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BUYING GUIDE - IMPORT PROCESS - 2026

How to Import a Brand New Car to Sri Lanka, From Order to Number Plates

Seven steps separate choosing a car from its number plates, and two pieces of paper protect your money: a written quotation and a bank-issued Letter of Credit.

Dilum Rathnayaka

Managing Director, Autodirect Pvt Ltd

· 10 min read
How to Import a Brand New Car to Sri Lanka, From Order to Number Plates
Seven steps separate choosing a car from holding its number plates.

Quick Answer

Importing a brand new car to Sri Lanka runs in seven steps: choosing the model, getting a written landed price, opening a Letter of Credit, shipping, customs clearance, registration with the Department of Motor Traffic, and delivery. Each step has its own paperwork, and each is a point where a buyer can lose money if something is missed.

Key takeaways

✓Seven steps run from choosing the model to the number plates going on.
✓Nothing ships until a bank-issued Letter of Credit is in place.
✓Plan on funding at least 60% yourself; lenders are capped at 40% on cars, SUVs and vans.
✓Get a TIN before the car clears Customs, with the name matching your NIC exactly.
✓The 90 day registration clock starts at the Customs Declaration date.
✓Late registration costs 3% of CIF value per month, capped at 45%, with no waivers.
✓A request to transfer funds to a personal account is the clearest scam signal.

This guide walks through the seven steps in order, what to prepare before you start, how the main source markets differ, and how to avoid the scams that catch buyers who skip the checks.

What does importing a brand new car to Sri Lanka involve?

Direct Answer

Importing a car means arranging its purchase, shipping and customs clearance yourself or through an importer, rather than buying one already registered and sitting on a showroom floor. Foreign exchange for the purchase must be remitted through a bank on a Letter of Credit established before the vehicle ships, and the car must be registered with the Department of Motor Traffic within 90 days of its Customs Declaration date.

Buyers choose this route for two reasons. It opens up models and variants not held locally, and a direct import can cost less than the same car bought through a multi-tier agent network, depending on the shipment, exchange rate and duty applied on that import.

What should you prepare before importing a car?

Four things are worth sorting out before you contact any importer, so the process does not stall partway through:

  • Your budget, including the down payment. Lenders are currently capped at financing 40% of a car, SUV or van's value under the Central Bank of Sri Lanka's applicable directions, so plan on funding at least 60% yourself. Approval and the amount offered still depend on the lender and your application.
  • Your Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). The Department of Motor Traffic has made the TIN mandatory for new vehicle registrations, and it takes time to obtain if you do not already have one.
  • Matching names across your documents. Your NIC, invoice and TIN record should all show your name the same way, since a mismatch holds up registration. The documents required to register a new car in Sri Lanka lists what you and your importer each provide.
  • A rough timeline for your own plans. If you are selling a current car or relocating, line the dates up against the steps below rather than assuming a fixed delivery date.

How do you import a brand new car to Sri Lanka, step by step?

Direct Answer

The way to import a brand new car to Sri Lanka is to follow the seven steps in order, with a written quotation and a bank-issued Letter of Credit at the centre of the process. Skipping a step, or paying before the paperwork is in writing, is where most delays and losses happen.

  1. Choose the model and the source market. Confirm the exact variant and specification before you commit, since equipment differs between markets even on the same badge.
  2. Get a written, duty-paid quotation. It should state the landed price, the date of the tax rates used, and what is included. The guide to new car import taxes and duties explains how each layer is calculated.
  3. Open the Letter of Credit. This is arranged through a bank before the vehicle ships, and nothing moves until it is in place.
  4. Shipping and transit. The vehicle travels by sea, with transit time depending on the source market and the shipping line's schedule.
  5. Customs clearance. The vehicle is cleared against a Customs Declaration (CUSDEC), which sets the start of the 90 day registration window. Sri Lanka Customs publishes the general import procedure.
  6. Register with the Department of Motor Traffic. Registration needs an affidavit and your TIN, usually takes 3 to 10 days once the documents are in order, and must be completed within 90 days of the CUSDEC date. Miss the window and a late fee of 3% of CIF value per month applies, capped at 45% of CIF, with no waivers.
  7. Delivery. The vehicle is handed over once registration is complete.
The two documents that anchor a safe import:A written, duty-paid quotation that names the exact variant and the date of the tax rates used, and a bank-issued Letter of Credit opened before the vehicle ships. Everything else in the process builds on those two pieces of paper.

How long does it take to import a car to Sri Lanka?

Direct Answer

There is no single delivery timeline that applies to every imported car: sourcing, banking arrangements, shipping schedules, customs clearance and registration each affect the overall duration, and a build to order vehicle adds factory lead time on top.

The guide to new car delivery time in Sri Lanka breaks down each stage with realistic durations. Before making commitments around your current vehicle or travel plans, use the timeline provided for your particular order rather than relying on a general estimate.

How do the main source markets differ?

Direct Answer

The common source markets for brand new cars imported to Sri Lanka are all right-hand drive, the same as vehicles used here, which removes the conversion issue buyers face when sourcing from a left-hand drive market. The import process itself is identical whichever market the car comes from: the same quotation, Letter of Credit, shipping, customs and registration steps.

The common source markets, and what tends to differ between them

Source marketWhat tends to differ
JapanBroad model availability; around 3 to 4 weeks' sea transit
United KingdomWider range of European models and specifications; 4 to 6 weeks' sea transit
IndiaShortest sea transit, typically 1 to 2 weeks
AustraliaSmaller selection of right-hand drive stock

Whichever market a car comes from, the written quotation should state the source market and the exact specification, since equipment can vary even on the same model badge.

How can you avoid car import scams in Sri Lanka?

