Currency in Sri Lanka: LKR Send & Spend FX Guide
Resources for Expats, Travelers and Entrepreneurs Navigating Life and Trade in Sri Lanka with the Sri Lankan rupee.
What's in this Sri Lanka currency guide?
What currency is used in Sri Lanka?
The official currency of Sri Lanka (country code: LK) is the Sri Lankan rupee, with symbol ₨ and currency code LKR.
What is a good Sri Lankan rupee exchange rate?
The BestExchangeRates.com currency comparison table below helps you see the total cost of your currency transaction by showing the exchange rates offered by different providers. It also makes it easy to spot potential savings from market-leading FX services compared to bank rates.
To see a full list of rates, enter your transaction type, currencies and amount then click ‘GET RATES’:
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Frequently Asked Questions
What currency should I use in Sri Lanka?
The domestic currency in Sri Lanka is the Sri Lankan rupee.
What is the Sri Lankan rupee currency code and symbol?
The three letter currency code for the Sri Lankan rupee is LKR — symbol is ₨.
What does the Sri Lankan rupee look like?
Here is an example Sri Lankan rupee banknote:
Which countries use the Sri Lankan rupee?
It is the domestic currency in Sri Lanka.
Is the Sri Lankan rupee a closed currency?
Yes the Sri Lankan rupee is a closed currency. Which means that you may find it difficult to purchase the currency (LKR) before departure and will probably need to buy it upon arrival. If you do manage to buy some of the currency or have some left over from a previous trip, make sure you are aware if you are allowed to bring this closed currency into the country.
For more information and a full list of closed currencies please refer to our guide: What is a closed currency?
What are equivalent amounts of USD and LKR?
Here are some popular conversion amounts for USD to LKR (US dollar to Sri Lankan rupee)*.
*Converted at the current USDLKR interbank exchange rate. Calculate actual payout amounts for Send Money and Travel Money exchange rates.
Travel money for Sri Lanka
As mentioned above, the Sri Lankan rupee is a closed currency. Which means that you may find it difficult (or be permitted) to purchase the currency (LKR) before departure and will need to buy it upon arrival in Sri Lanka.
For these types of destinations, using a pre-paid travel card is a good solution. As no travel cards support loading closed currencies like the LKR you will incur currency conversion or foreign transaction fees if you use a travel money card in Sri Lanka.
However, using a pre-paid travel card is still a good idea as you can avoid ATM fees and also you can avoid using (and losing!) your main bank or debit/credit card.
USD/LKR Market Data
The below interactive chart displays the USD/LKR change and UP📈 DOWN📉 trends over the past 1 Year.
Send Money to Sri Lanka - Best Rates
To get a good (and fair) exchange rate when sending money to Sri Lanka you need to find and compare exchange rates for International Money Transfers (IMTs).
The available FX rates for sending money abroad can be very different to the mid-market (wholesale) rate which you see reported online and in the News.
You should especially compare your own bank's exchange rates to those available from Money Transfer specialists to see how much you can save - we make that calculation easy in the below table.
Get a better deal for foreign transfers to Sri Lanka
When sending money to Sri Lanka it’s important to compare your bank’s rates & fees with those we have negotiated with our partner money transfer providers. To get a better deal you should follow these 4 simple steps :
- Open an account with a BER reviewed FX provider (id docs may be required)
- You specify the local or Sri Lankan rupee amount you want to transfer
- Make a local currency domestic transfer for the requested amount to the provider's bank account in your country
- Once your funds are received by the provider the converted LKR amount will be transfered to the recipient account you specify in Sri Lanka.
Use the above calculator to compare the exchange rates of FX specialist providers rates versus your bank's standard rates you can hopefully save around 5% and maybe more - end result is more Sri Lankan rupee deposited into the recipient bank account and less margins and fees kept by the banks!
