All media personnel visiting Sri Lanka should obtain a visa prior to arrival in Colombo from the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Japan. Media personnel visiting Sri Lanka on a media assignment cannot enter Sri Lanka on a tourist or business visa. Embassy of Sri Lanka in Japan requires prior approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sri Lanka to issue visa under this category and therefore applications should be made at least 2 weeks in advance.

Requirements:

• Duly completed Business Visa application form
• Passport – The validity of the passport must be at least six months beyond the date of entry in to Sri Lanka.
• Two recent passport-size photographs
• A request letter addressed to the Embassy giving details of the planned synopsis of the film, duration, locations, the names and passport details of the media personnel visiting Sri Lanka.
• 'Condition for Filming Agreement' - It is mandatory for those filming in Sri Lanka to sign the 'Condition for Filming Agreement' which could be obtained from this Embassy and forwarded with the request letter and the synopsis of the film.
• Equipment list for electronic media along with a carnet or bank guarantee for customs purpose.
• Letter of Commission: a letter from the respective media organization detailing the tentative programme with dates, places and if it contains interviews, the persons to be interviewed etc. (For freelance journalists, a letter from the editor of the publication)
• Return air ticket
• Visa fee of JPY 4838 for less than a 30-day stay in Sri Lanka.
• For filming in wildlife-protected areas, prior approval from the Department of Wildlife Conservation should be obtained. The duly completed “Application for filming in wildlife protected areas”, available at the Embassy, must be completed and handed over to the Embassy. The Department of Wildlife Conservation requires at least two weeks to process the relevant documents before the scheduled commencement of the project.