Direct Answer

Most import scams start with an unverified quotation or a request to pay in full before anything is in writing. A legitimate import always runs through a bank-issued Letter of Credit, not a direct cash transfer to an individual.

Check these before you pay a deposit:

Before you pay a deposit

✓A written quotation on letterhead, with the duty-paid price and the date of the tax rates used.
✓A bank-issued Letter of Credit, not a request to transfer funds to a personal account.
✓A physical business address you can visit, not only a phone number or a social media page.
✓A stage by stage timeline, so you know what should happen and when.
✓Clarity on who registers the vehicle, and confirmation it falls inside the 90 day window.

No single check eliminates every risk: a written quotation or an LC is useful only when the parties behind the transaction have also been verified. For more practical buying checks, read the common mistakes to avoid when buying a new car in Sri Lanka.

Should you use a direct importer or an authorised agent?

Direct Answer

A direct importer typically handles sourcing, shipping and clearance under one quotation, while an authorised agent works within a single manufacturer's distribution network with its own pricing and stock structure. Compare the full terms rather than assuming one route is always cheaper or safer: the same model year and specification, a clear breakdown of the final price, written warranty terms, and confirmation of who handles the import and registration stages.

Why buying a brand new car through a direct importer can be a practical choice explains the differences in detail, and our guide to what a comprehensive vehicle warranty covers covers what to ask of each seller's cover.

How does Autodirect Pvt Ltd handle your import?

Direct Answer

As a direct vehicle importer, Autodirect Pvt Ltd quotes a written, duty-paid landed price with the tax rates of the day already calculated, arranges the Letter of Credit, shipping and customs clearance as one process, and tracks the 90 day registration window against the Customs Declaration date on every vehicle it imports.

What that looks like in practice

The team has handled the import of hundreds of brand new and near new vehicles, and in that experience a stalled shipment almost always traces back to one of the checks in this guide being skipped.

One point of contact

One quotation, the whole process

Sourcing, Letter of Credit, shipping, clearance and registration handled as one process by one of Sri Lanka's top five largest vehicle importers, with thousands of customers to date.

Valuation based

A trade-in towards the cost

A trade-in assessment on your current vehicle can go towards the cost, with the value depending on condition, mileage and market demand.

In writing

Compared on the same terms

Get your quotation in writing and compare it against any other offer on the same terms, at 15 Park Circus, Colombo 5.

Found the same brand-new vehicle for less elsewhere? We'll match the price.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I import any car to Sri Lanka, or only right-hand drive models?
Sri Lanka drives on the left, so vehicles sold here must be right-hand drive. This is why Japan, the United Kingdom, India and Australia are the common source markets for imports.
Can I import a car to Sri Lanka while living abroad?
Yes, and the practical way to do it is through an importer such as Autodirect Pvt Ltd, which handles the sourcing, Letter of Credit, shipping and clearance locally while you are away. Registration still needs documents from you, including a Taxpayer Identification Number, so confirm early what you must provide from overseas.
Is it cheaper to import a car myself instead of through an importer?
It can look cheaper on paper, but most individual buyers do not have a banking relationship for issuing a vehicle Letter of Credit, a Customs House Agent, or a registration process already set up, and the savings are often absorbed by delays and mistakes. Working with an importer such as Autodirect Pvt Ltd brings those pieces together under one written quotation.
How long does it take to import a brand new car to Sri Lanka?
It depends on the source market, shipping schedules, customs clearance and registration, so ask for a stage by stage timeline for your particular order. The delivery time guide on this site breaks down realistic durations for each stage.
What is the deadline to register an imported car?
Registration with the Department of Motor Traffic must be completed within 90 days of the Customs Declaration date. The registration work itself usually takes 3 to 10 days once documents are in order, and missing the window attracts a late fee of 3% of CIF value per month, capped at 45% of CIF.
What happens if the vehicle's specification does not match the quotation?
Raise it with the seller or importer before you accept delivery. Your written quotation, naming the exact variant and equipment, is your reference point, and a reputable importer resolves a mismatch rather than asking you to accept the car as delivered.
What is the safest way to import a car to Sri Lanka?
A written quotation, a bank-issued Letter of Credit, and an importer willing to confirm each stage in writing as it happens. Treat verbal promises and requests for upfront cash as warning signs, whichever importer or market the car is coming from.
Do I need a TIN to import a car?
You need it for registration, which must happen within 90 days of customs clearance, so in practice obtain your Taxpayer Identification Number from the Inland Revenue Department before the car clears Customs, and check the name on it matches your NIC exactly.

Reviewed by the Autodirect imports team.

Start your import with the paperwork, not the payment

Importing a car to Sri Lanka comes down to seven steps, and a written quotation backed by a bank-issued Letter of Credit is what keeps them straightforward. Get your landed price in writing before you commit, or visit Autodirect Pvt Ltd at 15 Park Circus, Colombo 5 and bring any quotation you already hold. Found the same brand-new vehicle for less elsewhere? We'll match the price.

Get a quote

Tags

Car importLetter of CreditSri Lanka CustomsDMT registrationBuying guideSri Lanka

Dilum Rathnayaka

Managing Director, Autodirect Pvt Ltd

Dilum brings over 25 years of hands-on experience across banking, vehicle financing, leasing, credit, marketing, and direct vehicle importing in Sri Lanka. As Managing Director of Autodirect Pvt Ltd, one of Sri Lanka's top 5 largest vehicle importers, he has personally overseen the import of hundreds of brand new and near-new vehicles, and has developed deep expertise in Sri Lanka's automotive import regulations, financing structures, and personal contract plans. Autodirect's direct import model removes multi-tier distribution markups, passing genuine savings to buyers.

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