ELIGIBILITY & APPLICATION

The current foreign-admission provision includes:

• Children of Sri Lankan diplomatic personnel stationed abroad
• Children of foreign diplomatic personnel working in Sri Lanka
• Applicants from SAARC countries
• Other eligible Sri Lankan applicants with foreign qualifications
• Other foreign applicants

Applicants must provide the relevant Sri Lankan or foreign passport evidence.

Applicants should read the current UGC handbook carefully to confirm that their nationality, passport, residence and educational circumstances meet the applicable requirements.

Applicants must hold a foreign qualification obtained outside Sri Lanka that is accepted by the UGC as equivalent to the Sri Lankan G.C.E. Advanced Level examination.

When determining equivalency, the UGC considers whether:

• The study programme leading to the examination involved at least two years of full-time study
• At least 90% of the timetabled teaching time was devoted equally to the three required subjects
• The learning outcomes of the relevant subjects are comparable to Sri Lanka Qualifications Framework Level 2
• The required passes were obtained in one sitting under one recognised examining board

Academic Year 2025/2026

• Applicants require two credit passes and one simple pass in Biology, Chemistry and Physics at the Advanced Level examination.
• Medicine is listed under Course Code 001, and the Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna, is one of the institutions offering the course.
• For Medicine, Biology, Chemistry and Physics must each account for approximately 30% of the teaching time during the relevant two-year programme.
• Academic requirements must be checked against the UGC handbook applicable to the relevant year of application.

Sri Lankan applicants are generally required to have studied abroad for at least three academic years immediately before sitting the qualifying examination.

Separate provisions apply to children of Sri Lankan diplomatic personnel. Applicants in this category should consult the relevant section of the current UGC handbook.

Academic Year 2025/2026

Applicants whose primary language is not English, or whose previous education was not conducted in English, must provide evidence of English-language proficiency.

The current minimum requirements are:

• TOEFL: 79
• IELTS: 6.5
• PTE: 51–60

A duly certified copy of the relevant certificate must be submitted.

Step 1 — Read the Current Handbook

Review the current UGC Foreign Admissions Handbook in full.

Step 2 — Confirm Your Eligibility

Check:

• Passport and applicant category
• Foreign-qualification equivalency
• Biology, Chemistry and Physics requirements
• Overseas education and residence requirements
• English-language proficiency
• Documentary requirements
• Financial requirements

Step 3 — Complete the Current Application Form

Use only the application form issued by the UGC for the relevant academic year.

Step 4 — Prepare Certified Supporting Documents

Ensure that all documents are complete, correctly certified and translated into English when required.

Step 5 — Pay the UGC Application-Processing Fee

Submit proof of payment with the application.

Step 6 — Submit the Application to the UGC

For the 2025/2026 academic year, applicants must:

• Send the hard-copy application and supporting documents to the UGC by courier
• Send a complete scanned PDF copy, including all attachments, to the official UGC email address by the closing date

Step 7 — Await Acknowledgement

The UGC normally acknowledges receipt of the hard-copy application by email. An acknowledgement confirms receipt only and does not indicate eligibility, processing completion or selection.

Step 8 — Await the Final UGC Decision

The UGC assesses eligible applications and communicates final offers to successful candidates.

• For Sri Lankan Candidates:
  1. Originally signed hardcopy of application
  2. Certified copies of A/L Certificate and Statement of Results
  3. Certified copy of bio pages of candidate’s passport(s) covering period studied abroad
  4. Electronically verifiable travel movement records (immigration authority) for candidate’s residence period abroad
  5. Originals of Foreign and Sri Lankan school leaving certificates (for the 3 relevant academic years)
  6. Certified copy of candidate’s Birth Certificate
  7. Originals of Service Certificate(s) of Father/Mother/Guardian from employer(s) abroad
  8. Certified copies of bio pages of parents’/guardians’ passport(s)
  9. Electronically verifiable travel movement records for parents’/guardian’s residence period abroad
  10. Documentary evidence of legal guardianship (if parents deceased)
  11. Letter from Ministry of Foreign Affairs (if parents are Sri Lankan diplomats abroad)
  12. Originals of service certificates (if parents are diplomats abroad)
  13. Certified copies of Letters of Assignment (if parents are diplomats)
  14. Original bank letters showing parents’/guardian’s balance (≥1 year course fee, maintained 3 months)
  15. TOEFL/IELTS/PTE certificate (if primary language isn’t English)
  16. Legally valid affidavit for name discrepancies (candidate’s documents)
  17. Legally valid affidavit for name discrepancies (parents’/guardian’s documents)
  18. Proof of US $100 application processing fee

 

• For Foreign Candidates:
  1. Originally signed hardcopy of application
  2. Certified copies of A/L Certificate and Statement of Results
  3. Certified copy of bio pages of candidate’s passport(s)
  4. Original School Leaving Certificate (from qualifying exam school)
  5. Certified copy of candidate’s Birth Certificate/National Identity Card
  6. Certified copy of candidate’s Citizenship Certificate (if any)
  7. Originals of Service Certificate(s) of Father/Mother/Guardian
  8. Letter from Ministry of Foreign Affairs (if parents are foreign diplomats working in Sri Lanka)
  9. Originals of service certificates (if parents are diplomats in Sri Lanka)
  10. Certified copies of Letters of Assignment (if parents are diplomats)
  11. Original bank letters showing parents’/guardian’s balance in their own currency (≥1 year course fee, maintained 3 months)
  12. TOEFL/IELTS/PTE certificate (if primary language isn’t English)
  13. Legally valid affidavit for name discrepancies (candidate’s documents)
  14. Legally valid affidavit for name discrepancies (parents’/guardian’s documents)
  15. Proof of US $100 application processing fee

Failure to submit required documents and certificates may result in rejection of the application.

Academic Year 2025/2026

Application Submission Instructions

By courier:
Deputy Secretary/University Admissions
University Grants Commission
No. 20, Ward Place
Colombo 07
Sri Lanka

By email:
A scanned PDF copy of the application (with all attachments) must also be sent to foreignadmissions@ugc.ac.lk, in parallel with the courier submission.

Deadline:
Both the hardcopy and the scanned copy must reach UGC on or before the closing date. Late applications will not be accepted, and missing the email copy may delay processing.

For children of Sri Lankan diplomats:
Applications must be routed through the Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment & Tourism, Republic Building, Sir Baron Jayathilake Mawatha, Colombo 01, Sri Lanka — instead of sending directly to the UGC.

Formal applications must not be submitted to the Faculty of Medicine.

Admission and Selection

Places are limited, and satisfying the minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee admission.

Under the current provision:

• Up to 0.5% of places available in each course may be reserved
• Up to 4.5% of places above the proposed intake may also be allocated
• Selection is made according to the UGC’s stated order of priority
• Most candidates are admitted on a fee-levying basis

The UGC may use a selection committee or seek recommendations from the relevant universities or faculties before communicating the final offer.