Plugs and voltage
Sri Lanka uses Types D and G sockets; Type M is also found. Mains supply is 230 V at 50 Hz.
Type G is the national standard since 2018, but Type D and M sockets remain common in older buildings; bring an adapter that covers D and G.
At 230 V, devices made only for 100–127 V (many American and Japanese hair dryers, curling irons and some shavers) will be damaged without a step-down converter. Chargers labelled “100–240V” work fine with just a plug adapter.
Adapter guides: from United Kingdom · from India
Money
Rs Sri Lankan Rupee LKR
Average in 2025: 1 USD = 300.9 LKR (World Bank). No daily reference rate is published for this currency by the ECB; check a live rate before exchanging.
Price level 27 (US = 100, 2025)
Everyday household prices in Sri Lanka are about 27% of US prices when converted at market exchange rates: cheaper than the median country (50). All countries
Language
- Sinhalaofficial68%
- Tamilofficial15%
Bars show the share of the population that speaks each language (CLDR estimates).
Time
Sri Lanka is on UTC+5:30, with no daylight saving time.
Driving
Traffic in Sri Lanka drives on the left, so the steering wheel is on the right. All left-driving countries
Public holidays in the next 12 months
4 national public holidays from 2 November 2026. Banks, offices and many shops close; regional holidays are not shown. Dates marked “estimated” follow a lunar calendar and can move by a day.
November 2026
- Diwali
- Il Full Moon Poya Day
December 2026
- Unduvap Full Moon Poya Day
- Christmas Day
Travel advisories
United States · State Department
Level 2 Exercise increased caution
Read the full advisory. Checked 2026-11-02.
United Kingdom · FCDO
No warnings The FCDO does not advise against travel to Sri Lanka.
Updated 2026-09-21. Read the full advice. Checked 2026-11-02.
Advisories are written for each government's own citizens and change without notice: read the original before you travel.
Other practical facts
- Calling code
- +94
- Internet domain
- .lk
- Measurement
- Metric
- Paper size
- A4
- Week starts on
- Monday
- Read more
- Wikipedia
More in Southern Asia
Flag: Flag of Sri Lanka.svg, Public domain. Arms: Emblem of Sri Lanka.svg, Public domain. Electricity: resolved by intl.life from three sources, see methodology.
