- Office Hours : Mon - Fri: 9:00 am - 4.45 pm
- Consular Service Hours : Mon - Fri: 9:30 am - 1.30 pm
We facilitate submission of applications for passports by Sri Lankan citizens/dual citizens in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. New Passports are issued by the Department of Immigration & Emigration, Sri Lanka through this office.
Submission of forged documents (Birth Certificates, etc.) and false declarations in relation to the citizenship status is an offence. Such cases will be reported to the relevant authorities and payment already paid will not be refunded.
Eligibility for a Sri Lankan Passport
The applicant must be a Sri Lankan citizen by descent or by registration. Sri Lankan citizens who have applied for, and gained, refugee or asylum status in Australia are not entitled to a Sri Lankan passport, in accordance with Sri Lankan Immigration Laws. However, they are eligible to apply for temporary travel documents for the sole purpose of returning to Sri Lanka.
Validity of Sri Lankan Passport
The current N-Series Passports are valid for 10 years unless otherwise specified. Validity of a passport cannot be extended beyond 10 years from the date of issuance. A new passport must be obtained instead.
You can apply for a new passport, if your passport is expiring its validity/ already expired.
Applications must be lodged well in advance of the expiry of the current passport. However, if you are applying for a New Passport prior to one year or more to the expiry date of the current passport, you must provide a letter with the reason. If you apply after the expiry of the validity of your current passport, a penalty fee will be charged.
You can also apply for a New Passport if your Passport is lost/stolen.
If your passport is lost/stolen:
It is the responsibility of the holder to inform the concerned authorities immediately. Failure to do so may result in your passport being used for illegal purposes, and you might become liable for aiding and abetting an offence. So, when your passport lost or stolen, immediately make a complaint to your local police station in your country of residence and apply for a New Passport.
Details of passports reported stolen or lost are entered in the Stolen/Lost Passport System of the Department of Immigration & Emigration, Sri Lanka, & automatically shared internationally through INTERPOL to prevent misuse. Passports reported stolen or lost are invalidated, and cannot be used for travel. If a passport reported stolen or lost is recovered, it cannot be re-validated. It must be mailed to the Consulate General and if requested, it can be returned to you after cancellation.
If another person’s lost Sri Lankan passport is found, please mail it through registered post to us at the address below:
Consulate General of Sri Lanka Melbourne,
Suite 536, No.1 Queens Road,
Melbourne, VIC 3004
Non- Machine Readable Passport (NMRP) is issued as a stop-gap travel document. This can be used only once and will only be valid for return travel to Sri Lanka. It is issued in lieu of a Passport expired/lost and if the applicant requires return to Sri Lanka urgently.
New Passport for children under age 16 (Minor Applicants) are issued with the consent of both the parents.
Temporary Travel Documents (TTD): This office facilitates issuance of Temporary Travel Documents (TTDs) for the voluntary repatriation of Sri Lankans coming under the category of “unlawful non-citizens” alias “unauthorised maritime arrivals” organised by the International Organization of Migration (IOM) or “Homeward Assisted Returns Programme” (the service providers authorised by the Australian Government).
If you are not a Sri Lankan citizen at the time of submission of the application, you have to submit documents to prove your visa status/citizenship at the time of child’s birth.
Applying at our counter: You can submit your application by visiting us in person, after obtaining an appointment through our website
Submitting application via post:
All types of applications could be submitted via post with compliance to the following instructions:
For New Passports: application (page 4), copies of all the supporting documents and one of your photographs pasted on page 2 of the application should be certified (with an official stamp) by an authorized Australian certification body (Lawyer, Doctor, Justice of Peace, Police Officer or Pharmacist).
It is mandatory to submit your current passport along with the application and it will be returned to you after cancellation, with the New Passport.
For Amendments to passport: relevant application form and certified copies of supporting documents should be submitted. Copies should be certified (with an official stamp) by an authorized Australian certification body (Lawyer, Doctor, Justice of Peace, Police Officer or Pharmacist).
The scanned copy of the receipt for the application will be emailed to you once the application is forwarded to the Department of Immigration & Emigration by this Office.
Applicants in South Australia can certify all the applications/declarations from the Honorary Consul of Sri Lanka in Adelaide at the following address and submit to this office:
Dr. Charitha Perera
No. 10A, Valmai Avenue,
Kings Park, SA 5034, Australia
Mobile: 0412 552 541
Home: 08 8333 0764
Email: charitha_perera@hotmail.com
Kindly follow the appropriate specimen to fill the application correctly.
Following supporting documents should be submitted along with the duly filled Form “K” [Photocopy of the application is not required)
Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) obtained from the Department of Immigration & Citizenship of Australia. This can be obtained free of charge. Certificate should be less than a month old from the date of submission of the application.
Supporting documents required:
The following supporting documents should be submitted along with the duly filled Form “K”
Duly filled “Form K” and “Form D” and the Complaint Form issued by Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka should be submitted along with the following supporting documents:
Please submit the Application Form “O” with the following documents:
The application procedure for an NMRP is the same as for a New Passport and same supporting documents with the following additional supporting documents should be submitted:
The applicant should send a detailed email with contact mobile number to mail@slcgmel.org by himself/herself OR through an Australian government designated migration agency [ International Organization for Migration (IOM) /Homeward Assisted Returns Programme (HARP) ] to obtain information about the supporting documents and the application process.
