Sri Lanka's documents present a distinctive translation challenge due to the country's two official scripts. Sinhala script (සිංහල අක්ෂර) is an abugida derived from ancient Brahmi script, with 60 characters including 18 vowels, 42 consonants, and numerous conjunct forms. Tamil script (தமிழ் எழுத்து) is also an abugida with 12 vowels, 18 consonants, and 216 compound characters. Both scripts are visually complex, with characters that can be easily confused by translators unfamiliar with the specific writing system.
Official documents from the Registrar General's Department are typically issued in the language of the administrative district where the event was registered. Documents from the Western, Southern, Central, Sabaragamuwa, North Western, and Uva Provinces are predominantly in Sinhala, while documents from the Northern and Eastern Provinces are predominantly in Tamil. Many Sri Lankan official documents contain trilingual headers (Sinhala, Tamil, and English) with the substantive content in the registrar's working language. Some modern documents, particularly those from Colombo and major cities, are issued in English or as bilingual Sinhala-English or Tamil-English formats.
DoVisa maintains translators proficient in both Sinhala and Tamil scripts, each trained in Sri Lankan administrative terminology. Transliteration of Sinhala and Tamil names into the Latin alphabet follows the individual's passport spelling as the primary reference. Sri Lankan naming conventions differ between Sinhalese and Tamil communities — Sinhalese names typically include a given name and surname, while Tamil names may follow the patronymic system with the father's name preceding the given name. Our translators ensure consistent romanization across all translated documents.
