who can apply

  • At least one parent must be Sri Lankan.
  • At the embassy or high commission - the father, mother, a person present at the birth or a guardian can notify the birth.
  • At the Consular Division in Battaramulla - the father, mother or a guardian can notify the birth.

Documents you need

Documents to bring

0 of 7 ready

  • At the Consular Division, the form is given out at the 15th floor of "Suhurupaya". Abroad, ask the embassy or high commission.

  • Photocopies at the embassy or high commission. For a late registration or one at the Consular Division, use certified copies from the Divisional Secretariat.

  • For a late or local registration, the mother's passport and visa.

Only if…

Process at a glance

  1. Step 1
    Register at the embassy or high commission, within a year

    Notify the birth at the Sri Lankan embassy or high commission in the country where the child was born. The father, mother, a person present at the birth or a guardian can notify it.

  2. Step 2
    If a year has passed, register late through the embassy or high commission

    Hand a set of originals and photocopies of these documents to the embassy or high commission in the country where the birth happened. It forwards them for approval to the Consular Division of the Registrar General's Department, 15th floor, "Suhurupaya".

  3. Step 3
    If the embassy or high commission never registered it, register in Sri Lanka

    If the birth was not registered by the embassy or high commission - whether or not a year has passed - register it at the Consular Division, 15th floor, "Suhurupaya", Battaramulla. The father, mother or a guardian can notify it. Get the declaration form at the Consular Division.

  4. Step 4
    Register the child as a citizen, within one year of the birth

    The consular birth certificate doesn't by itself make the child a citizen. Register the birth with the Department of Immigration and Emigration on form Citizenship 1 - get it from the Citizenship Division at "Suhurupaya", Battaramulla, from the Sri Lankan embassy or high commission, or download the form (opens in a new tab).

  5. You're done

Step by step

  1. Step 01

    Register at the embassy or high commission, within a year

    Notify the birth at the Sri Lankan embassy or high commission in the country where the child was born. The father, mother, a person present at the birth or a guardian can notify it. Hand in the following documents.

    • The completed declaration form
    • Proof of the birth - the foreign birth certificate or the hospital report
    • Photocopies of the parents' marriage certificate and birth certificates
    • The passport and visa used at the time of the birth
    • The certificate of foreign citizenship, if the mother or father has taken another country's citizenship

  2. Step 02

    If a year has passed, register late through the embassy or high commission

    Hand a set of originals and photocopies of these documents to the embassy or high commission in the country where the birth happened. It forwards them for approval to the Consular Division of the Registrar General's Department, 15th floor, "Suhurupaya".

    • The completed declaration form
    • Proof of the birth - the birth certificate or hospital birth report issued in the country of birth
    • The parents' marriage certificate - a certified copy from the Divisional Secretariat
    • The parents' birth certificates - certified copies from the Divisional Secretariat
    • The passport and visa the mother used at the time of the birth
    • The certificate of foreign citizenship, if the mother or father has taken another country's citizenship

  3. Step 03

    If the embassy or high commission never registered it, register in Sri Lanka

    If the birth was not registered by the embassy or high commission - whether or not a year has passed - register it at the Consular Division, 15th floor, "Suhurupaya", Battaramulla. The father, mother or a guardian can notify it. Get the declaration form at the Consular Division and hand in a set of originals and photocopies of the following documents.

    • The completed declaration form
    • Proof of the birth - the birth certificate or hospital birth report issued in the country of birth
    • The parents' marriage certificate - a certified copy from the Divisional Secretariat
    • The parents' birth certificates - certified copies from the Divisional Secretariat
    • The passport and visa the mother used at the time of the birth
    • The certificate of foreign citizenship, if the mother or father has taken another country's citizenship
    • The receipt for Rs. 13,755 paid as the registration fee to the Consular Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

  4. Step 04

    Register the child as a citizen, within one year of the birth

    The consular birth certificate doesn't by itself make the child a citizen. Register the birth with the Department of Immigration and Emigration on form Citizenship 1 - get it from the Citizenship Division at "Suhurupaya", Battaramulla, from the Sri Lankan embassy or high commission, or download the form (opens in a new tab). Hand in the completed form with the originals and copies of these documents.

    • The child's birth certificate issued by the country of birth, with an English translation if it isn't in English
    • The consular birth certificate issued by the Registrar General's Department
    • The parents' original birth certificates
    • The parents' original marriage certificate
    • The parents' original travel documents and visas, showing they lived abroad when the child was born
    • The citizenship registration certificate, if the applying parent is a Sri Lankan citizen by registration
    • Dual citizenship certificates, if the parents are dual citizens

Fees

Fees

Registration at a Sri Lankan embassy or high commission abroad
Set by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Paid in the currency of the country of birth. Ask the embassy or high commission.

Registration at the RGD Consular Division, Battaramulla
Rs. 13,755

Paid to the Consular Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; hand in the receipt.

Citizenship registration of the child (Department of Immigration and Emigration), within the first year
Rs. 5,750

Paid when you hand in the application.

Late citizenship registration
Rs. 500 for each year of delay

In addition to Rs. 5,750.

Duplicate citizenship registration certificate
Rs. 2,000

Where to go

Forms

Common problems

More than a year has passed since the birth.
It can still be registered as a late registration through the embassy or high commission, which sends the papers to the RGD Consular Division for approval, or directly at the Consular Division in Battaramulla.
We are already back in Sri Lanka.
Register at the RGD Consular Division, 15th Floor, "Suhurupaya", Battaramulla, with the Rs. 13,755 receipt from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Consular Division.
One parent has taken foreign citizenship.
Include the certificate of foreign citizenship with the documents.
The child needs a Sri Lankan passport.
Register the child as a citizen with the Department of Immigration and Emigration first - see the citizenship guide.

FAQ

Who can register a birth that happened abroad?
At the embassy or high commission, the father, mother, a person present at the birth or a guardian. At the Consular Division in Sri Lanka, the father, mother or a guardian. At least one parent must be Sri Lankan.
How much does it cost?
At an embassy or high commission, the fee set by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, paid in local currency. At the RGD Consular Division in Battaramulla, Rs. 13,755, paid to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Consular Division.
Does registering the birth make my child a Sri Lankan citizen?
Not by itself. Register the birth with the Department of Immigration and Emigration (form Citizenship 1) within one year of the birth - Rs. 5,750, with Rs. 500 more for each year of delay. The consular birth certificate is one of the documents for that application.
Where do I get the declaration form?
From the Consular Division on the 15th floor of "Suhurupaya", Battaramulla, or from the embassy or high commission.

Official sources

Checked against these official pages30 Oct 2026

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