Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2003 · As enacted
4. Insertion of section 5A in the principal enactment
Official English translation. Where it differs from the Sinhala or Tamil text, the Act itself says which text prevails.
Official translationFrom Department of Government Printing, unchanged
The following new section is hereby inserted immediately after section 5 of the principal enactment and shall have effect as section 5A of that enactment :—
5A.
date of
Any person who was born within or outside Sri Lanka after the appointed date but prior to the date of commencement of this
Act and—
whose mother only was at the time of his birth a citizen of Sri Lanka and he is over twenty two years of age ; or
neither of whose parents was at the time of his birth a citizen of Sri Lanka but at least one of his parents subsequently becomes a citizen of
Sri Lanka ; and shall be eligible to obtain the status of a citizen of Sri Lanka in accordance with the succeeding provisions of this section.
A person referred to in subsection (1)
who is a citizen of any other country and who desires to acquire Sri Lankan citizenship and renounce citizenship of that other country, may make an application to the Mnister for a declaration that he has acquired the status of a citizen of Sri Lanka if he renounces citizenship of such other country, in accordance with the law in force in that behalf in that other country and he is, and intends to continue to be ordinarily resident in Sri Lanka, and the Minister may make the declaration for which the application is made.
A person referred to in subsection (1)
who is a citizen of any other country and who desires to acquire Sri Lankan citizenship and to also retain citizenship of that other country, may make an application to the Minister, for a declaration to the effect that he has acquired the status of a citizen of Sri Lanka, notwithstanding the fact that he is, and continues to be, a citizen of that other country, and the Minister may make
“Eligibility of persons born prior to the commencement of this Act.
the declaration for which the application is made, if he is satisfied that the making of such declaration would in all the circumstances of the case, be of benefit to Sri Lanka.
When a declaration is made under this section, the Minister shall specify the date with effect from which such person shall have acquired the status of a citizen of
Sri Lanka.
The provisions of subsection (7) of section 19 shall, mutatis mutandis, apply to a person who has acquired the status of a citizen of Sri Lanka by virtue of the preceding provisions of this section.
The provisions of section 26 of the principal enactment relating to the payment of fees, shall, mutatis mutandis, apply to the application of a person under this section.”.