How to apply for a police clearance now
Apply online. On police.lk, choose Clearance Certificates, then Apply Online, or go straight to the police e-Services portal. You upload scans of your NIC, passport and birth certificate and pay by card. Police Headquarters issues the certificate 14 working days after you submit and sends it by registered post. The full steps are in How to apply online, step by step.
Source: police.lk notice "Restoration of the Police Clearance Data System", posted 17 Oct 2026 (police.lk); police.lk notice dated 10 Sep 2026 (police.lk/special-services/); police.lk clearance instruction sheet (PDF) for the 14 working days and registered post. Checked 22 Oct 2026.
If you live abroad
Apply online yourself on the e-Services portal. The fee for applicants overseas is Rs 5,000.
Foreign nationals (people who aren't Sri Lankan citizens) apply through a Sri Lankan embassy. Sri Lankan citizens can also apply through the nearest Sri Lankan embassy or high commission. That route takes about 3 to 4 months.
Source: police.lk (overseas online fee); Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Sri Lankan missions guidance on processing times.
If you applied in August 2026
Applications made on 20 Aug 2026, the day the system failed, were removed from it. Police ask those applicants to submit a new application online and refund the earlier fee to the card used. The email route used during the August 2026 outage has been stopped.
Source: police.lk notice "Restoration of the Police Clearance Data System" (police.lk); police.lk notice dated 10 Sep 2026 (email route stopped). Checked 22 Oct 2026.
This guide covers the official steps, fees and rules. For one person's experience of the domestic (OIC) certificate, including the home visit and a four-week wait, read the companion page. It's about the domestic certificate, not the Headquarters certificate described above. Getting a police clearance from your local police station →
Police clearance documents checklist
Choose your situation to see what to bring.
For Sri Lankan citizens in Sri Lanka who need a certificate for a visa, a job abroad, study abroad or migration. Police Headquarters (Clearance Division) issues it. Apply online on the police e-Services portal and upload scans of these documents (see "How to apply online, step by step" below). You need a valid passport. If yours has expired, start with the Sri Lanka passport application guide (linked from the passport item below).
You fill in the application on the police e-Services portal: on police.lk, choose Clearance Certificates, then Apply Online.
Open police e-Services PortalClear scans of the front and back. Police reject unclear copies and don't refund the fee. Lost your NIC? See the NIC guide.
NIC guide (new, lost and One-Day Service)Scans of the bio-data page, the "All countries" page and any "Alterations and Observations" page. If your passport has expired, start with the passport application guide.
Sri Lanka passport application guideScans of the front and back.
Every address where you lived during the period the certificate covers, with the police station area for each one.
Police contact you by email or WhatsApp if something is wrong with your application.
Needed if the name on your passport or NIC differs from your birth certificate because of marriage.
Only if your NIC and passport names differ and you want the certificate in your passport name. An Attorney-at-Law or JP must certify it.
For use inside Sri Lanka only. Your local station issues either a general station certificate or an OIC certificate for domestic purposes. Foreign embassies won't accept either one. Check with the organisation asking for the certificate that a local one is fine. Prices are in the fee table below.
The Grama Niladhari (GN, your village officer) issues it. It confirms how long you have lived in the area and your character there.
Your original NIC and a clear photocopy (or a valid driving license or passport) so the station's inquiry officers can confirm who you are.
The station's own form (they have a sample) or a written letter with your personal details, your address and why you need the certificate.
Pay at the station counter. The reported prices are in the fee table below.
Form 172 is the official government receipt for fees paid at a police station. Always ask for it and keep it.
Apply online yourself on the police e-Services portal. The fee for overseas applicants is Rs 5,000. Or apply through the nearest Sri Lankan embassy or high commission, which takes about 3 to 4 months. Foreign nationals apply through a Sri Lankan embassy.
A clear copy of the bio-data pages of your current valid passport.
A copy of the page showing the date you left Sri Lanka and the immigration exit stamp.
Both sides.
A copy of your Sri Lankan birth certificate.
Every address where you lived in Sri Lanka before leaving, with the police station area for each.
A copy of your current visa or residence permit. Missions ask for this with paper applications.
Only if your NIC and passport names differ and you want the certificate in your passport name.
