Foreign Tourists in Sri Lanka Now Eligible for Temporary Driving Permits

06-Aug-2025

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Foreign tourists who have stayed in the country for over a year and hold valid heavy vehicle driving permits will now be eligible to obtain temporary driving permits. 

Tourists from countries like India who arrive in Sri Lanka intending to operate three-wheelers may obtain permits if they possess valid driving licenses from their home countries, according to Minister of Transport, Highways, and Civil Aviation, Bimal Rathnayake.

A new branch office of the Department of Motor Traffic was inaugurated by Minister Rathnayake on August 3. This office is designed to issue valid driving permits within five minutes based on the applicant’s foreign driving license and visa duration.

Present at the opening were Motor Traffic Commissioner General Kamal Amarasinghe, retired Chairman of Airport and Aviation Services Harsha Abeywickrama, and Civil Aviation Authority Chairman Sunil Jayaratne, among others.

Minister Rathnayake stated that tourists can submit their applications via email to the new office, which is expected to significantly reduce processing time. 

He also announced that mobile phones will soon be provided to police officers in the traffic division and that QR codes will be introduced for foreign tourists to simplify the verification process.

Previously, foreign tourists had to visit the Department of Motor Traffic in Werahera to obtain driving permits, requiring them to allocate several days of their travel schedule. 

Notably, the first two permits issued under the new system went to a tourist from India and another from Italy.