Information on whether a citizen can apply for a National Identity Card (NIC) in his/her place of residence, even if s/he was not born there and his/her parents live somewhere else in the country, could not be obtained from the Department of the Registration of Persons, Colombo, or from the High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Ottawa.

Please note that, according to the 17 March 1995 report by the Canadian High Commission in Colombo entitled "Questions From Ontario Region: Sri Lankan Conditions" that is attached to LKA25499.E of 14 November 1996,

...it is possible for persons to apply for a new NIC following establishment of a permanent residence in a new location. Persons must provide proof of identity, such as a birth certificate, and proof of residence, such as telephone or electricity bills or a deed to a house. The report further indicates that it is advisable to apply for a new NIC upon establishing a new place of permanent residence in order to be eligible to vote in the new location. A non-resident in a sensitive area would likely invite additional questioning during identification checks by police or security forces.

Additional and/or corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Canadian High Commission, Colombo. 17 March 1995. "Questions From Ontario Region: Sri Lankan Conditions."

Embassy of Sri Lanka, Washington DC. Website.

High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Ottawa. Website.

Electronic sources: Internet, IRB Databases.

Department of the Registration of Persons, Colombo.

High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Ottawa.