Police clearance fee (price) and processing time
Online, the police clearance price is Rs 1,500 if you apply from Sri Lanka or Rs 5,000 if you apply from overseas. You pay by card on the payment screen. Domestic station and OIC certificates cost less, but they only work inside Sri Lanka.
| Route | Price (fee) | Processing time | Where to apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online, applicant in Sri Lanka | Rs 1,500 (checked on the payment screen 22 Oct 2026) | 14 working days from submission | eservices.police.lk |
| Online, applicant overseas | Rs 5,000 | 14 working days from submission | eservices.police.lk |
| Sri Lankan embassy or high commission (Diplomatic Mission route) | As the mission instructs | About 3 to 4 months | At the mission, or by post to it |
| Local police station certificate (domestic use only) | Reported Rs 500, Form 172 receipt | Depends on the station inquiry | Your local police station |
| OIC certificate (domestic use only) | Reported Rs 300, Form 172 receipt | Depends on the station inquiry | Your local police station |
| Fingerprint verification (only if required) | Reported Rs 500 extra | Done during the station inquiry | Your local police station |
About these prices
- Rs 1,500 online fee. Checked on the payment screen on 22 Oct 2026, after online applications came back. Pay the amount the payment screen shows. Daily Mirror (30 Sep 2025) reported Rs 5,000 for online certificates "for overseas purposes" and didn't mention a Rs 1,500 rate.
- Domestic prices come from a Daily Mirror report of a Police briefing, not from a Gazette. Confirm the price at the station counter. Before that briefing, stations typically charged around Rs 150 to 300, and some waived the fee.
Source: police.lk and the e-Services payment screen (Rs 1,500 checked 22 Oct 2026); police.lk instruction sheet (14 working days); Ada Derana and Daily Mirror for the domestic station prices. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
How to check your police clearance status
To check your police clearance status, message the Police Clearance Division on WhatsApp (071 859 5950) or call one of its landlines. Police.lk also has a "Ready Reports" page, linked from its Clearance Certificates page. If you applied on 20 Aug 2026, the day the system failed, police ask you to submit a new application online.
- WhatsApp: 071 859 5950 (listed on police.lk). See contact numbers.
- Phone: 011 243 9185, 011 243 9186 or 011 212 2800. Or the 24-hour lines 071-8595946, 071-8595947 and 071-8595948.
- Email: clearance@police.gov.lk
- Ready Reports: police.lk Ready Reports. It lists the index number of each certificate that is ready and the date it was ready. You can search it by index number or ready date.
- Watch your email and WhatsApp. If something is wrong with your application, police contact you by email or WhatsApp. The instruction sheet says they remove an application from the system if the mistakes aren't corrected within 3 months.
Source: police.lk Clearance Certificates page and police.lk Ready Reports page, checked 16 Oct 2026 (WhatsApp number re-checked 22 Oct 2026).
Police clearance contact numbers and WhatsApp
The Police Clearance Division's WhatsApp number on police.lk is 071 859 5950 (since 23 Sep 2026; it replaced 071 859 2990, which police.lk no longer lists). To call, use 011 243 9185, 011 243 9186 or 011 212 2800, or the 24-hour lines 071-8595946, 071-8595947 and 071-8595948.
| Contact | Number or address | Use it for | Source (date) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clearance Division landlines | 011 243 9185 · 011 243 9186 · 011 212 2800 | Questions and follow-up | police.lk Clearance Certificates page (checked 22 Oct 2026) |
| WhatsApp (listed on police.lk) | 071 859 5950 | Status and follow-up by WhatsApp message | police.lk Clearance Certificates page (checked 22 Oct 2026). Active from 23 Sep 2026 (Police Media Division via Ada Derana, 24 Sep 2026). |
| 24-hour Special Operations Room | 071-8595946 · 071-8595947 · 071-8595948 | Queries at any hour about submitting a police clearance application | police.lk notice dated 17 Sep 2026 (checked 22 Oct 2026) |
| clearance@police.gov.lk | Written queries | police.lk Clearance Certificates page and instruction sheet | |
| Address | 17th Floor, Suhurupaya, Sri Subhuthipura Road, Battaramulla | Clearance Division head office | police.lk instruction sheet; source-registry police_clearance_division_loc |
Don't use the old clear.application email address from the August 2026 outage. That route has been stopped.
Source: police.lk Clearance Certificates page and police.lk notice (10 Sep and 17 Sep 2026); Ada Derana, 24 Sep 2026 (WhatsApp start date). Checked 22 Oct 2026.
How to apply online, step by step
These are the online e-Services steps from the police instruction sheet. Online applications are open again from 16 Oct 2026.
Choose the right certificate
You need the Headquarters certificate for visas, jobs abroad or migration. For domestic use, a local station or OIC certificate may do, but check first that the organisation accepts it.
Scan your documents
Scan your passport bio-data page, the "All countries" page and any "Alterations and Observations" page. Also scan both sides of your NIC and both sides of your birth certificate. Save each one as a separate PDF under 250 KB.
