Sri Lanka and the Netherlands at a glance
- Stamp
- Legalisation
- First stop
- The Consular Affairs Division of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo legalises the signature, and the Netherlands asks for this one stamp
- Language
- English, accepted as it is
- Register
- Department of the Registrar of Companies (eROC)
- Tax treaty
- Signed 1982, in force 1984 (Rijksoverheid, 1 October 2026)
- EU trade
- EU tariff and preference schemes
- Moving here
- Residence permit needed
Documents from Sri Lanka
Passport copy, certified by a notary in Sri Lanka.
Proof of address in Sri Lanka, at most three months old.
Power of attorney. Sign the power of attorney before a Sri Lankan notary public. The Consular Affairs Division authenticates the notary’s signature.
Ownership statement, one page from us.
Legalisation. The Consular Affairs Division of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo legalises the signature, and the Netherlands asks for this one stamp.
Good to know. You need only one legalisation step. Allow two to three weeks, including postage. Sinhala or Tamil documents need a sworn translation. Notarial powers of attorney for use abroad are usually drafted in English, so you avoid a translation.
If a company from Sri Lanka becomes a shareholder
Register extract, at most three months old: Department of the Registrar of Companies (eROC). Order certified copies of the certificate of incorporation, articles and the latest annual return (Form 15), which shows directors and shareholders. Plus articles, signing authority and ownership chart.
Trade between Sri Lanka and the EU
The European Union (EU) was Sri Lanka's second-largest trading partner in 2025, with 12.5% of the country's total trade in goods. Trade in goods reached €3.9 billion in 2025, and Sri Lanka ranked 70th among the EU's partners for trade in goods.
EU imports from Sri Lanka consist mainly of textiles. EU exports consist mainly of machinery and appliances, chemicals, foodstuffs, textiles, beverages and tobacco. Trade in services reached €1.9 billion in 2024.
Since 19 May 2017, Sri Lanka has used the EU's Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), which removes duties in full on 66% of tariff lines. The arrangement depends on the implementation of international conventions on human rights, labour rights, the environment and good governance.
In 2024, 59% of eligible exports from Sri Lanka entered the EU at preferential rates. Trade relations rest on the Co-operation and Partnership Agreement, in force since April 1995.
Import duties: Access2Markets.
Sources: European Commission [1].
Your next step from Sri Lanka
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