Sri Lanka

National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka

Visas & Work Permits

Visas are required to enter Sri Lanka. It is recommended travellers apply for an eVisa prior to arrival.

Directors and cinematographers require work visas. Producers, agencies and client personnel can enter on visas, on arrival, for stays of up to 30 days.

Please contact a local embassy, consulate or representative for more information. Alternatively, there are specialist companies that provide visa and immigration support to the media industry who may be able to assist.

Film Location Permits

To film in Sri Lanka, film permits from the National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka are required. These take about three days to process. A government minder may be sent along to accompany the shoot, at the expense of the production.

Additional permission may be required from other government agencies.

For individual locations, the costs and timing of required permits depend on the specifics of the job. Most are easy to obtain and can be processed within two days. In major city centres, it is advisable to shoot on the weekends for greater control of traffic. Usually, five days’ notice is required for street closures.

Sri Lankan authorities are known to be wary of cameras, so it’s best to have all required permits in place.

Customs

For productions looking to bring in film equipment, Sri Lanka is an ATA carnet country.

When to Film

Sri Lanka has a tropical, equatorial climate, with high humidity and long daylight hours throughout the year.

In the south-west, the wet monsoon season runs from May to September, followed by a dry season from December to March. In the north and eastern coastal regions, the wet monsoon season runs from October to January and the dry season runs from May to September. On the whole, December to April is considered the best period to film.

Sri Lanka is a predominately Buddhist country. There are also sizeable communities of Hindus, Muslims and Christians, so a range of holidays are observed.

Public Holidays

Public holidays may affect timing, availability and costs. See here for public holiday dates in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is one of the world’s most cost efficient service centres.

Locations, talent and supporting crews are very inexpensive, but some equipment and key crew may need to be brought in. Mumbai is the closest major production centre.

The standard VAT rate in Sri Lanka is currently set at 15%.

At the time of writing, this country does not have any filming incentives. However, up to date information on global filming incentives may be found on the Entertainment Partners' Production Incentives Map.

At the time of writing, the UK does not have a trade agreement with this country. However, up to date information about UK trade agreements can be found on the GOV.UK website.