Study in the UK

British Council's Verification Service is provided to individuals who are UK educational qualification holders.

Verification confirms the authenticity of a qualification or document issued by a UK awarding body or UK higher education institution, subject to the applicable verification requirements.

We reserve the right to decline verification where the document cannot be confirmed as genuine, where the qualification or awarding body does not meet the requirements for verification, or where other applicable regulatory requirements prevent us from providing the service.

Important information for vocational and technical qualifications:

Certain UK vocational and technical qualifications are subject to Sri Lankan statutory and regulatory requirements. As a result, we are unable to verify these qualifications, and applicants seeking attestation or further information regarding UK vocational or technical qualifications should contact the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission (TVEC) directly.

Please refer to the TVEC Website for further information on the applicable requirements and processes.

This does not apply to UK university qualifications or examinations delivered directly by the British Council, which continue to be handled through the relevant British Council processes.

If you are unsure whether your qualification falls within the categories covered by the TVEC requirements, we recommend that you contact TVEC directly before submitting a verification request to us.

To have your documents verified:

Step 1. Fill the Online Form with clear and accurate details.

  •   For multiple qualifications / certificates, fill in separate individual forms

Step 2. Visit British Council Colombo Office (within 3 days of Step 1) with the following:

  • Original Document (Certificate / Transcript)
  • Confirmation from Awarding Body / Institute (Obtained within 6 months) - Refer Point 4 under "Guidelines for Customers" for more details. 
  • Authorisation Letter (if not certificate holder)* - To be sent to verifications.lk@britishcouncil.org 
  • Identification Document (NIC or Passport)

Submission and Collection

  • Processing Timeline - Within 10 days from Submission.

Note: Same Day Service is not available.

Please also note the following

  • Verification is provided only to the certificate holder or their authorised representative. 
  • Once submitted, requests are considered final and no changes (modifications or cancellations) are allowed.
  • Students and graduates requiring attestation for UK Vocational or Technical Qualifications should contact Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission (TVEC) directly before submitting a request to British Council. For more information, please refer to the TVEC Website.
  • Only Credit Card or Debit Card (VISA / Master / AMEX) Payments are accepted.
  • Payment - Rs. 3,000 per verified copy.
  • Payment will have to be made for all submitted requests.

Opening hours and service availability.

Note: Verification Services only available in Colombo.

British Council verifies only UK educational qualifications.

  1. Acceptance of your documents does not guarantee verification.
  2. British Council verifies certificates as ‘true copy of the original’ only.
  3. If a local qualification is required to be verified by us for UK Education Purposes, we require evidence showing that the candidate is enrolling for a UK qualification. This could be an offer letter from an accredited UK University or a completed admission form which states the requirement for verification from British Council along with a confirmation from the awarding body (local institution). 
  4. British Council reserves the right to take appropriate action if any forged documents are found.
  5. Original Certificates given for verification MUST be collected within 5 Working Days from Request Completion / Rejection. British Council will not be liable for any loss or damage of documents after this period.

  1. Original Certificates and Transcripts must be handed over for verification. Photocopies / Scanned Copies are not accepted.
  2. Certificate Holder must be present to submit / collect documents with his / her Identification (NIC or Passport). If not, a duly authorised person may submit / collect the documents with an authorisation letter singed / email sent by the certificate holder. It should contain "Certificate Holder’s Full Name, List of Document(s) to be verified, Full Mame of Authorised Person and his / her NIC / Passport Number".
  3. Verification Service is provided ONLY to the certificate holder. Third Party requests such as Student Consulting Firms, Overseas Education Guide / Helper, Private / Public Universities / Institutions are NOT Accepted.
  4. Confirmation from the Awarding Body or relevant institute must be provided in either of the following formats:

* Hard Copy Confirmation (Obtained within 6 Months): Copy of the certificate / transcript stamped and signed with the "Name, Designation and Date" by an authorised person of the institute***.

* E-mail Confirmation (Obtained within 6 Months): E-mail from the official e-mail address of the university / exam board containing the e-mail signature of the university / exam board. To be sent directly to verifications.lk@britishcouncil.org.

Important:

  • Details included in the confirmation provided by the institute / university must match with the information on the original certificate / transcript.
  • University of London (UOL) and City & Guilds qualifications would require a direct confirmation (Hard Copy or Email) from the awarding body.

 5. Validity Period for Certificates issued through British Council is as follows:

        1. British Council Teaching Centre Certificates -  Issued in or after 2024. 

        2. Pearson / Cambridge Certificates - Issued in or after 2022. If you have done the examination through a centre, which is not registered with British Council Sri Lanka, email or hard copy confirmation from that Examination Centre must be produced along with the original certificates / transcripts.

        3. Cambridge Assessment English (CAE) Certificates - Issued in or after 2022. For certificates prior to 2022, you may contact the awarding body (Cambridge) directly.

        4. Certificates obtained before the above-mentioned validity periods and / or from non-registered British Council Examination Centres, contact the respective awarding body for a confirmation of your qualification. (E.g., Edexcel / Cambridge / etc.)     

        5. In the event candidate(s) are yet to receive their original statement of results for Edexcel or Cambridge International Exams, you may be able to get a verification through the online released results.

        6. Non-registered British Council Sri Lanka examination centre, a certified copy from the examination centre or School must be produced at the submission.

6. Embassy of the State of Qatar in Sri Lanka requires an award confirmation letter of the qualification, irrespective of the UK University or Institution.

(Click Here to view the preferred format or check below under "Downloads")

  • Passports
  • ID Cards
  • Birth Certificates
  • Death Certificates
  • Testimonials
  • Marriage Certificates
  • Membership Certificates
  • IELTS Certificates
  • Other documents required by an educational institution or employer.

British Council will require your original documents to provide this service. We will hold these securely until the service is complete and the documents can be returned to you. We will record your name, type of document, the date of transaction, and any other relevant details for our records. This will be kept securely and will not be provided to any other parties unless we are legally required to do so.

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