SQE in Sri Lanka

SQE for Sri Lankan law graduates and attorneys-at-law

A Sri Lankan law graduate or attorney-at-law can qualify as a solicitor of England and Wales through the SQE, but no Sri Lankan city is on the SRA’s list of places to sit it, and the title is not a way into the Sri Lankan profession. SQE1 means travelling to a listed country such as India or the United Arab Emirates, and the SQE2 oral assessments are held only in England and Wales.

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Sri Lanka and the route to England and Wales, where every SQE2 oral assessment is held.

0: cities in Sri Lanka on the SRA’s list for SQE1 and SQE2 written, read 12 November 2026
18: months of practice as an attorney-at-law that the SRA asks for before it will consider an SQE2 exemption
2: University of London LLB teaching centres in Sri Lanka (University of London)
£5,092: SQE1 and SQE2 assessment fees together, for sittings from September 2026 (SQE cost page)

In short

Can I qualify as an English solicitor from Sri Lanka?

Facts checked against the regulators’ own pages. Last updated 12 November 2026.

Yes. You need a degree or equivalent in any subject, passes in SQE1 and SQE2, two years of qualifying work experience and the SRA’s character check. The SRA’s admission criteria contain no UK residence or nationality requirement.
It will not make you an attorney-at-law in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Law College names barristers of England, Scotland and Ireland for a shortened route and does not mention solicitors.
No city in Sri Lanka is on the SRA’s list for SQE1 or the SQE2 written papers, and the SRA gives no reason. The nearest listed countries are India and the United Arab Emirates.
The SQE2 oral assessments are held only in London, Cardiff, Manchester and Birmingham, over two consecutive days.
An attorney-at-law needs no qualifying work experience and can apply for an individual SQE2 exemption with 18 months of practice. SQE1 still has to be sat.
If you began a foreign LLB on or after 30 December 2020, the local route runs through Law College’s Special Entrance Examination. The SQE does not change that.

The local route

How you become an attorney-at-law in Sri Lanka

Admission is by the Supreme Court, and the way in is Sri Lanka Law College, which functions under the Incorporated Council of Legal Education. Only citizens of Sri Lanka can apply.

Colombo’s Hulftsdorp district, with the red-roofed Supreme Court and the Lotus Tower beyond — Hulftsdorp, Colombo, with the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka visible beyond the trees. Admission as an attorney-at-law is by the Supreme Court.Photo: Nuwaiza · CC BY 4.0 · Cropped/resized for layout, with light brightness, colour and sharpness adjustments; WebP export.

Routes into Sri Lanka Law College, from its curriculum page and 2026 admission guidelines

Who you are	How you enter	What you still do
General entrant	The General Entrance Examination.	Three years of examinations (Preliminary, Intermediate and Final), then the Practical Training Course and an apprenticeship.
LLB from a Sri Lankan state university or Kotelawala Defence University, with the prescribed subjects	Exempt from the Preliminary and Intermediate examinations. The 2026 fee schedule puts the Final year at LKR 47,500.	The Final examination, the Practical Training Course and the apprenticeship.
Foreign LLB, on the graduate intake	Entry at the Preliminary year. The 2026 fee schedule has a line for these students of LKR 117,500.	The College’s examinations from the Preliminary year, then practical training and the apprenticeship.
Foreign LLB begun on or after 30 December 2020	No graduate intake: the Special Entrance Examination.	The College’s examinations, practical training and the apprenticeship.
Barrister of England, Scotland or Ireland	A shortened route named in the College’s exemption policy. The 2026 fee schedule has a line for a barrister with an LLB of LKR 97,500.	Seven named subjects, the Practical Training Course and the apprenticeship.
Solicitor of England and Wales	Not mentioned in the exemption policy or in the 2026 guidelines.	No shortened route. Whichever row above fits your degree applies.

