Sri Lanka currently maintains one of the strictest customs policies regarding tobacco in the world. While cigarettes are legally manufactured, marketed, and sold within the country, Sri Lankan citizens returning from abroad are strictly prohibited from bringing even a single pack of cigarettes for their own personal use.

The Problem of Inconsistency If the goal of the government were a total ban on tobacco for health reasons, the domestic sale of cigarettes would be illegal. However, since cigarettes are sold freely across the island, the current customs law serves no public health purpose. Instead, it unfairly targets the Sri Lankan diaspora and travelers who prefer specific brands not available in the local market.

Why This Needs to Change:

• Fairness for Citizens: Many Sri Lankans living abroad have become accustomed to specific brands. Being forced to switch to local alternatives - which differ in quality and composition - is an unnecessary burden on citizens returning home.
• International Standards: Most countries allow a reasonable "Duty-Free Allowance" (typically 200 sticks) for personal consumption. Sri Lanka’s "zero-tolerance" policy treats honest citizens like smugglers.
• Economic Reality: We are not asking for the right to sell foreign cigarettes commercially. We are asking for a reasonable personal allowance that aligns with international travel norms.

Our Goal: We urge the Ministry of Finance and Sri Lanka Customs to amend the current regulations to allow travelers a standard duty-free allowance of 200 cigarettes for personal use. It is time to replace an illogical restriction with a fair, regulated allowance.
 

As a citizen living abroad, I am starting this petition to represent the thousands of Sri Lankans who face unnecessary legal trouble at the airport for simply carrying their own personal belongings.