Sri Lanka Customs goes paperless from today

Sri Lanka Customs will introduce a Paperless Customs Declaration Process from today (1), requiring all importers and declarants to submit customs declarations and relevant documents bearing a valid digital signature.

The new system is being introduced jointly by the Revenue Administration Reforms and Modernisation Bureau of the Presidential Secretariat and Sri Lanka Customs as part of the Government’s programme to digitalise public services and modernise the public sector.

A ceremony to officially launch the system will be held today at 10 a.m. at the Sri Lanka Customs Auditorium under the patronage of Deputy Minister of Economic Development Nishantha Jayaveera and Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.

Under the new process, customs declarations submitted under the previous system will no longer be accepted with effect from today (October 1), 2026. Authorities said the paperless system is expected to make the customs clearance process more efficient, faster and transparent by reducing reliance on physical documentation.

A key feature of the new system is its ability to detect any changes made to a document after a digital signature has been applied. According to the authorities, this feature is expected to strengthen document security and reduce opportunities for fraud and corruption during the customs clearance process.