The apprenticeship lasts at least six months, under a lawyer of at least eight years’ standing, and follows the College’s Practical Training Course. Only then can you apply to the Supreme Court for admission. LLB graduates are exempt from lectures, not from the examinations in their row. Sources: Sri Lanka Law College, curriculum and exemptions and the College’s 2026 admission guidelines.

At home

What an English solicitor title is worth in Sri Lanka

For admission as an attorney-at-law, nothing that the College’s rules record. The English qualification that the College provides for is the barrister’s.

The College’s exemption policy names "Barristers from England, Scotland, and Ireland" and sets them a defined list of subjects: Civil Procedure and Pleadings I and II, Law of Property I and II, Revenue Law, Industrial Law and Commercial Law I. Solicitors do not appear on that page or in the 2026 admission guidelines, and no official Sri Lankan source we read gives the English solicitor qualification any status for admission as an attorney-at-law.

So if your aim is to practise in Sri Lanka, passing the SQE shortens nothing at Law College. If you want an English professional title for its value at home, call to the Bar is the one the College provides a route for, and the two are set side by side in SQE or the Bar course.

The Special Entrance Examination for foreign LLB holders

It is for Sri Lankan citizens who registered for an LLB at a foreign university on or after 30 December 2020. They cannot use the graduate intake.
The degree must be from a recognised university in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Singapore or New Zealand, or from a university ranked in the top 100 for law in the QS rankings during your years of study. In either case the Incorporated Council of Legal Education must also recognise the university.
We found no published list of the universities the Council recognises. In a notice of 18 September 2023 the College said it had not yet listed any for entry from 2021. Ask the College about your own university before you plan around this route.
You must supply a certificate from an authorised authority in the country where you took the degree about your eligibility or permission to practise there. Candidates without it cannot sit. The notice does not say which document meets this, and no official source says that SQE passes or admission as a solicitor would.
For the 2027 academic year, applications ran from 9 February to 6 March 2026 and the examination was set for June 2026, in English only.

Sources: Sri Lanka Law College, Special Entrance Examination notice 2026 and the College’s notice of 18 September 2023 on foreign LLB degrees.

Already admitted

What the SRA asks a Sri Lankan attorney-at-law for

The SRA’s exemption finder, last updated 24 September 2026, has one entry for the country: "Sri Lanka", "Attorney at Law". It is an individual exemption, not an agreed one.

SQE requirements for a Sri Lankan attorney-at-law

Requirement	The SRA’s position	What it means for you
SQE1 (FLK1 and FLK2)	No exemption is listed. The SRA calls SQE1 exemptions "very rare" and has granted one to any lawyer since 2021.	Sit both papers, in a listed country.
SQE2	"You can apply for an individual SQE2 exemption."	Send proof of your qualification, a reference showing at least 18 months of legal work after admission as an attorney-at-law, and proof of your referee’s own qualification.
Qualifying work experience	Not required of qualified lawyers.	You skip the two years that other candidates need.
English	Passing SQE2 shows it. A lawyer exempt from SQE2 proves it separately.	Either your professional qualification was assessed in English, or an approved test such as IELTS Academic UKVI at 7.5 overall, no more than three years old.
A degree or equivalent	Needed for admission, in any subject.	A Sri Lankan degree is checked through mySRA for £54.84. Without a degree, the SRA decides case by case.

The exemption application costs £265, and the SRA allows itself 180 days from a complete application. Apply before you book SQE2, because there is no exemption for an assessment you have already failed or are waiting on, and sit SQE1 in the meantime if you wish. Being able to apply is not the same as being granted it: each individual application is judged on the work you have done. Read the SRA’s SQE2 exemption checklist before you ask anyone for a reference.

If you qualified through Law College without a university degree, raise it with the SRA early. The SRA says it can treat other qualifications or work experience as equivalent to a degree, case by case, and whether the Law College programme alone meets that test is its decision to make. Source: SRA, degree or equivalent.

With under 18 months of practice you sit SQE2 like any other candidate, which means the oral assessments in England or Wales. Our guide to applying for SQE exemptions takes the form step by step. Source for the entry: SRA, SQE exemptions by jurisdiction.