List your addresses and police areas
Write down every address where you lived in Sri Lanka during the period the certificate covers. For each one, find the police station area it falls under (for example Bambalapitiya, Cinnamon Gardens or Kandy).
Open the e-Services portal
Go to eservices.police.lk/ClearanceCertificate/home.action. Register or log in and start a new application.
Enter your details and upload your files
Type everything in English capital letters (except your email address), with no special symbols. Enter names exactly as they appear on your NIC and passport. Add "Sri Lanka" at the end of your present address. Enter your address history with the police divisions, choose where the certificate should go, and upload your scans.
Check the fee and pay
You must finish the form and pay within 20 minutes of starting. Pay by credit or debit card. Pay the amount shown on the payment screen.
Save your reference number
Keep it somewhere safe. Police contact you by email or WhatsApp if there's a problem. To follow up, see "How to check your police clearance status" on this page.
Receive your certificate by registered post
Police Headquarters issues the certificate 14 working days after you submit a New application. It comes only by registered post, to the address you gave. If the SLBFE referred you, it can go to the SLBFE instead.
Source: police.lk clearance instruction sheet (PDF). Checked 16 Oct 2026.
Tips from the official police instruction sheet
These tips come from the police instruction sheet for online applications.
- New or Renewal? Choose New for a first certificate, or to change any detail (name, NIC or passport number, address, or the period covered). Choose Renewal only for a copy of a certificate issued in the last year. With Renewal, the only thing you can change is the embassy or high commission address.
- Which name to print. Choose "NIC" to print your NIC name and number. Choose "Passport" to print your passport name and number. Upload an affidavit only if the two names differ.
- Affidavit. It must be an original, certified by an Attorney-at-Law or a Justice of the Peace (JP).
- SLBFE referral. If the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) referred you, select "Yes" and upload the SLBFE letter. The certificate then goes to the SLBFE through Police Headquarters. Select "No" to get it at home by post.
- Changes. Ask for changes within 2 days of submitting. Later requests are declined.
- Files. Each scan must be a PDF under 250 KB.
- Time limit. Finish the form and the payment within 20 minutes.
- Clear NIC copy. Sri Lankans over 16 must upload a clear NIC copy. Police reject unclear copies, or a driving license sent instead of an NIC, without notice or refund.
- Addressee. Pick the country, then the embassy or high commission the certificate is for. If it isn't listed, choose "Other" and type the full name and address.
Source: police.lk clearance instruction sheet (PDF), linked from the Clearance Certificates page. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
Where to apply for a police clearance
Apply online. Police Headquarters in Battaramulla processes the certificate and posts it to you. Domestic certificates come from your local station.
Police Clearance Division (Headquarters)
Certificates are sent by registered post to the address on your application17th Floor, "Suhurupaya" Administrative Complex, Sri Subhuthipura Road, Battaramulla
Local police stations (island-wide)
Visit in person during public inquiry hours. Bring a Grama Niladhari certificate for domestic certificates.The station for the area where you live.
Sri Lankan Diplomatic Missions Overseas
Check consular appointment requirements for your specific missionSri Lankan Embassy, High Commission, or Consulate General in country of residence
Source: police.lk restoration notice, 17 Oct 2026 (online route); police.lk instruction sheet (certificates sent by registered post only). Checked 16 Oct 2026.
How long is a Sri Lankan police report valid?
A Sri Lankan police clearance certificate (police report) has no fixed expiry date. It shows your record up to the day it was issued. The embassy, immigration office or employer asking for it decides how recent it must be. Many ask for a certificate issued within the last 3, 6 or 12 months.
The requesting authority decides. Whoever asks for your certificate (the organisation, the embassy, the foreign immigration department or the employer) sets the rule on how recent it must be. Some foreign visa authorities, for example, want certificates issued within the past 3, 6 or 12 months. Check that rule with them before you apply, so you don't pay for a certificate that's too old by the time you use it.
Using your police clearance abroad
Some countries use a different name for the same document. Canada's immigration department, for example, calls it a police certificate, and asks for the Sri Lanka Police "Police Clearance Certificate".
Your certificate is addressed to the embassy, high commission or authority you choose on the application. Each country decides how recent the certificate must be and whether it needs attestation. Check the destination authority's rules first, then choose the right addressee when you apply.
Does it need attesting? If the destination asks for the certificate to be attested by Sri Lanka's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry accepts Police Headquarters clearance reports only on the Police Headquarters format, not on a letterhead. The report must show your name, NIC, the date, your address, the period covered, a signature and the seal. See how to get documents attested by the Foreign Ministry, including what to do if you're overseas.
