How should I change or withdraw money in Sri Lanka?

You can either get your money changed at exchange offices, or withdraw money from an ATM.

 

There are exchange offices at the Colombo and Hambantota airports – open 24/7 – that actually offer rates that compete with what you can get on the street. So either get your cash changed here, or go to a licensed money changer such as jewellers and designated exchange offices.

 

It’s important to note that the exchange rate may change depending on the denominations you want to change. For example, you may be able to get a better rate exchanging £50 notes compared with £10 notes.

 

If you can, avoid changing money at your hotel. Hotels usually offer a worse rate than banks and dedicated money changers, and a commission may also be applied to the transaction.

 

The second option is to withdraw cash from an ATM. Cash withdrawals are subject to the Visa or Mastercard foreign exchange rate. The downside to going this route is the fee for using an international ATM. A local ATM operator fee and international ATM fee will apply .