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Tracy
Tracy
Sep 23 2026
20Indian tourists visiting Sri Lanka are facing difficulties obtaining temporary driving licences at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) as authorities do not currently accept digital driving licences issued by India and some other countries.
The Temporary Driving Licence for International Tourists issuing counter at BIA, maintained by the Department of Motor Traffic, requires visitors to produce a physical driving licence issued by their respective countries.
Travel industry sources said the issue is particularly affecting Indian tourists, who currently account for Sri Lanka’s largest tourist market. Many Indian visitors hire rental cars to travel around the country and apply for temporary driving licences on arrival.
“Many of them use car rental services for their travel in Sri Lanka. When they arrive, they go to the counter to obtain the temporary licence, but they are turned away because Sri Lanka does not accept their digital driving licence,” a local travel industry representative said.
He said some tourists who were directed by the BIA counter to the Department of Motor Traffic office in Werahera had also been unable to obtain the temporary licence.
“Today we face a major issue at the airport due to the non-issuance of the temporary driving licence for Indian nationals as they cannot produce a physical driving licence. This is depriving the Government of revenue while also causing considerable inconvenience to Indian and Pakistani tourists,” he said.
The problem is also affecting the rental car industry, with operators saying some tourists prefer to rent vehicles and drive independently using Google Maps and other navigation applications.
Both India and Pakistan have introduced digital driving licences, meaning many motorists in those countries no longer routinely carry paper or plastic versions of their licences.
In contrast, tourists from European countries and several other destinations who carry physical driving licences are able to obtain temporary driving licences in Sri Lanka.
The Department of Motor Traffic recently introduced a system for issuing temporary driving licences to non-citizen visitors, generating revenue for the department.
The current charges are Rs. 15,000 for a licence valid for one month, Rs. 21,000 for a period exceeding one month and up to two months, Rs. 30,000 for more than two months and up to six months, and Rs. 45,000 for more than six months and up to 12 months.
An official of the Department of Motor Traffic said temporary driving licences could not currently be issued to nationals of India, Pakistan and some other countries because the existing local system was not yet equipped to accept and electronically link with their digital licence systems.
“The system is still not geared to accept and link with some of these systems. However, this is in the process of being corrected and we also need some new equipment,” the official said.
Industry representatives said the situation was increasingly out of step with Sri Lanka’s digitalisation drive.
They pointed out that Sri Lankan motorists obtain International Driving Permits through the Automobile Association of Ceylon, which are accepted in India, Pakistan and other countries.
“The irony is that when a Sri Lankan obtains an international driving licence through the Automobile Association, it is accepted in India and Pakistan, but the reverse is not happening because these countries have advanced their digital driving licence systems,” an industry representative said.
“When Sri Lanka is talking about digitalisation, this is a major drawback,” he added.
The issue is particularly significant for Sri Lanka’s tourism and vehicle rental sectors as Indian tourists increasingly use digital payments and mobile-based services during their stay.
“Today, most Indians visiting Sri Lanka do not even carry much cash or, in some cases, physical credit cards, as they conduct their financial transactions through their phones or smart watches,” the industry representative said.
He said Sri Lanka needed to address the driving licence issue quickly to avoid inconveniencing tourists and losing potential revenue from temporary driving licences and vehicle rentals.
