Study in the UK

The British Council's verification service is provided to individuals who are UK educational qualification holders.

We verify all education, training, and professional awards, including certificates, degrees, and diplomas, at all levels issued by any accredited UK institution or organisation.

Verification is a confirmation that a photocopy (Black and white) is a true copy of an original document.

The British Council reserves the right to reject certification of any document if the programme or institution is not recognised by the UK education board, if the document is found to be too old, altered, or defaced in any way or if there is any question regarding the originality of the document 

We do not stamp:

  • passports
  • ID cards
  • birth certificates
  • testimonials
  • marriage certificates
  • membership certificates
  • University of London Certificates
  • IELTS Certificates
  • other documents required by an educational institution or employer.

To have your documents verified:

Please fill in the "Online Request Form". You will receive an email with the necessary details pertaining to  your specific verification. We will confirm within 3 days of your eligibility for submission of documents at office.   

Visit our office in Colombo along with the following;

  • Original document (certificate/transcript)
  • Confirmation from awarding body/institute (obtained within 6 months)
  • Authorisation letter (if not certificate holder)* 
  • Copy of identification document

Submission and Collection

  • Same day service will not be available
  • The processing period will be 14 days from the date of submission

Please also note the following

  • Only one customer will be allowed access per inquiry.
  • Only Credit Card (VISA/Master/AMEX) Payments will be accepted.
  • Rs 3000 will be charged per verified copy.

Opening hours for submissions and collections

Colombo – Tuesday to Saturday 09.00 a.m. to 04.30 p.m.

*Please note that our verification services are no longer offered at our Kandy office.

Terms and Conditions

British Council verifies only UK educational qualifications.

  1. Please note that the 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 the completion of your service request. British Council will not be liable for any loss or damage of documents after this period.

Guidelines for customers

  1. Original certificates and transcripts must be handed over for verification. Photocopies / scanned copies will not be accepted.
  2. The certificate holder should be present to submit/collect documents. Please bring along your NIC or Passport. In the event the certificate holder is unable to personally visit British Council, a duly authorised (Family member) may submit the documents. However, an authorisation letter signed by the certificate holder, containing the certificate holder’s full name, document(s) they wish to verify, the full name of the authorised person and NIC/Passport number should be produced.
  3. The Verification service is provided ONLY to the certificate holder. Please note 3rd party requests such as Student Consulting Firms, Overseas Education Guide/ Helper, Private / Public Universities / Institutions are NOT ACCEPTED.
  4. A confirmation from the awarding body or the relevant institution must be provided in either of the following formats.

*Hard copy confirmation: A copy of the certificate stamped and signed with the name, designation and date by an authorised person of the institution.
*E-mail confirmation: An e-mail verification from the official e-mail address of the university including the e-mail signature of the university.

Please note that the details included in the confirmation provided by the institution / university should match with the information on your certificate.

 5. Validity period for certificates issued through British Council

        1. British Council Teaching Centre certificates -  Issued within the last 7 years. 

        2. IELTS certificates - issued within the last 2 years

        3. Pearson / Cambridge certificates - issued within the last 5 years. - If you have done the examination through a non-registered British Council Sri Lanka examination centre, a confirmation from the examination centre or School must be produced along with the original certificates.

        4. Cambridge English Language Assessment (CELA) Certificates  issued within last 2 years (2017 onwards). If not, please contact the awarding body (Cambridge)

        5. Certificates obtained before the above-mentioned validity period and from non-registered British Council examination centres, contact the respective awarding body for a confirmation of your qualification.

such as,  Edexcel 
               Cambridge

        6. If you are yet to receive the statement of results sheet of your last exam from the exam (in the event when the statement of results sheet is not released) you are able to attest a printout of the online generated results sheet.

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

 6. Please note that Embassy of the State of Qatar in Sri Lanka requires an award confirmation letter of the qualification,  irrespective of the UK university or institution.

(Please click here to view the preferred format)

Please Read Our Fair Collection Notice

The 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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