Before anything else, one rule with serious personal consequences. Under Sri Lankan immigration regulations, citizens who have applied for or obtained refugee status or asylum in the United States are not entitled to a Sri Lankan passport, nor to renew an existing one. What is issued instead is a temporary travel document, for the sole purpose of returning to Sri Lanka — and that applies to people still awaiting a decision as well.
Quick facts
If that first paragraph describes your situation, speak to an immigration lawyer before applying for anything. Approaching your country’s authorities while an asylum claim is pending can bear on the claim itself, and that is not a question a directory can answer for you.
Fees breakdown
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Passport | Published tariff | Money order to the embassy |
| Return by courier | $20 | Added to the application fee |
| International mailing | $35 | For certain jurisdictions |
| Temporary travel document | Published tariff | Return to Sri Lanka only |
| Personal checks | Not accepted | Cash only if hand delivered |
Two warnings appear in the embassy’s own instructions and both cost money: incomplete applications are returned and the consular fees are not refunded, and submitting forged documents or false declarations about citizenship is a punishable offence, with no refund in those circumstances either.
How to apply
- Complete the application form in full; anything missing means it comes back.
- Add your current passport and the supporting documents for your category.
- If you are a permanent resident, include a certified copy of the green card or a letter from the immigration authorities confirming you have not acquired U.S. citizenship.
- Pay by money order or certified check made out to the embassy.
- Add the courier fee if you want it returned by post.
- Submit to the consular division by post or by hand.
Required documents
- Completed application form.
- Current or most recent Sri Lankan passport.
- Certified copy of your permanent residence card, or confirmation you have not naturalised.
- Police report and the designated form where the passport was lost.
- Dual citizenship certificate where you hold one.
- Money order or certified check; personal checks are refused.
Where to apply
At the consular division of the embassy in Washington, open on weekdays, by post or in person.
No offices currently listed.
Additional notes
Children need their own passports
Including children on a parent’s passport is no longer permitted. Each child is issued a separate document, so plan their files alongside yours.
Under 16
Both parents sign the consent letter, and if they cannot attend together they sign before a notary. Notarised copies of the bio pages of both parents’ passports are required, and a first-time minor also needs the consular birth certificate and citizenship certificate.
The embassy is not liable for post
It states plainly that it is not responsible for documents lost in the mail. Use a tracked service and keep copies of everything.
Fees are not refunded
Completeness is worth an extra hour of checking before you seal the envelope.