For Payments at the Counter:
For Applications submitted via post – the relevant fee should be sent by Postal Money Order (Australia Post)/ bank draft drawn in favor of the “Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Melbourne” along with the certified application and relevant documents. The scanned copy of the receipt will be emailed to the applicant after the application is processed.
| S.No | Consular Service Required | Payment (AUD) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Application for a New Passport |
AUD 235 Penalty Fee for Expired Passports: AUD 5 per year (maximum for 5 years from expiry). This is not applicable to dual citizens. |
| 2 | Application for a New Passport for Minor Applicant: |
AUD 194 - For Children under 12 years (Passport Validity - 3 Years only) AUD 235 - For Children over 12 years and under 16 years (Passport Validity - 10 Years) Penalty Fee for Expired Passports: AUD 5 per year (maximum for 5 years from expiry). This is not applicable to dual citizens. |
| 3 | Certification of signature of one parent on the parents’ consent letter in case application is submitted directly in Sri Lanka by the other parent. |
AUD 64 Penalty Fee for Expired Passports: AUD 5 per year (maximum for 5 years from expiry). This is not applicable to dual citizens. |
| 4 | Application for a New Passport in lieu of lost Passport: |
AUD 541 - If a photocopy of the Bio-Data page of the lost passport is available AUD 683 - If a photocopy of the Bio-Data page of the lost passport is unavailable |
| 5 | Application for Amendment of Passport | AUD 17 |
| 6 | Application for a Non-Machine Readable Passport (NMRP): |
AUD 77 - NMRP with the application for a New Passport AUD 240 - NMRP in lieu of a lost passport |
| 7 | Temporary Travel Document (TTD) | AUD 170 |
Your application for a new passport/ amendments of passport will be forwarded to the Overseas Mission Division of the Department of Immigration & Emigration, Sri Lanka. The arrival of the new Passport/ approval for the amendment will be notified to you by email.
Please note that a specific time period for the issuance of your passport cannot be guaranteed.
The old passport will be cancelled by the Controller, Immigration & Emigration before issuance of your New Passport. Therefore, applicants are advised to refrain from travelling to Sri Lanka using the previous passport, after the application is submitted and until the new passport has been received.
Collection from the Counter: You do not need to obtain a prior appointment for collection of the Passport. You can collect the new passport by visiting the Consulate General between 9:15 – 9:30am OR 1:30 – 1:45pm on any working day. Please check our website for any public holiday closures prior to visiting us. It is mandatory to bring your current passport along with the receipt issued by the Consulate General at the time of the submission of your application for collection of your new passport/amended passport. Your current passport is required to be cancelled once new passport is issued. If you have already submitted your current passport to this office, it will be returned along with your New Passport or after amending your passport as per your request. For collection of new passport/ amended passport by a third party, you are required to provide the third party with an authorization letter, the receipt issued by the Consulate General at the time of the submission of your application and your current passport.
Collection by post:
If you wish to receive your new passport/amended passport via registered post, please email to mail@slcgmel.org with your name, passport number, application reference number and the postal address.
If you have not submitted your old passport at the time of submission of the application, your old passport should be sent for issuance of your New Passport. If you have already submitted your current passport to this office, it will be returned along with your New Passport or after amending your passport as per your request.
The tracking number will be emailed to you to follow-up once your passport posted.
Once the new passport is received, the Australian Department of Home Affairs must be notified. Details can be updated via your Immi Account or by completing Form 929.
As per Section 35(a) of the Immigrants and Emigrants Act No 20 of 1948 as amended in 2015, the Department of Immigration and Emigration is required to collect Biometrics from passport applicants. The Department has introduced a new procedure to collect the fingerprints of passport holders whose passport has been issued through Sri Lanka Diplomatic Missions after 01st November 2017. The procedure requires every passport holder aged 16- 60 years to provide biometrics (fingerprints and digital face image) to the Department upon their first entry to Sri Lanka.
You are advised to arrange your travel in a way that allows sufficient time to provide your biometrics to the department. Biometrics can only be submitted at the locations below on any working day between 8am-2pm except public holidays).
Biometrics cannot be provided at the airport. You are advised to provide your biometrics prior to departure from Sri Lanka, as failure to do so will prevent you from leaving the country.
Biometric Data Acquisition is conducted free of charge. No payments are required.
You can obtain further details in this regard from following offices:
| Location | Address | Telephone |
|---|---|---|
| Colombo | Overseas Mission Division, 2nd Floor, Department of Immigration and Emigration “Suhurupaya”, Sri Subhuthipura Road, Battaramulla | +94 11 5329233 |
| Matara | 9, Sri Vijaya Building, Rahula Road, Matara. | +94-41-5412212 |
| Kandy | 42/3, Sangaraja Mawatha, Kandy. | +94-81-5624470, +94-81-5624509 |
| Vavuniya | JC 23, Outer Circle Road, Vavuniya. | +94-25-5676345 |
| Kurunegala | 129, Dambulla Road, Kurunegala | +94-37-5550562, +94-37-5550563 |