Travel

Sitting the SQE from Sri Lanka: every assessment is abroad

No city in Sri Lanka is on the SRA’s list of places it aims to include for SQE1 and the SQE2 written papers, read on 12 November 2026. The SRA gives no reason. It also calls the list illustrative: the cities for a sitting are confirmed only when booking opens.

Where each SQE assessment can be sat by a candidate living in Sri Lanka

Assessment	In Sri Lanka	Nearest listed options
SQE1 (FLK1 and FLK2)	No city on the list.	India: Bangalore, Chennai, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi. United Arab Emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai.
SQE2 written	No city on the list.	The same Indian and UAE cities, or a UK centre on the same trip as the oral days.
SQE2 oral	Not offered outside England and Wales.	London, Cardiff, Manchester or Birmingham.

Plan SQE1 as one stayFLK1 and FLK2 are booked for the same sitting, each in its own week, and you choose one day in each week. In January 2027 FLK1 runs from 11 to 15 January and FLK2 from 18 to 22 January. A Friday followed by the next Monday keeps the stay short, if your centre has seats on both days.
Book as soon as the form arrivesSeats are allocated in the order reservation forms are received, and booking for January 2027 closes on 23 November 2026, UK time. If the city you want is full, the SQE site’s own advice is to consider a neighbouring city or country.
SQE2 means England or WalesThe oral assessments take two consecutive days, and the three written days must fall in the same assessment window. You can sit the written days in India or the UAE and then fly to the UK, or sit all of it on one UK trip.
Take your passport and a second IDFor SQE1 and SQE2 written the centre asks for two original documents: a photo ID, for which the SQE site recommends a passport, and a second one showing your name and signature, such as a signed bank card. The name must match your SQE account exactly.
Check two sets of entry rulesFor India or the UAE, read that country’s own rules: we have not researched them. For the UK, GOV.UK lists taking an exam among the things a Standard Visitor can do, while the Immigration Rules do not name the SQE. Whether you need a visitor visa (£135) depends on your nationality, so read the Standard Visitor page before you book.

Sources: SQE1 and SQE2 written locations, SQE2 oral locations, SQE booking windows and SQE ID requirements. The rules every overseas candidate shares are on sitting the SQE from outside the UK, and the Indian cities are covered in the SQE in India.

A simple map from Colombo to the nearest SQE test cities — View full-size map ↗

Not yet admitted

Sri Lankan law graduates, including the University of London LLB

A graduate who is not an attorney-at-law takes the full SQE route. From Sri Lanka, two parts of it need planning early: the degree check and the work experience.

University of London LLBThe University lists two teaching centres for the LLB in Sri Lanka: CfPS Law School in Colombo 8 and Royal Institute Campus (RIC) in Kohuwala, Nugegoda. The LLB is a UK honours degree at level 6 awarded by the University of London, which is the kind of degree the SRA describes. Neither body says so in those words, and the University tells students to check with the regulator.
Sri Lankan degreesThe SRA accepts a degree in any subject that is shown to be equivalent to a UK degree. The check is made through mySRA and costs £54.84 for an international degree, or £36 for a UK one. You can sit both exams before it is done.
Two years of qualifying work experienceIt can be gained in Sri Lanka, in up to four organisations, paid or unpaid, and it need not involve English law. A solicitor of England and Wales or a compliance officer for legal practice has to confirm it. A Sri Lankan attorney-at-law cannot, unless they are also an English solicitor.
One LLB, two different answersFor the SQE, the degree only has to be equivalent to a UK degree. For Sri Lanka Law College, a foreign LLB begun on or after 30 December 2020 leads to the Special Entrance Examination, and only where the Council recognises the university.

More on each point: the SQE after a University of London LLB, QWE confirmation for overseas work and who can confirm QWE. Sources: University of London, LLB, University of London, LLB programme specification 2026-27, SRA, checking your qualification and SRA, qualifying work experience.

