How to Request Sri Lankan A/L and O/L Certificates Online, With Attestation
TL;DR: If you sat G.C.E. O/L or A/L in 2001 or later, you can request your A/L and O/L certificates online from the Department of Examinations and have them attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs without visiting either office. Choose the "Foreign Ministry Certificate" option, pay online, wait for an SMS with your certificate number, then complete the Ministry's consular portal. The attested copy arrives by email as a soft copy.
Most Sri Lankan students applying abroad need their A/L and O/L certificates online at some point: for a university application, a visa file or a scholarship. The old routine meant a trip to Battaramulla and then to Colombo. Today most students can do it all from a phone. The catch: one wrong choice on the first form can leave you with a certificate that was never attested.
Not sure which documents your university or visa application will actually ask for? Check your eligibility with Prosper.
Who can use the online service
The Department of Examinations' instructions for applicants set out the basic rules:
The online service covers G.C.E. O/L and G.C.E. A/L examinations held in 2001 or later.
The certificate holder must apply personally, using their own National Identity Card number, phone number, email and index number.
Certificates are not issued to candidates who did not sit all subjects of that examination.
Results marked "Withheld" or "Not Decided" need an in-person visit to the Department.
Payments are not refunded, so a request made with the wrong details is money lost.
Choosing the right certificate type
This is the step that trips people up. The Department of Examinations offers several delivery routes, and they do different things.
What you need it for | Option to choose | What you receive |
|---|---|---|
A foreign university, embassy or employer that wants an attested copy | Foreign Ministry Certificate (Direct to Foreign Ministry) | Soft copy, attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, sent to your email |
Use inside Sri Lanka | Local purpose | Paper certificate sent by Speed Post to a Sri Lankan address |
Sending to an address overseas | Foreign country | Paper certificate posted only to an address outside Sri Lanka |
An Australian visa | Australian visa | Paper certificate collected in person with your valid passport and a photocopy |
For study abroad, the Foreign Ministry option usually matters. A local-purpose certificate is not attested by the Ministry.
Want a view on which of your documents need attestation before you pay for anything?
Step by step, from request to attested copy
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sets out the online process in this order:
Keep your index number and exam year ready. Go to the Department of Examinations certificate website, read the instruction sheet and select "Request Certificates". The Department also recommends watching its guideline video first.
Pick "Foreign Ministry Certificate (Direct to Foreign Ministry)" as the certificate type, fill in your details and pay.
The Department reviews your request. Once approved, you get an SMS with a certificate number starting with CM and a link to continue.
Open the Ministry's consular authentication portal from that link and enter your certificate number.
Enter the applicant's details and then the certificate owner's details. Double-check your email address, because the attested certificate is sent there.
Pay the authentication fee by credit or debit card. You receive a reference number starting with EOD.
Your customer copy arrives by email, followed by the attested certificate as a soft copy.
Two separate payments are involved, one to each department. Both are non-refundable, and the Ministry rejects incomplete requests without a refund, so read each screen before you submit.
The Department of Examinations also lets anyone check the accuracy of a certificate issued online using its reference number on the Department's certificate site. That is useful when a university or employer wants to confirm your certificate is genuine.
If you need paper copies or sat before 2001
Paper attested copies. The online route issues only a soft copy. The Ministry's page says that if you need a physical attested certificate, you must apply through the Department of Examinations' One-Day Service in person.
Exams held before 2001. These are not covered online. The Ministry's page says you first obtain the certificate from the Department of Examinations, then take the card the Department issues to the Consular Affairs Division at the Republic Building, Colombo 01. The Ministry lists an authentication charge of Rs. 800 for each document.
Timing. Neither department's instructions give a processing time for the online route. Start as soon as you decide to apply, not the week your university asks. Certificates often sit alongside other checks in a visa file, such as the IOM document verification for a New Zealand student visa, and a late certificate holds up everything behind it.
If your A/L results did not open the local route you hoped for, our guide on what to do after missing the Z-score cut-off covers the overseas options your certificates can support.
Frequently asked questions
Can I request my A/L and O/L certificates online if I sat the exam before 2001? No. The online service covers exams held in 2001 or later. Earlier certificates need an in-person application.
Will I get a paper certificate through the online Foreign Ministry option? No. You receive an attested soft copy by email. For a paper attested copy, use the Department of Examinations' One-Day Service.
Can a parent apply for my certificate? The Department of Examinations' instructions say the certificate holder should apply personally.
How much does attestation cost? Fees are shown at each payment step. For pre-2001 exams handled at the counter, the Ministry lists Rs. 800 per document.
Can a university check that my certificate is genuine? Yes. Certificates issued online carry a reference number that can be checked on the Department of Examinations' certificate site.
PS: Attested certificates are one part of a clean application file, and getting them early takes pressure off everything else. If you want to know which universities fit your A/L results and what documents they will ask for, check your eligibility with Prosper and we will map it out with you.
References
Certificates issued by the Department of Examinations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Sri Lanka. https://www.mfa.gov.lk/en/certificates-issued-by-the-department-of-examinations (accessed 27 September 2026)
Issuing certificates online: instructions for applicants, Department of Examinations, Sri Lanka. https://certificate.doenets.lk/assets/docs/english_instruction.pdf (accessed 27 September 2026)
Services provided by the Certificates Branch, Department of Examinations, Sri Lanka. https://www.doenets.lk/documents/downloads/certificates-application-forms/Instructions%20to%20Apply%20Certificates.pdf (accessed 27 September 2026)
Online authentication of GCE O/L and A/L certificates, The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka. https://www.sundaytimes.lk/231029/education/online-authentication-of-gce-ol-and-al-certificates-536947.html (accessed 27 September 2026)
