Sri Lanka Customs Regulations, What You Can and Cannot Bring In

General Information about Rules and Prohibitions on Import and Export in Sri Lanka

Friends, first of all, let us remind you that customs regulations and airline allowances are completely different things. If you are interested in answers to questions like "How much alcohol can I bring in my luggage to Sri Lanka?", "Can I carry souvenirs in carry-on?" or "How many kilograms can I take in carry-on to Sri Lanka?", then you will not find such answers in this article. Carriage allowances on an airplane are set by the airline, not by customs or the country, and they differ among different airlines and even for different flights and airfare tariffs. Therefore, such information must be found in your ticket, on airline websites, or from the airline/tour operator's support service. We do not advise asking such questions in chats and forums, as you may receive unreliable information from inexperienced tourists. Rely only on the official source of the airline or tour operator on this issue.

To begin with, here are frequent questions and answers on the topic of import and export to Sri Lanka. Although they are not directly related to customs regulations, you need to know about them:

• What and how much can be carried in luggage and carry-on to Sri Lanka? First of all, you should know that baggage and carry-on baggage allowances and customs regulations are different things. Baggage and carry-on baggage allowances are set by airlines and this does not depend on the country's customs rules. You can find out baggage and carry-on baggage allowances in your ticket or on the airline's website, they differ for each airline and for different fares even within the same airline.
• Can fruits be imported or exported not in a basket? Yes, there are no customs regulations or airline rules that require passengers to transport fruits only in baskets. So you can bring fruits in a bag, backpack, suitcase and anything else, as long as they comply with the airline's carriage regulations.
• Can fruits be carried in checked luggage? Yes, fruits can be carried both in checked luggage and in carry-on baggage.
• How many fruits can be carried in carry-on or checked luggage? You can carry as many as allowed by the carriage allowances for your ticket (they differ by airlines and fares), but do not forget that what you brought on the plane still needs to be imported into the destination country. And here the customs regulations of the destination country come into play. For example, in the Russian Federation you can import no more than 5 kilograms of fruits and other plant products per person.
• Is it true that airlines have banned taking baskets of fruits on board? No, that is not true. If your total complies with the airline's carriage regulations for weight, size and number of pieces of baggage and carry-on, then you can carry within these limits a basket of fruits as well. Read more here
• Is alcohol purchased at duty-free added together with that in baggage at customs? Yes, it is added. That is, if you are carrying 1 liter from home in your baggage and bought another 1 liter at the airport, then you will be carrying 2 liters through customs.
• Can e-cigarettes be imported? Yes. Although there is a ban on the sale of electronic cigarettes in Sri Lanka, import for personal use and consumption are not prohibited.

And now in detail everything you need to know about Sri Lanka's customs regulations:

What Can Be Imported into Sri Lanka

You can import into Sri Lanka duty-free:

• Personal belongings and clothing for personal use
• Two bottles of wine and one and a half liters of spirits per person (see more details import of alcohol into Sri Lanka below)
• Toilet water in an amount not exceeding 250 milliliters, a small amount of perfume and souvenirs for non-commercial use with a total value not exceeding 250 US dollars.

All other items not from the list above are either prohibited from import or must be declared. For example, according to official rules, even jewelry and gold must be declared for the possibility of their subsequent export. The declaration is free and only involves filling out a form.

This is all according to the law, but in reality, not every tourist goes to declare and pay duty for carrying an extra bottle of alcohol or importing an expensive smartphone, laptop, etc. Tourists are selectively and rarely inspected upon entry and exit from the country (as in any other country), and even in case of minor violations, they turn a blind eye. Nevertheless, if you are carrying expensive equipment or jewelry, it would still be useful to declare them to avoid problems upon exit, but of course, it's up to you.

What is Prohibited to Import into Sri Lanka

It is prohibited to bring obviously illegal things and items into the country, but there are also quite specific ones that are worth knowing about:

• Drugs.
• Weapons.
• Flora and fauna from the CITES list.
• Pornographic and propaganda materials.
• Anti-religious materials or those offending religious feelings. Even religious images in trademarks, books on religious topics of 'dubious' content, etc., are equated to this.
• Any items and toys made in the form of weapons, for example, pistol lighters, grenades, etc.
• Fireworks and pyrotechnics.
• Eggs without marking of country of origin.
• Lottery tickets.
• Meat and meat products.

This is only a small part of the entire list of prohibited items; you can familiarize yourself with the entire list in English here https://www.customs.gov.lk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/ScheduleB-1.pdf

Import/Export of Currency to Sri Lanka

You can bring cash in foreign currency into Sri Lanka in any amount. However, you need to declare money in any currency if you import or export it in an amount of:

• More than $15,000 equivalent in cash and traveler's checks.
• More than $10,000 equivalent if you are carrying only cash.

Indian and Pakistani currency is prohibited from import/export.

The export of Sri Lanka's national currency is limited to a maximum of 20,000 rupees (approximately 59.82 US dollars, see Sri Lanka currency).

Import of Alcohol and Cigarettes into Sri Lanka

• It is allowed to import two bottles of wine and one and a half liters of spirits per person into Sri Lanka, but only for persons over 18 years old.
• The import of cigarettes into Sri Lanka is officially prohibited, at least according to official sources.

Some popular sources on the Internet erroneously indicate that you can import either wine or spirits. This is not true, you can import both wine and spirits simultaneously, totaling 3 liters per person. Here is a quote from the official rules: "Two regular-size bottles of wine and one and a half liters of spirits". However, we remind you again that carriage in baggage and customs regulations are different things. That is, if, for example, you can carry up to 5 liters of alcohol in your baggage, plus you buy more at the duty-free shop when departing from home or upon arrival, this does not mean you will be able to carry all of it.

And it is also important to understand that everything you buy at duty-free upon arrival is also taken into account when going through entry customs and is added to what you brought in your baggage or bought at home duty-free.

As for the import of cigarettes, although almost all sources indicate information about a permitted allowance of up to 200 cigarettes, in fact, local official sources indicate precisely a complete ban on the import of tobacco and cigarettes. Read more here, but of course, it's up to you to decide what to believe, Russian sources or local ones.

Can Quadcopters/Drones Be Imported

Only with prior permission from the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC) and the Ministry of Defense. Contacts +94112430860/69 email- webinfo@defence.lk, www.trc.gov.lk

Can Radio Stations Be Imported

Only with permission from the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC)

Export of Fruits

There are no customs prohibitions on the export of fruits from Sri Lanka, but theoretically some restrictions may be established by the veterinary and phytosanitary control service. In practice, when exporting fruits, they are of no interest to anyone, so you can export them without problems, as long as it is in reasonable non-commercial quantities.

Sometimes you can come across information that fruits from Sri Lanka can only be exported in plastic containers. This is complete nonsense, since the customs service does not regulate in any way what form fruits can be carried on board an aircraft. This is all within the competence of the specific airline you are flying with.

Airlines allow transporting fruits in any form in baggage or carry-on, with or without a basket, as long as they do not exceed the carriage allowances for weight and dimensions for your ticket.

Sometimes on charter flights (tour flights) they allow carrying fruits in addition to the permitted allowances, this is the so-called "Fruit Basket" service. This is most often paid, rarely free. This must be clarified in the tour conditions with the tour operator. However, the "Fruit Basket" service does not at all prohibit you from carrying fruits in any form except a basket within the permitted baggage and carry-on allowances, i.e., you can carry them in a bag, suitcase, etc. at your discretion.