Sri Lanka ATM Travel Guide
ATMs in Sri Lanka don’t usually pose any challenges, however if there are no ATMs nearby or the ATMs in Sri Lanka are not working with your card, check back here for our guide below.
It explains how you can send yourself money online and pick it up at an authorized local cash pick up point. This is also useful if you want to avoid paying ATM fees / withdraw more than ATM limits allow.
Being a very similar process to buying something online with your debit card, it is probably the quickest way to send money to yourself in Sri Lanka.
There’s also currently a promo code so you pay NO FEE on your first money transfer.
Sri Lanka ATM Fees & General Information
Most ATMs in Sri Lanka charge between Rs200 and Rs400. Certain cards are not charged an ATM fee with Bank of Ceylon ATMs, so they’re worth trying first.
You will also probably get charged a fee by your own bank.
Having a Wise (formerly TransferWise) MasterCard can help reduce your home bank fees and gives a great exchange rate on purchases. With their borderless account / card you can hold your money in more than 40 currencies and use the debit card to get your cash out with low conversion fees and zero transaction fees. Click here for more info.
Withdrawal limits depend on the bank, and generally range from Rs40,000 to Rs60,000. This means multiple transactions are often needed and transaction fees can mount up.
Major hotels take debit/credit cards, but cheaper accommodations, tourist sites and smaller restaurants tend to only take cash.
You’ll find Visa is the most commonly accepted card at ATMs in Sri Lanka, however there are an increasing number that also accept Cirrus/MasterCard.
Unfortunately, ATM fraud in Sri Lanka is not uncommon….. Check out our Travel Money Tips for what to look out for with regards to Skimmers and more general information covering pre-trip planning, fees, scams, and general safety.
Getting Cash Without Using The ATMs In Sri Lanka:
– Send Money To Sri Lanka & Pick It Up Locally
With so many overseas workers sending money home to their families, there are lots of local cash pick up points to collect these funds.
Tapping into this network means you can use your ATM card (debit/credit) or bank details to securely send yourself funds online through a reputable International money transfer service. Our guide introduces an online service that has a partnership with domestic money transfer agents in Sri Lanka where you can pick up your money within a few hours.
It’s convenient, safe and often cheaper than paying ATM withdrawal fees.
Check HERE (main 5 banks below) and and HERE (other banks below) to see if there is a local authorized cash pick-up point where you are.
In Sri Lanka, this is any branch of the following banks:
- Bank of Ceylon
- Sampath Bank
- National Development Bank
- Hatton National Bank
- Cargills Bank Ltd
- Other Banks:
- Lanka Orix
- Nations Trust Bank
- National Savings Bank
- Seylan Bank Ltd
If there’s a branch locally, then follow the step-by-step guide below.
– Step By Step Guide…incl fee free promo code
Note: The process is quicker than the detailed guide suggests. It is currently possible to send from 50 countries, however, Israel and a few others are not yet included due to local government policies
- To begin, click World Remit LTD
(IMPORTANT: If you don’t see ‘Sri Lanka’ in the Choose a Country To Send To list, this is because you must first choose which overseas country to send money from. The “Send From” option can be found at the top of the page on PC/Laptop. On mobile it is the last option in the drop down menu at the top of the page represented by the 3 horizontal lines) - Once You have chosen ‘Sri Lanka’ as the Country To Send To, click “Get Started”
- On the next page make sure the Cash Pickup tab is ticked and click “Continue”
- On the next page, where it says “Select a cash pickup payout network” choose the local payout network you identified to be convenient in the previous section. Your preferred option will be either:
– Bank of Ceylon, Sampath Bank, National Development Bank, Hatton National Bank, Cargills Bank
– Other Banks - Enter the amount to send in your currency or receive in Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR). The exchange rate & fee (which you can remove with a promo code later) will automatically show. Once you’re happy click “Continue”. You are then prompted to register / create an account.
There is no need for a referral code on this page as you will apply your fee-free promo code on the payment page as you process your money transfer. - Once registered you will input details of who you are sending the money to, so for the recipient, put yourself (as your name appears on your Passport) and use the address of your current accommodation. You will also be required to provide a local mobile number, however if you don’t have one, people have successfully used all zeros, or asked their accommodation to use their number. For the sending reason, select “Sending Funds To Self”.
- When it comes to payment details, it is important to make sure your name and address match the name on your Debit card and the billing address is used. Don’t forget to use the promotion code “FREE” (without quotes) on the payment page to get your first transfer FEE-FREE!
If your card payment fails for any reason, select the Sofort option and pay using your online banking log-in details. - Almost instantly you will receive a welcome email (don’t worry if this does not arrive) and a confirmation email of your transfer informing you to wait for a further email. In most cases this takes 10-30 minutes (longer if paying via bank details & not debit card or your financial situation is complicated). The final email will say whether identity / regulatory checks have been completed and inform you if your transfer is available to pick up.
- Once complete just go to the pickup point (the closest branch of whichever payout network you chose):
– For Bank of Ceylon, Sampath Bank, National Development Bank, Hatton National Bank or Cargills Bank Ltd: Show your Passport and quote “WorldRemit” and the 8-digit transaction reference number.
– For Other Banks (Branches of Lanka Orix, Nations Trust Bank, National Savings Bank, or Seylan Bank Ltd): Show your Passport and quote “Xpress Money” and the 16-digit X-Pin transaction reference number.
We update this guide every month or so, however, if you have any feedback to help keep this guide up-to-date or make it more comprehensive and easier for others to follow, please Message us on Facebook
Sending Money To A Bank Account Instead
You can also use the above method to quickly transfer money to an overseas bank account, perhaps to pay for your accommodation or an activity. The promo code above for NO FEES on your first money transfer also applies for these transactions.
Click HERE for this service.
IMPORTANT: If you don’t see ‘Sri Lanka’ in the Choose a Country To Send To list, this is because you must first choose which overseas country to send money from. The “Send From” option can be found at the top of the page on PC/Laptop. On mobile it is the last option in the drop down menu at the top of the page represented by the 3 horizontal lines.
Once You have chosen ‘Sri Lanka’ as the Country To Send To, click “Get Started”
On the next page make sure the ‘Bank Transfer’ tab is ticked, click “Continue” and proceed with your transfer.
For more information visit this FAQs section.
Wise, formerly TransferWise is another service that also offers bank transfers. If you are new to the service, and follow THIS LINK, you will automatically pay NO FEES on your first transfer of up to £500 (or the equivalent amount in any other currency).
Arguably the best thing about them is that they give you the mid-market rate on the currency exchange, so it’s much cheaper than a traditional bank to bank wire transfer. You won’t need any SWIFT or IBAN numbers, just the name of the account holder, their account number, the bank name and branch location.
Useful Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lanka
Here are two useful links to find the nearest ATMs in Sri Lanka : Visa / MasterCard