Compare Sri Lankan Rupee Exchange Rates in Sri Lanka

Getting rupees for your trip to Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's currency is the rupee (LKR). Exchange rules cap the rupees any traveller may bring in or take out at Rs 20,000 (Department of Foreign Exchange), so a stash for the next visit is not an option. We found no source on whether UK bureaux keep rupees, so ask your provider well ahead if you want some for arrival.

UK visitors need an Electronic Travel Authorization, applied for online before departure; the FCDO treats it as a visa. It says the ETA is free and lasts 30 days; the ETA website names the United Kingdom as one of 40 fee-exempt nations from 25 May 2026, while others pay US$50 online. A passport has to run for six months after arrival.

Foreign money is not limited, but the Department of Foreign Exchange requires a Customs declaration above US$15,000 in total, and above US$10,000 in notes when they leave the country with you. The tourist board quotes US$10,000 for arrivals, the safer figure to work to. Keep every exchange receipt: Sri Lanka Tourism says they are needed to reconvert spare rupees on departure.

Best ways to pay in Sri Lanka

Fee-free debit cards

A debit card without overseas charges is the cheapest way to pay. Which? warns that some cards sold as free abroad still charge for cash withdrawals, so check both.

Credit cards

Widely taken in hotels, restaurants and malls. Section 75 protection covers purchases over £100 and up to £30,000, abroad as well as at home (MoneyHelper, Which?).

Cash machines

Usually the easiest source of rupees, though some machines refuse foreign cards (FCDO). Read any fee on screen and take rupees, not a sterling total.

Small cash

Keep a stock of Rs 50, 100 and 500 notes; a Rs 5,000 note can hold up a tuk-tuk ride.

Using cards in Sri Lanka

Cards work best where visitors spend most. Small eateries, market stalls, buses and many tuk-tuks expect rupee notes.

• Hotels and guesthouses that say they take cards
• Restaurants and cafes in Colombo and the tourist towns
• Shopping centres and larger shops
• Cash machines of the major banks
• Ride apps such as PickMe, if a card is linked to your account

Tips

• Pay in rupees: If a terminal asks whether to bill you in rupees or pounds, pick rupees. Which? says choosing pounds hands the retailer control of the rate.
• Watch for surcharges: Sri Lanka Tourism says a surcharge for paying by card is illegal, so you can challenge one.

ATMs in Sri Lanka

According to the FCDO, the main banks let Visa and Mastercard holders withdraw cash, but some machines turn foreign cards away. The four big banks, Commercial Bank, HNB, Sampath and Bank of Ceylon, do not publish a charge for UK cards, so assume a fee may show on screen and that your own bank may add another.

Cash machines to use

• Machines of the major banks, which generally take Visa and Mastercard
• Machines at bank branches in opening hours, so you can go in if a card is kept

Cash machines to think twice about

• Any offer to bill you in pounds rather than rupees
• Relying on a single card, since some machines refuse foreign cards

If a flat fee applies, take out larger sums less often. Banks generally open 09:00 to 13:00 on weekdays, so a card swallowed on a Friday afternoon may not come back until Monday.

Changing money in Sri Lanka

Only the National Savings Bank and the licensed commercial banks count as authorised dealers in central bank rules, so change pounds at a bank counter; no exchange office we found had two sources behind it. At Bandaranaike International Airport, Bank of Ceylon says its counter never closes. It publishes no rates, so change only what you need at first and ask for a receipt every time.

On departure, Bank of Ceylon changes rupees back for foreign passport holders. Bring your encashment receipts, which the tourist board says you must show.