Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, the tropical island at the toe of India has been a favourite holiday destination for years. Where else can you find so much: mystical ancient cities, thick jungles, tea plantations and mile upon mile of palm fringed sandy beaches. Sri Lanka is one of the most beautiful and scenically interesting islands in the world. Costs are incredibly low and the people very hospitable.

Weather

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
T	86	87	88	88	87	85	85	85	85	85	85	85
S	8	9	8	7	7	5	6	6	6	7	6	8
R	3	3	6	9	15	9	5	4	6	14	12	6

Key to symbols used:
T - Average daily maximum temperatures
S - Average daily sunshine hours
R - Average monthly rainfall (if higher than 0.5”)

Flight time: 11 hours
GMT = or -: + 6
Visa: Not required

Documents and Legal requirements
Residency: You will need to be resident in Sri Lanka at least 4 days before the wedding.
Proof of ID: You will need to produce your original birth certificate and a valid 10-year passport.
Proof of Status: If you are single you must obtain an affidavit signed by a solicitor, stating that neither of you has been previously married and that there is no legal objection to the marriage. You will also be asked to provide your full names and addresses and those of both sets of parents plus your professions and those of your fathers’.
Divorced: If either of you is divorced you must produce your decree absolute.
Widowed: If either of you has been widowed you must produce the death certificate of your deceased spouse.
Age restrictions: The minimum age to marry without parental consent is 18 years old. If you are younger then you must obtain evidence of parental consent in the form of a sworn affidavit.
Name change: If your name has been changed by Deed Poll you must provide legal proof, stamped and signed by a solicitor. This also applies if you are a divorced woman and have reverted back to her maiden name.

Ceremonies
You can choose from a traditional religious Sri Lankan ceremony with live music from a Calypso band, live dances a drummers’ ashtaka and Raban and leave your ceremony on the back of an elephant or bullock cart. Alternatively you may prefer to marry at sunset on a moonlit beach or in the heat of the day in your hotel garden.

Obtaining your marriage licence
You should take the originals of all the necessary documents to the Civil Status Officer in the area where you wish to marry and must also provide your full names and addresses, those of your parents and details of your professions. If you are using a wedding organiser they must have photocopies of all the documents at least three weeks prior to your date of travel.

Further information

Sri Lanka (Ceylon) Tourist Board 22 Regent Street London SW1Y 4QD Tel: 020-7930 2627 Fax: 020-7930 9070 Email: srilanka@cerbernet.co.uk Website: www.lanka.net/ctb

Sri Lanka High Commission 13 Hyde Park Gardens London W2 2LU Tel: 020-7262 1841 Fax: 020-7262 7970 Email: lancom@easynet.co.uk

Always check with local authorities as this information may be subject to change.