National identity card (Sri Lanka)
Encyclopedia
The National Identity Card (abbreviation
: NIC) is the identity document
in use in Sri Lanka
. It is compulsory for all Sri Lankan citizens who are sixteen years of age and older to have their NICs. NICs are issued from the Registration of Persons Department. The Registration of Persons Act No.32 of 1968 as amended by Act Nos 28 and 37 of 1971 and Act No.11 of 1981 legislates the issuance and usage of NICs.
Currently it is compulsory for bearers to hold the card at all times and must show their cards to police officers conducting regular screening while on patrol, check points for instance. Failure to show any form of legal identification, may allow the police to detain suspicious individuals until relevant identification could be produced subsequently either in person or by proxy. The NIC is also a required document for some government procedures, commercial transactions such as the opening of a bank account, or to gain entry to premises by surrendering or exchanging for an entry pass. Failure to produce the card may result in denied access to these premises or attainment of goods and services. Most notably it is required to apply for a passport
(over 16), driving licence (over 18) and to vote (over 18).
in the US.
which the application was made. The numbers range from 1-9. The numbering convention
is as follows:
has been issuing an identity card since the 1940's with a validity of five years, this may be gained in lieu of an NIC if the latter is unable to be issued. This is commonly used by students who have not reached sixteen or by adults who need identity document sooner than an NIC could be issued or to a person an NIC can not be issued to. In cretin cases driving licence may be used.
Abbreviation
An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Usually, but not always, it consists of a letter or group of letters taken from the word or phrase...
: NIC) is the identity document
Identity document
An identity document is any document which may be used to verify aspects of a person's personal identity. If issued in the form of a small, mostly standard-sized card, it is usually called an identity card...
in use in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. It is compulsory for all Sri Lankan citizens who are sixteen years of age and older to have their NICs. NICs are issued from the Registration of Persons Department. The Registration of Persons Act No.32 of 1968 as amended by Act Nos 28 and 37 of 1971 and Act No.11 of 1981 legislates the issuance and usage of NICs.
Currently it is compulsory for bearers to hold the card at all times and must show their cards to police officers conducting regular screening while on patrol, check points for instance. Failure to show any form of legal identification, may allow the police to detain suspicious individuals until relevant identification could be produced subsequently either in person or by proxy. The NIC is also a required document for some government procedures, commercial transactions such as the opening of a bank account, or to gain entry to premises by surrendering or exchanging for an entry pass. Failure to produce the card may result in denied access to these premises or attainment of goods and services. Most notably it is required to apply for a passport
Sri Lankan passport
Sri Lankan passports are issued to citizens of Sri Lanka for the purpose of international travel. The Department of Immigration and Emigration is responsible for issuing Sri Lankan passports.-Types:...
(over 16), driving licence (over 18) and to vote (over 18).
NIC Number
Each NIC has a unique 10 digit number, in the format 000000000A (where 0 is a digit and A is a letter). The first two digits of the number are your year of birth (e.g.: 88xxxxxxxx for someone born in 1988). The final letter is generally a 'V' or 'X'. This number is use for unique person identification, similar to the social security numberSocial Security number
In the United States, a Social Security number is a nine-digit number issued to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and temporary residents under section 205 of the Social Security Act, codified as . The number is issued to an individual by the Social Security Administration, an independent...
in the US.
Markings
- At the top centre of the card the word "Sri Lanka" is printed in the Sinhala language.
- The purple number on the right of the Sri Lankan emblem represents the Province from
which the application was made. The numbers range from 1-9. The numbering convention
is as follows:
- 1 Western Province
- 2 Central Province
- 3 Southern Province
- 4 Northern Province
- 5 Eastern Province
- 6 North Western Province
- 7 North Central Province
- 8 Province of Uva
- 9 Province of Sabaragamuwa
Alternate identity cards
The Department of PostSri Lanka Post
The Department of Posts, functioning under the brand name Sri Lanka Post, is a government operated postal system in Sri Lanka. The postal headquarters is the General Post Office which is located in Colombo. The department itself comes under the purview of the Ministry of Telecommunications and Posts...
has been issuing an identity card since the 1940's with a validity of five years, this may be gained in lieu of an NIC if the latter is unable to be issued. This is commonly used by students who have not reached sixteen or by adults who need identity document sooner than an NIC could be issued or to a person an NIC can not be issued to. In cretin cases driving licence may be used.