Guide
How to Get a G.C.E. A/L Certificate Online in Sri Lanka: Soft Copy, Printed Copy and Authentication
If you need your G.C.E. Advanced Level certificate for a job, a university or an overseas application, the Department of Examinations' online certificate service is the place to start. What many people miss is what the online route gives you: a soft copy, not a printed certificate. This guide walks through the steps and explains how to get a printed copy or have the certificate authenticated for use abroad.
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Authentication Information (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
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At a Glance
Portal: certificate.doenets.lk (Department of Examinations)
Exams covered online: O/L and A/L examinations held in 2001 and afterwards
What you receive online: A soft copy of the attested certificate
Printed certificate: Not issued through the online application. Use the Department's One-Day Service
For use abroad: Online authentication through the Consular Affairs Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Fees: Depend on certificate type. Amounts not stated in the sources reviewed
Hotline: 1911
Step-by-Step: Request Your A/L Certificate Online
- Go to the Department of Examinations' certificate portal at certificate.doenets.lk.
- Read the instruction sheet the Department provides before you start.
- Click the green Request Certificates button to begin your request.
- Enter your details as the system asks and select the certificate type. The system asks for the certificate type, and fees depend on the type you choose.
- Pay the Department of Examinations fee online and submit your request.
- The Department reviews your application. When your certificate is generated, you are told so, and a confirmation SMS with a unique reference number for each certificate (and a link) is sent.
- You receive a soft copy of the attested certificate. If you need it authenticated for overseas use, continue with the authentication steps below.
Which Copy Do You Need?
| If you need | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| A soft copy for general use | The online application issues a soft copy of the attested certificate. |
| A printed (physical) certificate | No physical certificate is provided through the online application. Apply through the Department's One-Day Service. |
| Authentication for overseas use | The Consular Affairs Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs offers online authentication for O/L and A/L certificates issued from 2001 onwards. Fees are paid online, separately to the Department of Examinations and to the Consular Affairs Division. |
| An A/L certificate for an exam before 2001 | Apply through the Department of Examinations at Battaramulla. The Department forwards those certificates directly to the Consular Affairs Division for authentication, and the card issued by the Department must be produced there. |
Applicant Guide
From the Department and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- The online certificate service covers O/L and A/L examinations from 2001 onwards.
- Only a soft copy of the attested certificate is issued through the online application, and no physical certificate.
- A physical copy needs the One-Day Service of the Department of Examinations.
- After you apply, pay and the Department reviews the request, you are told your certificate is generated, and an SMS with a unique reference number and a link follows.
- For overseas use, authentication is requested through the Consular Affairs Division's online platform. You no longer need to visit that office in person to apply and collect it.
- Fees for certificate generation and for authentication are paid separately online to each office.
Editor's guidance (general advice, not part of the notice)
The points below are general guidance by GovInfo.lk, not part of the official notice.
- Decide what you need first. Ask the employer, university or authority whether a soft copy is enough, whether a printed certificate is required and whether authentication is needed. This avoids paying for the wrong service.
- Authenticate in the right order. Authentication starts after the Department generates your certificate and sends the reference number, so keep that SMS and number.
- Have your details ready. Keep your examination year, index number and identification handy, and make sure your phone number is correct, since the confirmation SMS goes to you.
- Plan for two sets of fees. If you need authentication, you pay the Department of Examinations and the Consular Affairs Division separately. Check the current fees on each site.
- Allow time. The sources do not state how long processing takes. If you have a deadline, apply early and confirm timing with the Department.
- Keep your records. Save the reference number, payment confirmations and the soft copy in a safe place.
Before you pay: procedures and fees can change. The authentication information above comes from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' page and a 2023 announcement, so confirm the current steps on the portal and the Ministry's website.
🇱🇰 සිංහල සාරාංශය
- විභාග දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවේ ඔන්ලයින් සහතික සේවාව හරහා අ.පො.ස. (උසස් පෙළ) සහතික ඉල්ලුම් කළ හැක.
- මෙම සේවාව 2001 සහ ඉන් පසු පැවැත්වූ විභාග සඳහාය. 2001 ට පෙර විභාග සඳහා බත්තරමුල්ල විභාග දෙපාර්තමේන්තුව වෙත ඉල්ලුම් කළ යුතුය.
- ඔන්ලයින් ඉල්ලුම් කිරීමෙන් ලැබෙන්නේ සහතික කළ ඩිජිටල් පිටපතකි. මුද්‍රිත පිටපතක් සඳහා දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවේ එක් දින සේවාව භාවිත කරන්න.
- විදේශ භාවිතය සඳහා අවශ්‍ය නම් විදේශ කටයුතු අමාත්‍යාංශයේ කොන්සියුලර් කටයුතු අංශය හරහා සහතිකය සත්‍යාපනය කළ හැක.
- උදව් සඳහා දුරකථන අංකය 1911.
🇱🇰 தமிழ் சுருக்கம்
- பரீட்சைகள் திணைக்களத்தின் இணையவழிச் சான்றிதழ் சேவை மூலம் க.பொ.த (உயர்தர) சான்றிதழ்களுக்கு விண்ணப்பிக்கலாம்.
- இச்சேவை 2001 மற்றும் அதற்குப் பின்னர் நடைபெற்ற பரீட்சைகளுக்கானது. 2001 க்கு முன்னரானவற்றுக்கு பத்தரமுல்லையிலுள்ள பரீட்சைகள் திணைக்களத்தில் விண்ணப்பிக்க வேண்டும்.
- இணையவழி விண்ணப்பத்தில் சான்றுப்படுத்தப்பட்ட மென்பிரதி மட்டுமே கிடைக்கும். அச்சிட்ட பிரதிக்கு திணைக்களத்தின் ஒரு நாள் சேவையைப் பயன்படுத்துங்கள்.
- வெளிநாட்டுப் பயன்பாட்டுக்குத் தேவைப்பட்டால் வெளிவிவகார அமைச்சின் தூதரகச் சேவைகள் பிரிவு மூலம் சான்றிதழை அங்கீகரிக்கலாம்.
- உதவிக்கு தொலைபேசி இலக்கம் 1911.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I get a printed A/L certificate when I apply online?
No. The online application issues a soft copy of the attested certificate. If you need a physical certificate, you apply through the Department of Examinations' One-Day Service.
Can I get an A/L certificate for an exam before 2001 online?
The online service covers examinations from 2001 onwards. For earlier A/L examinations, apply through the Department of Examinations at Battaramulla.
How do I get my A/L certificate authenticated for use abroad?
After the Department generates your certificate and sends the SMS with a reference number, you can request authentication through the Consular Affairs Division's online platform. You pay the Department of Examinations and the Consular Affairs Division separately.
Who do I contact for help?
Use the Department of Examinations' hotline, 1911, or its website. Keep your reference number and payment confirmation ready.
Source and Updates
Sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Certificates issued by the Department of Examinations; Ada Derana report on the online authentication launch (November 2023). Sources checked: [EDITOR: add date checked].
Prepared by: GovInfo.lk Editorial Team
Last reviewed: Ana Jey: 20.10.2026
Found an error, or a change in the Department's or the Ministry's procedure? Contact us through the Contact page and we will review and correct this guide.
GovInfo.lk is an independent information website and is not an official website of the Government of Sri Lanka. Readers should verify important information with the relevant official authority or original government document.
