Fees and steps checked on
Sri Lanka birth certificate attestation is the step Sri Lankan parents need before sponsoring a child born in Sri Lanka on a UAE residence visa, and what many schools ask for at admission. The certificate comes from the civil records kept by the Registrar General's Department. It is authenticated by Sri Lanka's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then attested by the UAE Embassy in Colombo in a digital step that already carries MOFA attestation.
Price: There is no fixed price for Sri Lanka. Send a copy on WhatsApp and you get the total price plus VAT, all official fees included, before any work starts. See attestation fees.
We are a private document service, not MOFA, an embassy or a government office. Free document pickup and delivery anywhere in Dubai is included.
Which documents you need
- The birth certificate, ideally a new certificate issued from the registry records.
- A passport copy of the child, and of the parent who sponsors.
- A certified translation if the certificate is only in Sinhala or Tamil.
- If a name was added or corrected after registration, the paper showing that change.
Why a new registry copy is often the first step
Many Sri Lankan families keep the original birth certificate issued at registration, sometimes handwritten decades ago. VFS lists re-issuance of a new certificate from the registry for personal documents, and the foreign ministry checks civil records with the Registrar General's Department. A new copy from the computerised records is clearer, easier to verify and less likely to be refused. If yours is faded, torn or laminated, plan for a new one.
Step by step for each certificate
- Check the copy. Send us a photo. We tell you if it can go ahead or if a new registry certificate is safer.
- New certificate if needed. A relative orders it in Sri Lanka, or you use the mission pilot for certified copies from the e-BMD records where it is available.
- Foreign ministry authentication. Since September 2024 this can be done online through the Consular Affairs Division portal, with the result sent by email.
- UAE Embassy in Colombo with MOFA. The application is filed on the MOFA website. The embassy asks for birth certificates in original form, and VFS Lanka collects the paper.
- Delivery. The digitally attested certificate is emailed and the original returns by courier, ready for the visa or the school.
What the attested certificate is used for in the UAE
Child residence visa. The child's attested birth certificate is part of the sponsorship file, next to the parents' marriage certificate. See family visa services in Dubai for the full file.
School admission. Schools in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah often ask for the attested birth certificate when a child joins. See attestation for school admission.
Emirates ID and later renewals. Once attested, the same certificate serves future renewals, so keep the emailed copy safe.
Common problems with Sri Lankan birth certificates
- No name or a later name entry. Some births were registered before the child was named, and the name was added afterwards. The certificate must show the name that matches the passport.
- Name order and initials. The passport may show full names while the certificate uses a different order. We check the match before anything is sent.
- Late registration. If the birth was registered years later, the registry paper can look different. Send a photo and we confirm the route from that copy.
For a parent's degree, see Sri Lanka degree attestation. For every Sri Lankan document, see Sri Lanka certificate attestation, and for birth certificates from any country, birth certificate attestation.
