Time Difference

The time difference with France is more than 4 hours 30 minutes in winter and more than 3 hours 30 minutes in summer.

Language

The Sri Lankan constitution recognizes three official languages: Sinhala, Tamil, and English. However, interest among the island's inhabitants in the French language and culture is also gaining ground thanks to efforts by the cultural service of the French embassy, the Alliance Française, and French departments at universities.

Money

The official currency of Sri Lanka is the "Sri Lankan rupee". Its issuance is controlled by the country's central bank. It has the symbol "Rs", but to avoid confusion, particularly with the Indonesian rupee, the symbol SLRs is sometimes used. Currently, the exchange rate is approximately 1 euro = 185.7 Rs.

Bank Opening Hours

In Sri Lanka, banks are open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. A few, though very rare, are open on Saturday mornings.

Store Opening Hours

Most shops are open every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., except Saturday afternoon and Sunday.

Electricity

Electricity in Sri Lanka has the same frequencies and voltages as France, namely 220 V / 240 V, 50 Hz. The same applies to electrical outlets. They are designed with European standardization. Therefore, you will not need an adapter to recharge your devices.

Media

• Newspapers

The majority of newspapers in Sri Lanka are written in Sinhala and Tamil. However, there are also newspapers written in English. To be more precise, there are 3 of them: the Daily News, The Island, and the Daily Mirror.

• Television and Radio

There are nine television channels in Sri Lanka. Most of them broadcast news in English. As for radio, after a long period of interruption, the SLBC, a public radio station, is broadcasting again. The schedule includes 3 hours 30 minutes of programming in English, including BBC World Service.

Post Office

Most post offices are open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. As for Colombo's main post office, it is open Monday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. And the one in Kandy is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday to Friday. The price of postage stamps is 20 Rs for a postcard, and 40 Rs for a letter.

Telephone

In major cities and main tourist areas, network coverage is satisfactory. The most reliable telephone operators are Mobitel and Dialog. To call Sri Lanka from France, dial: "00 33 + the number of your contact without the 0". To call Sri Lanka from abroad, dial: "00 94 + regional number without the 0 + the number of your contact".

Useful Addresses and Numbers

Embassy of Sri Lanka in France Address: 16, Rue Spontini - 75016 Paris Tel.: 01 55 73 31 31 Fax: 01 55 73 18 49 Email: Web: www.srilankaembassy.fr Embassy of Sri Lanka in Belgium Address: Jules Lejeune Street / Jules Lejeunestraat, 27 - 1050 Ixelles Tel.: 02 344 55 85 / 53 94 Fax: 02 344 67 37 Email: Web: www.srilankaembassy.be Embassy of Sri Lanka in Switzerland Switzerland falls under the Sri Lankan embassy in Berlin Web: www.srilanka-botschaft.de. Emergency Numbers in Sri Lanka: Police: 118 / 119 Tourist Police: 011-2421052 Criminal Police: 011-2691500 Mobile Emergency Police: 011-5717171 Information Center: 1919 Ambulance: 110 Colombo Hospital: 011-2691111 Fire Department: 011-2422222