The High Commission/ Consulate require prior approval from the authorities in Sri Lanka to issue visa under this category and therefore, a request letter and Visa Applications should be submitted to the High Commission /Consulate at least 06 weeks in advance.

Visa:

All media personnel intending to visit Sri Lanka should obtain a visa from the High Commission /Consulate General in Canada prior to their arrival in Colombo. Media accreditation will not be recommended, under any circumstance, for media personnel who enter the country with Tourist/Visit Visas issued at the port of their entry.

Visa Application Form:   Click

Media Accreditation:

All foreign media personnel visiting Sri Lanka are required to obtain Media Accreditation from the Department of Government Information, issued upon the recommendation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. All visiting media personnel, upon their arrival in Sri Lanka, are requested to contact the Public Communications Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo to obtain the recommendation letter.

Clearance of Equipments:

The Department of Customs strictly enforces regulations pertaining to the clearance of equipment carried by media personnel. Accordingly, visiting media personnel should possess a temporary import document known as ‘Carnet’ for any equipment carried by them, for customs clearance. In the absence of a ‘Carnet’, a bank guarantee should be submitted to the value of the items. If the visit is sponsored by any state institution, a guarantee letter from the relevant institution ensuring the re-export of the equipment is required.

The list of equipment carried by media personnel should be sent to the Public Communications Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the High Commission/ Consulate in advance, to facilitate clearance at the Customs at the airport. The list should be accompanied by a letter of undertaking from the relevant media organization that the equipment would be carried out of the country upon the departure of the media personnel.

1. JOURNALISTS / PHOTOGRAPHERS:

A Request letter addressed to the High Commission/Consulate General from the relevant Media Institution should be   forwarded along with a copy of the CV of the Journalist/Photographer, description of the nature of the assignment to be carried out in Sri Lanka, details of any appointments sought from Government officials, description of the media equipment to be taken to Sri Lanka, copy of the passport and the Visa application.

2. DOCUMENTARY / FILM CREW

A request letter addressed to the High Commission / Consulate General should be   forwarded along with detailed Synopsis of the Documentary/Film, CVs   of the Crew, duration of the stay in Sri Lanka, film locations, list of equipments, names & passport details of the filming crew visiting Sri Lanka and Visa applications.

Filming of documentaries and feature films require prior approval by the National Film Corporation (NFC) of Sri Lanka. Therefore, it is mandatory to sign the ' Filming Agreement ' which should be submitted together with the initial request to the High Commission/Consulate General.

NFC Guidelines

Application

Filming Agreement

Filming Documentaries / Feature Film:

Documentary / Film Crew are requested to submit the completed NFC Agreement, the synopsis of the Documentary/Feature Film, Itinerary of the film crew in Sri Lanka, CVs   of the Crew, names and passport details of the film crew visiting Sri Lanka, the filming locations, the list of equipments and Visa applications along with the   initial request to the High Commission/Consulate General.

Filming Tourism Promotional Documentaries:

Filming of tourism promotional documentaries, or taking part in Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) familiarization tours, are required to fill the “SLTPB Selection Criteria for Journalists/TV crews for FAM tours” form, which is available at the High Commission/Consulate General.

The SLTPB requires at least 30 working days for processing the relevant documents prior to the scheduled commencement of the project. Such media teams should also have a ground handling team who will be coordinating the project in Sri Lanka

Filming in Wild Life Protected Areas:

Filming in wild life protection areas require prior approval from the Department of Wildlife Conservation. The duly completed “Application for filming in wildlife protected areas”, must be completed and handed over to the High Commission/Consulate General. The Department of Wildlife Conservation requires at least two weeks to process the relevant documents before the scheduled commencement of the filming.

Charges for filming in wild life protected areas are as follows;

Please note that Elephant Transit Homes and Holding Grounds are considered as separate wildlife reserves. Commercial Films and Tele Dramas are not allowed in wildlife protected areas.

Filming in Archeological sites (under Central Cultural Fund)

Filming under Central Cultural Fund require prior approval from the Central Cultural Fund (CCF). The duly completed “Application for filming in Under Central Cultural Fund”, must be completed and handed over to the High Commission/ Consulate General. The Central Cultural Fund requires at least fifteen (15) days to process the relevant documents before the scheduled commencement of the filming.