Sri Lanka

Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking illegal drugs in Sri Lanka are severe; convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.

Long jail sentences and heavy fines.

Cannabis is illegal in Sri Lanka, and there is no legal amount and no personal-use exception. Possessing, using, growing or bringing in any part of the cannabis plant is a crime — even less than 1 kilogram is punishable by one to two years in prison plus a fine, and cannabis was the single biggest category of drug arrests in 2024, with over 75,000 people arrested. CBD counts too: cannabis extracts and tinctures are listed as dangerous drugs and it is illegal to bring any cannabis preparation into the country, so leave CBD oil, vapes and gummies at home — airport scanners are used on transiting passengers as well as arrivals.

Under Part III of the Third Schedule to the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, as substituted by Act No. 41 of 2022, penalties for trafficking, possessing, importing or exporting cannabis are banded by quantity: less than 1 kilogram — a fine of not less than 20,000 rupees and not exceeding 50,000 rupees and imprisonment of not less than one year and not exceeding two years, or both; 1 kilogram to less than 5 kilograms — a fine of 50,000 to 100,000 rupees and two to five years; 5 kilograms to less than 100 kilograms — a fine of 100,000 to 200,000 rupees and five to ten years; 100 kilograms or above — a fine of 200,000 to 500,000 rupees and ten to fifteen years. Cannabis is not in the Ordinance's death-penalty tier, which applies to opium and to morphine, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office warns that these penalties apply even when transiting through a Sri Lankan airport.

Carry prescription medication in original packaging with a prescription; counterfeit medication is common, so buy only from reputable establishments with medical guidance.

Weapons, ammunition, and explosives are prohibited items that may not be brought into Sri Lanka.

Criminal penalties.

The maximum cash that may be brought into Sri Lanka is USD 15,000; the maximum that may be taken out is USD 10,000.

Sri Lanka prohibits importing e-cigarettes, vaping devices, weapons, ammunition, explosives, gold, narcotics, and pornography; unlicensed export of antiques is also a criminal act.

Criminal penalties.

E-cigarettes and vaping devices are explicitly prohibited items that must not be brought into Sri Lanka.

Criminal penalties under prohibited-items law.

Driving is on the left in Sri Lanka; many visitors hire a car with driver, and if using a tuk-tuk agree the price first or use a working meter. Request seatbelts when renting as they may be absent.

Photography is prohibited in designated high-security zones and near many government and military installations (restrictions not always posted); drones are restricted near sites like the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and military installations.

Criminal penalties.

Same-sex sexual relationships and marriages are criminalized in Sri Lanka.

Maximum penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment and a fine.

Posing for a photo with your back to a Buddha statue is a serious offense in Sri Lanka, and displaying religious images such as Buddha tattoos may result in arrest or denial of entry.

Fines, arrest, or denial of entry for Buddha tattoos.