Sri Lanka: prisoner pack
Information on the Sri Lankan legal and prison systems for British prisoners, their family and friends.
Documents
Details
Explains how to:
- arrange visits
- send money to a prisoner
- apply for a transfer to a UK prison
See also help if you’re arrested abroad.
Updates to this page
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Under the heading 'What provision is there for bail' an additional section on what to do if bail is granted under exceptional circumstances has been included.
Update history
2026-05-11 13:09
In the section ‘What can we do’ under the heading ‘First steps’ a change has been made to clarify that ‘consular officers’ and not ‘British consular officers’ will stand ready to support.Additional information and background provided on prison conditions, including updates on:Signal connectivity issues during virtual visits (3.2 – How many visits are you allowed)Approval for using mosquito repellent in prison (4.3 – General prison conditions)Limited availability of mental health services for detainees. (4.6 Medical and dental treatment)English language fluency of phone operators at the Department of Prisons (6.1 Details on prisons and prison conditions)Further information via a factsheet on the Prison Transfer Agreements shared in the latest update under section 5.14 ‘Transfer to a prison in the UK’Additional information detailing the securing of a guarantor is included in the ‘Bail’ section under heading 5 ‘The Sri Lankan Judicial System’.Further information on Childcare support and sanitary facilities is provided in the ‘Female prisoners’ section under heading 6’ Additional Information’.Added information on Sri Lankan non-profit Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners.Other style and language changes have been made to improve overall clarity.
2025-09-23 08:04
Updates have been made to the section under the heading ‘What provision is there for bail’ where the role of the British High Commission in such a situation has been clarified.Contact details of the Consular Regional Operations Manager have been updated.
2025-07-14 13:10
Under the heading ‘What provision is there for bail’ an additional section on what to do if bail is granted under exceptional circumstances has been included.
2025-05-21 11:25
Update on which officers will conduct Prison visits.
2025-05-21 06:55
Updated information under ‘Who are the consular representatives’.
2025-02-28 07:34
The “consular representatives” section of this guidance has been updated.
2023-10-30 07:42
Lorenzo Krause has replaced Thiranee Dalpethado as Pro Consul. This change has been reflected in the updated document along with Lorenzo’s email address.COVID-19 restrictions on prisoner visits have been removed. An edit to the document reflecting this has been made under the heading ‘How many visits am I allowed?’.