Don't rely on figures from social media or agents. We add a country's rule to this page only after checking it on the authority's own site, and then we add it to our verified sources.
Source: police.lk instruction sheet (addressee selection); the validity section above (the requesting authority decides); canada.ca, How to Get a Police Certificate – Sri Lanka; Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Guidelines for the attestation of documents (Jan 2026) (Police Headquarters format).
Official links
Official Sri Lanka Police pages for police clearance:
Sources & last checked
Based on police.lk notices dated 10 Sep, 17 Sep and 17 Oct 2026 (the restoration of online applications), the police.lk Clearance Certificates page, the police clearance instruction sheet, the e-Services portal payment screen (checked 22 Oct 2026), and a Daily Mirror report of a Police briefing (30 Sep 2025) for domestic station prices.
Checked by the LankaSolve maintainer. Read how we verify information or see our verified sources.
Checked against Sri Lanka Police (Clearance Division). Every source for this topic, with dates, is on our verified sources.
Some figures on this page come from news reports, not an official notice. They are marked "reported".
LankaSolve is an independent information site. We aren't part of Sri Lanka Police. Sri Lanka Police sets all fees, procedures and processing rules. Always check the amount on your official receipt or the payment screen.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply online for a police clearance certificate now?
Yes. Sri Lanka Police restored online applications from 16 Oct 2026, after suspending them on 10 Sep 2026. On police.lk, choose Clearance Certificates, then Apply Online. The fee is Rs 1,500 for applicants in Sri Lanka (checked on the payment screen 22 Oct 2026) or Rs 5,000 for applicants overseas, and the certificate is issued 14 working days after you submit.
How do I get a police report (police clearance) in Sri Lanka?
Apply online: on police.lk, choose Clearance Certificates, then Apply Online. Upload scans of your NIC, passport and birth certificate and pay by card. Police Headquarters issues the certificate 14 working days after you submit and sends it by registered post. For use inside Sri Lanka only, your local station can issue a cheaper OIC certificate, if the organisation accepts it. See "How to apply online, step by step" on this page.
How much is the police clearance fee (price) in Sri Lanka?
Online, it's Rs 1,500 for applicants in Sri Lanka (checked on the payment screen 22 Oct 2026) and Rs 5,000 for applicants overseas. Pay the amount the payment screen shows. Domestic station and OIC certificates cost less, but only work inside Sri Lanka. See the fee table on this page.
How much does a police clearance from a local police station cost?
A September 2025 Police briefing, reported by Daily Mirror, gave these prices: Rs 500 for a local station certificate and Rs 300 for an OIC certificate for domestic purposes. Fingerprint verification, if required, adds Rs 500. You get an official Form 172 receipt. These certificates are for use inside Sri Lanka only. Confirm the price at the counter.
How can I check my police clearance status?
Message the Police Clearance Division on WhatsApp (071 859 5950) or call 011 243 9185, 011 243 9186 or 011 212 2800. Police.lk also has a Ready Reports page. If you applied on 20 Aug 2026, the day the system failed, police ask you to submit a new application online. See "How to check your police clearance status" on this page.
What is the police clearance WhatsApp number?
Police.lk lists 071 859 5950 as the Police Clearance Division's WhatsApp number (since 23 Sep 2026). It replaced 071 859 2990, which police.lk no longer lists. There are also 24-hour lines: 071-8595946, 071-8595947 and 071-8595948.
Does my police clearance need to be attested by the Foreign Ministry?
Only if the country or employer asks for it. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs attests a Police Headquarters clearance only if it's on the Headquarters format (not a letterhead) showing your name, NIC, the period covered, and the officer's signature and seal. It costs Rs. 1,200 per document and needs an appointment. See the document attestation guide. Going abroad for work? You also need to register with the SLBFE.
How long does it take to get a police clearance certificate?
For online applications, the police instruction sheet says 14 working days from submission, with delivery by registered post. Applications through a Sri Lankan mission abroad take about 3 to 4 months.
Where can I download the police clearance application form?
On police.lk, go to Digital Services > Clearance Certificate > Download Application, or open the application form PDF directly. To apply online instead, choose Clearance Certificates, then Apply Online on police.lk, and fill in the application there.
How long is a Sri Lankan police report valid?
Sri Lanka Police certificates don't carry a statutory expiration date. They certify your record up to the date of issuance. Whoever is requesting the certificate (such as a foreign embassy, immigration department, or employer) specifies how recently it must have been issued, for example within 3, 6, or 12 months.