Costs

What the SQE costs from Sri Lanka

The assessment fees are set in pounds and are the same at every centre. Add flights and a hotel for each sitting, because none of it is sat at home. The SQE site takes a card payment in full when you book, with no payment plan, so ask your bank about your card’s limit for overseas payments beforehand.

In pounds, with US dollarsUSD

Paid to the SRA, the same wherever you sit

SQE1 assessment feeFLK1 and FLK2, paid to the SRA’s assessment provider when you book£2,006US$2,660
SQE2 assessment feeWritten and oral, paid when you book SQE2£3,086US$4,090
Both assessments£5,092US$6,750

Preparing with FQPS

FQPS SQE1 RevisionA month, no minimum term, cancel anytime£79US$105
FQPS SQE2 PreparationA month, includes 6 live 1:1 mocks with a solicitor£189US$251

SRA fees are for assessments from September 2026. FQPS prices include VAT. USD figures are a guide at the European Central Bank rate of 12 November 2026: you pay in pounds, and your card provider sets the final rate.

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Ways to pay

Preparing with FQPS

Preparing in Sri Lanka for an exam you travel to

An FQPS plan is online from start to finish, so the preparation happens at home and only the sittings need a flight. SQE1 runs in January and July, and SQE2 in January, April, July and October.

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An SQE1 practice question in the FQPS mobile app

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Revision cards for the whole SQE1 syllabus, 2,500+ practice questions, flashcards and full FLK1 and FLK2 mocks are there whenever you open the platform, on the web and in the mobile app.

The SQE1 course

A mentor who knows your route

Every paid plan includes a designated mentor and a personal study plan from Cleo, the FQPS study planner, built around your exam date.

How the mentor works

Know your level before you book a flight

A failed paper from Sri Lanka costs a second trip as well as a second fee. Check where you stand first: every FQPS SQE1 plan includes full FLK1 and FLK2 mocks each month, from two of each on SQE1 Revision.

The SQE1 readiness test

Rehearse the oral days with a solicitor

Both SQE2 plans include live 1:1 mocks with a qualified solicitor, on the oral and the written stations, with written feedback. SQE2 Preparation has six a month.

The SQE2 course

Experience gained in Sri Lanka

If no English solicitor works where you gained your experience, the SRA lets a solicitor outside the organisation confirm it after reviewing your work and hearing from your supervisor.

QWE confirmation for overseas work

SQE1 preparation from £79 a month

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Who studies with us

A UK course with students well beyond the UK

FQPS is online from the first revision card to the last mock, so where you live changes your time zone and nothing else.

29: countries our paying students’ cards were issued in, in the 12 months to November 2026
44%: of those students paid with a card issued outside the UK

Lit: the UK and 14 of the other countries, among them France, United States, Singapore, Germany, South Korea, Türkiye.

Seven months of prep was plenty, and audiobooks made studying actually enjoyable.

ClemenceNetherlands, read the review on Trustpilot

I received my results a few weeks ago and am thrilled to share that I passed!

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Honestly, it is value for money.

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These are three of our reviews, chosen because the reviewers are outside the UK. Read every FQPS review on Trustpilot, good and bad. Country counts are from our payment records on 12 November 2026.

An honest view

When the SQE is not the right route from Sri Lanka

We would rather you chose the right route than our course.

Your aim is to practise in Sri Lanka. Admission as an attorney-at-law runs through Sri Lanka Law College and the Supreme Court, and the English solicitor title appears nowhere in the College’s rules.
You hold a foreign LLB begun on or after 30 December 2020 and hope the SQE will stand in for the Special Entrance Examination. Nothing in the College’s notices says it does.
You want an English professional title mainly for its value at Law College. The shortened route there is for barristers, so read SQE or the Bar course first.
You are an attorney-at-law counting on an SQE1 exemption. The SRA has granted one to any lawyer since 2021.
You cannot travel. SQE1 means a listed country such as India or the United Arab Emirates, and without an SQE2 exemption the oral assessments mean England or Wales.
You expect the qualification to carry a right to work in the UK. No SRA, SQE or GOV.UK page we read links the SQE to any immigration permission.

