Study in the UK

Verification requests submitted from 20 December 2024 onwards will be processed from 2 January 2025. We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause.

 

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

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

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 

To have your documents verified:

1. Fill the request form with clear and accurate details here

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

2. Visit British Council Office in Colombo along 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 - 14 days from the Submission.

Note: Same Day Service is not available.

Please also note the following

  • Only one customer will be allowed access per inquiry.
  • Only Credit Card or Debit Card (VISA / Master / AMEX) Payments are accepted.
  • Payment - Rs. 3,000 per verified copy.

Opening hours and service availability.

Note: Verification Services only available in Colombo.

Terms and Conditions

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.

Guidelines for Customers

  1. Original Certificates and Transcripts must be handed over for verification. Photocopies / scanned copies are not be accepted.
  2. Certificate Holder must be present to submit / collect documents with his / her Identification (NIC or Passport). if not, a duly authorised (Family Member) may submit / collect the documents with an authorisation letter signed by the certificate holder. In the letter, "certificate holder’s full name, list of document(s) to be verified, full name of the authorised person and his / her NIC / Passport number" should be clearly mentioned.
  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: Copy of the certificate stamped and signed with the "Name, Designation and Date" by an authorised person of the institute.

* E-mail Confirmation: 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 your certificate / transcript.

“Endorsed Qualifications” from Ofqual-regulated Awarding Bodies will have to be confirmed direcly by the relevant awarding body. 

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

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

        2. 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 that Examination Centre or School must be produced along with the original certificates / transcripts.

        3. Cambridge Assessment English (CAE) Certificates - Issued within last 2 years (2022 onwards). For certificates prior to 2022, you may contact the awarding body (Cambridge)

        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)

We do not stamp

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

Please Read Our Fair Collection Notice

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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