Before you start

A visa valid for more than 6 months, for a full licence
A valid foreign driving licence — provisional licences and learner permits are not accepted
A medical fitness certificate from the National Transport Medical Institute, issued within the last 6 months
English translations of your licence and passport by your embassy, if not already in English

Step-by-step

1
Check your visa length first
More than six months gets you a full licence; less gets a temporary one. This single fact determines the whole process.
OnlineWho: You
2
Get the NTMI medical certificate
Issued by the National Transport Medical Institute and valid for six months. Do this before your DMT appointment, not after.
In personWho: You
3
Get embassy translations if needed
Your licence and passport must be in English or translated by the relevant embassy or mission — a commercial translation is not accepted.
In personWho: You
4
Apply at the DMT
The head office handles conversions. Bring the foreign licence, an international driving permit if you have one, passport, medical certificate and translations.
In personWho: YouLKR 15,000 for a new licence for a foreign national
5
Sit tests if your category requires them
A knowledge test and in some cases a practical test apply, depending on nationality and licence class.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Valid foreign driving licence (not provisional or learner)
Passport and visa
NTMI medical fitness certificate, under 6 months old
Embassy translations, if documents are not in English
International driving permit, where held

Things most newcomers don’t know

The six-month visa line decides everything about your licence.

Over six months and you can hold a full Sri Lankan licence; under it and you get a temporary one only. If you have any influence over your first visa's length — and Digital Nomad Visa holders get 12 months — it puts you comfortably on the right side of this without needing to think about it.

Source: Department of Motor Traffic — conversion of foreign licence

Only embassy translations are accepted.

A commercial or notarised translation will be refused; it must come from the relevant embassy or mission. That means an appointment at your own embassy in Colombo, which is a lead time people do not build in.

Source: DMT — conversion requirements

Most residents in Colombo simply do not drive.

Traffic is heavy, parking is difficult and PickMe three-wheelers are cheap and everywhere. The licence is worth having for trips out of the city — the Southern Expressway to Galle, or the hill country — rather than for daily use.

Source: community-reported

Driving here is genuinely different, not just left-hand.

Buses assert priority aggressively, three-wheelers occupy every gap, and overtaking conventions on rural roads are unlike Western norms. The knowledge test exists for a reason. If you plan to drive outside Colombo, budget some low-stakes practice first.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Presenting a provisional licence or learner permit — neither is accepted.
Getting a commercial translation instead of an embassy one.
Letting the NTMI medical certificate age past six months before your appointment.
Assuming a visa under six months can get you a full licence.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.