Can I take antiques out of Sri Lanka?

Yes, but genuine antiques can only be exported with permission. Anything that’s over 50 years old is considered an antique.

For such export, special permission should be sought with supporting documents from the

Department of National Archives

Philip Gunewardena Mawatha, Colombo 7

Telephone: 0112 694 523

Open from Monday to Friday 08.30 -16.00

You are unlikely to get permission to export rare books, palm-leaf manuscripts and rare anthropological material.

However, what you buy as an “antique” (especially furniture) may not be an antique at all, but a replica.

Last Modified: April 16, 2024