Key Giveaways:
- Convenience for Expatriates: Sri Lanka launches a pilot program to issue birth, marriage, and death certificates through embassies in seven countries.
- Enhanced Accessibility: The initiative aims to improve access to vital documents for Sri Lankans living abroad, eliminating the need to travel back to the country for these services.
- Digital Database: The program leverages the e-BMD electronic database system, allowing for efficient processing and issuance of certificates through overseas missions.
Colombo, Sri Lanka – The Sri Lankan government has announced a new program to issue birth, marriage, and death certificates to citizens living abroad through its embassies. This initiative aims to provide greater convenience and accessibility to vital documents for the expatriate community.
The pilot project will be launched across seven selected foreign missions, including embassies in Kuwait, Japan, and Qatar, and consulates in Melbourne, Toronto, Milan, and Dubai.
This program builds upon the existing e-BMD (electronic Birth, Marriage, and Death) database system, which is jointly managed by the Registrar General’s Department and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. By leveraging this digital system, Sri Lankan embassies will be able to efficiently process and issue certificates to citizens residing in their respective countries.
“In Sri Lanka, efforts are underway to enhance the e-BMD (electronic Birth, Marriage, and Death) database system…This will allow birth, marriage, and death certificates to be issued through foreign embassies,” stated the President’s Media Division.
During the initial phase, the program will focus on issuing certificates for births, marriages, and deaths registered since January 1, 1960, with approximately 45 million records already scanned and stored in the e-BMD system. While most records will be readily available, there might be occasional delays in updating certificates that were revised after their initial entry into the database.
This initiative represents a significant step towards improving service delivery and accessibility for Sri Lankans living abroad. By enabling the issuance of essential documents through embassies, the government is reducing the burden on expatriates who previously had to travel back to Sri Lanka to obtain these certificates. This program is expected to streamline processes and enhance convenience for the Sri Lankan diaspora worldwide.
