Sri Lanka's state universities admit a limited number of foreign students. The University of Colombo, founded in 1921, teaches most degree programmes in English and asks foreign applicants whose primary language is not English, or who studied in another language, for a TOEFL score of 79 or an IELTS score of 6.5. Foreign undergraduates apply through the University Grants Commission, which charges a USD 100 processing fee, and are admitted on a fee-paying basis. The University of Colombo School of Computing charges foreign students an annual course fee of USD 6,000 for its Computer Science, Information Systems and Software Engineering degrees, and its master's programmes charge students from SAARC countries, including Bangladesh, less than other foreign students. Taught master's programmes at the Faculty of Graduate Studies list course fees for foreign students of about USD 2,800 to USD 3,400, and the Master of Arts in International Relations for 2027/28 closes on 30 September 2026, with a USD 10 application fee for foreign students. Renewing the residence visa requires the same documents plus a current year performance report.
The Department of Immigration and Emigration issues residence visas in an educational category for university students and for students at educational institutions approved by the government. For university students, the documents are a recommendation from the Ministry of Higher Education, a letter from the university, a copy of the passport bio page, a health protection plan and the passport. Students at other approved institutions provide the institution's request letter, the department's form, a recommendation from their embassy or high commission, and bank encashment receipts worth USD 1,500 for a year per person. The residence visa is valid for one year or the period recommended by the relevant authority and can be renewed annually. The residence visa fee for students is USD 200 for a year or part of a year. The immigration pages do not publish rules on working while studying or options to stay after graduation.