Questions

The SQE from Sri Lanka: common questions

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Can I sit the SQE exam in Sri Lanka?

No Sri Lankan city is on the SRA’s list of places it aims to include for SQE1 and the SQE2 written papers, read on 12 November 2026, and the SRA gives no reason. The nearest listed countries are India and the United Arab Emirates. The SQE2 oral assessments are held only in England and Wales.

Can a Sri Lankan attorney-at-law become a solicitor in the UK?

Yes, as a solicitor of England and Wales. An attorney-at-law needs a degree or equivalent, a pass in SQE1, a pass in SQE2 or an exemption from it, and to meet the SRA’s character and suitability rules. As a qualified lawyer you do not need two years of qualifying work experience.

Is a Sri Lankan attorney-at-law exempt from the SQE?

Not from SQE1: the SRA lists no SQE1 exemption for Sri Lanka and has granted one to any lawyer since 2021. For SQE2 you can apply for an individual exemption with a reference showing at least 18 months of legal work after admission as an attorney-at-law. The fee is £265 and the SRA decides each application on its own facts.

Can an English solicitor practise law in Sri Lanka?

Not on that title alone. Admission as an attorney-at-law is through Sri Lanka Law College and the Supreme Court. The College’s exemption policy names barristers of England, Scotland and Ireland for a shortened route and does not mention solicitors, and no official Sri Lankan source we read gives the solicitor qualification any status for admission.

Can I do the SQE after a University of London LLB in Sri Lanka?

The SRA asks for a degree in any subject, and the University of London LLB is a UK honours degree at level 6, which is the kind of degree the SRA describes. Neither body states it in those words, so confirm through the SRA’s degree check in mySRA. You also need SQE1, SQE2, two years of qualifying work experience and the character check.

Does passing the SQE exempt me from the Sri Lanka Law College entrance exam?

Nothing in the College’s published notices says so. A Sri Lankan citizen who began a foreign LLB on or after 30 December 2020 must sit the Special Entrance Examination, and the College’s exemption policy has a route for barristers but none for solicitors.

How much does the SQE cost from Sri Lanka?

The assessment fees are £2,006 for SQE1 and £3,086 for SQE2 for sittings from September 2026, the same at every centre and charged in pounds. From Sri Lanka you add travel for every sitting, because SQE1 is sat in a listed country such as India or the United Arab Emirates and the SQE2 oral assessments are in England or Wales.

Can I practise law in the UK after an LLB from Sri Lanka?

Not on the LLB alone. To be admitted as a solicitor of England and Wales you pass SQE1 and SQE2, complete two years of qualifying work experience and pass the SRA’s character check. Your degree counts if it is shown to be equivalent to a UK degree, a check made through mySRA for £54.84.

Can I do my qualifying work experience in Sri Lanka?

Yes. The SRA says qualifying work experience can be gained overseas and need not cover English and Welsh law. It must be confirmed by a solicitor of England and Wales or a compliance officer for legal practice, so a Sri Lankan attorney-at-law cannot confirm it unless they are also an English solicitor.

Other routes to the English title

SQE or the Bar course (Bar-at-Law)Two different professions: which one the rules at home name, what each costs and where you must be.SQE after a University of London LLBWhat each country’s regulator does with the external LLB, and where you can sit the SQE from there.

SQE for Indian lawyersSix test cities, an SQE2 exemption that asks for the AIBE and two years of practice, and what the English title is worth in India.All 15 international guidesWhere you can sit, what has to be done in the UK, and a guide for each country.

Sources for this page (26)

Each source was read on or before 12 November 2026. Rules change: check the regulator's own page before you act on anything here. This page is general information, not legal or immigration advice. FQPS Academy is an independent SQE preparation provider, not affiliated with or endorsed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority or Kaplan. The SQE and SOLICITORS QUALIFYING EXAMINATION trade marks are the property of and are used under licence from the Solicitors Regulation Authority.